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Incident & critical event management

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Incident management & investigations

Overview Specification FAQs

A powerful and critical framework designed to quickly and efficiently respond to and resolve incidents that disrupt normal service operations. Our end-to-end incident management platform offers organisations a comprehensive suite of tools to effectively address and manage incidents from detection to resolution.

This integrated approach streamlines the incident management process, ensuring swift identification, categorisation, improved communication, collaboration among different teams, standardised procedures and workflows, ensuring a consistent and effective response to incidents and speed of resolution – thereby minimising downtime, cost and operational disruptions. The unification of incident data enhances visibility across the organisation, allowing for real-time monitoring and facilitating informed decision-making.

Key benefits

  • Ensures swift identification, categorisation, and resolution of incidents, minimising downtime and operational disruptions.
  • Centralises incident data for real-time monitoring, enhancing visibility across the organisation and facilitating informed decision-making.
  • Offers easy information sharing and efficient task coordination among different teams, leading to faster resolution times.
  • Provides standardised procedures and workflows for a consistent and effective response to incidents, reducing variability in handling and outcomes.
  • In-depth analytics and reporting capabilities for tracking incident trends and measuring response effectiveness, supporting continuous improvement of the incident management process.
  • Enhances operational efficiency, improves service reliability, and fosters a proactive culture towards incident management, thereby supporting the organisation’s overall performance and customer satisfaction.
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INCIDENT MANAGEMENT & INVESTIGATIONS
Specification

End-to-end
Comprehensive approach managing incidents from initial detection through to final resolution and analysis.

Efficiency
Streamlining processes to minimise downtime, ensuring rapid response & return of normal operations.

Resolution
Swift identification, diagnosis, and fixing of incidents to restore services and mitigate impacts.

Insight
Gaining valuable knowledge from incident data to improve future response and prevent recurrence.

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Out-the-box incident types

Building Damage - covering; structural, roof, glazing, access, doors, shutters & barriers, external facade, fly tipping, property boundary, internal systems & utilities, signage and lighting

Building Systems - covering; fire systems, physical security systems, access control, CCTV, communication system failure, PAVA communications

Complaints - covering; maintenance issues, noise, cleanliness, hygiene & sanitation, structural & aesthetic issues, service & amenities, accessibility

Civil Unrest - covering; industrial action, protest & activism, civil disobedience

Data/Cyber Security - covering; data request, data protection, network & service disruption, targeted cyber exploits & manipulation

Fire - covering; fire, explosion

Mechanical & Electrical (M&E) - covering; HVAC, building maintenance unit (BMU), digital services, escalator failure, appliances, lift incident, lift entrapment, lighting doors, shutters & barriers, unsafe object, water leak, blocked drain, utilities

Missing Person and Vulnerable Person(s) - covering; missing minor (under 18), missing adult (18+), vulnerable person

Natural Disasters - covering; weather-related disasters, geophysical disasters

Suspicious Activity - covering; auditors, drone activity, hostile reconnaissance, suspicious behaviour, suspicious item

Terrorism & Domestic Threat - covering; bomb threat/attack, CBRN, drone, armed assaults, stabbing attacks, suicide bomber, attack, arson, human trafficking, vehicle as weapon / VBIED, kidnap, barricade/hostage, cyber terrorism, weapons

Theft - covering; burglary, fraud, robbery, theft, other loss

Unauthorised Access - covering; homelessness/vagrant, illegal gatherings, travellers, perimeter breach, unauthorised person on site, URBEX climbers, insecure area

Vehicles - covering; abandoned vehicle, car cruises, insecure, vehicle parking issue, road traffic collision, vehicle theft, vehicle damage

Violence & Unacceptable Behaviour - covering; alcohol or drugs, violence, unacceptable behaviour, anti-social behaviour, banning order

Custom incident types (see: "Customisation")

Edit and customise the existing incident types specific to your own requirements and processes.

Create your own incident types and workflows

Automatically integrate incidents from other systems to provide a single repository of all incidents across your business (see "APIs")

Reporting structure

Three stages enabling the report to be structured: Report, investigate, analyse

Report - capturing of date / time, reporter details (internal - with a Staff lookup function, external/contractor or member of the public), location (with interactive mapping, layer selection, adding of points of interest or selection of existing sites), pre-made ‘details’ fields based on the selected incident type

Investigate - pre-made ‘assessment’ fields based on the selected critical event, involved parties (including reporter details, victims and injuries, witnesses, offenders/suspects and emergency services)

Analyse - pre-made ‘evaluation/conclusion’ and ‘analysis’ fields based on the selected critical event

Command, control & investigate - management tools

Edit - complete changes, collate, consolidate and manage all evidence centrally ensuring it is handled securely and in a compliant way.

Assignment - triage and allocate responsibility of the alarms to individuals and teams - internal or 3rd party responders/keyholders.

Statuses - move the alarm report through the cycle through to closure.

Comments - two-way communication with responders, add notes, continuous commentary and narrative to the alarm report.

Mapping - view the alarm location, surrounding area, swop the view from map to satellite & activate layers for people/sites.

Criticality - set default priority & severity levels and manually escalate or deescalate alarms to keep teams informed.

EOP/SOP automation - automate & orchestrate pre-defined standard & emergency operating procedures by the auto-creation of tasks.

Files - upload media, files, CCTV & wide range of files to support an alarm either manually uploaded, from a mobile device or via the API.

Tasks - coordinate the planning & tracking of alarm response tasks to ensure designated actions are completed & deadlines are met.

Notifications - automatic or manually triggered alerts and notifications using a wide range of communication methods.

Responses forms - formalised responses, statements, checks, sign-offs, forms and processes can be setup and enforced.

Plot - add points, polygons & radius to the map with response forms to mark actions and additional locations i.e. damage, cordons etc.

Involved parties - capture of suspects, offenders, organised groups, victims, injuries, witnesses, vehicles and emergency services.

Linking - linking of alarms and other events, with configurable link relationships - allowing for a investigations to see the bigger picture.

Costs - Log all losses as a consequence of an alarm - from time-based costs, purchased resources to damages, stock losses etc.

Audit timeline - transparency of all updates, actions and activities conducted on an event, displayed in a clear timeline.

Data restrictions - management and control over user access & permissions defining which user group can access and manage.

Export - export the alarm details in a PDF format to print - PDF reports can branded and customised.

TV mode - for display on control rooms video walls and triage rooms for situational awareness and ongoing updates.

Data push - interface with 3rd party systems via API endpoints.

Alarm analysis (see: "Dashboards & Analysis")

Search - powerful filtering facility & advanced query builder that allows users to customise search criteria, filter & interrogate data sets.

Analysis - map key metrics and unlimited reporting suites and dashboards using flexible widgets - add lists, counts, graphs & maps.

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
Frequently Asked Questions

The digitalisation of incident management refers to the integration of digital technologies into the processes and practices of identifying, responding to, and resolving incidents within an organisation.

This transformation involves moving away from manual, paper-based systems and adopting software and digital tools that automate and streamline the incident management lifecycle. Here are key aspects of how digitalization has revolutionized incident management:

  1. Automated Detection and Alerting: Digital platforms can automatically detect anomalies or incidents through continuous monitoring of systems and data flows, immediately alerting relevant personnel or teams to potential issues.
  2. Centralised Incident Management Systems: Digital solutions offer centralised databases and interfaces where incidents can be logged, tracked, and managed from initial detection to resolution. This centralisation enhances visibility and coordination among stakeholders.
  3. Improved Communication and Collaboration: Digital tools facilitate real-time communication and collaboration across departments and teams, enabling more efficient incident response and resolution processes. Integrated chat functions, email alerts, and collaborative workspaces are examples of such features.
  4. Data Analytics and Reporting: Digital platforms provide powerful analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing organisations to analyse incident trends, identify root causes, and track key performance indicators (KPIs). This insight supports informed decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.
  5. Mobile Accessibility: With mobile-compatible incident management applications, responders and managers can access information, update incident status, and communicate with team members from anywhere, ensuring flexibility and timely responses.
  6. Standardisation and Compliance: Digital platforms can enforce standardised processes and workflows, ensuring that incident management practices comply with internal policies and external regulations. This standardisation helps in maintaining consistency and quality in incident response.
  7. Integration with Other Systems: Digital incident management solutions can integrate with other IT systems and software, such as Alarms, IT service management (ITSM), security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and operational technology (OT) networks, for a holistic approach to incident management.

Digitalization enhances the efficiency, effectiveness, and agility of incident management processes, enabling organizations to respond to and recover from incidents more quickly, reduce impacts on operations, and improve overall resilience.

Unified Incident Management refers to a cohesive approach that integrates processes, tools, and teams across an organisation for the efficient handling of all types of incidents—ranging from operational issues to physical security breaches and business disruptions.

This approach aims to streamline the identification, assessment, response, and resolution of incidents, fostering a coordinated effort among all involved parties. Here are key components and benefits of unified incident management:

Key Components:

  1. Integrated Technology Platform: A single platform where incidents of all types can be reported, tracked, and managed. This platform often features automation tools for alerting, escalation, and reporting, ensuring timely responses to incidents.
  2. Cross-Functional Teams: Involvement of personnel from various departments (IT, security, operations, HR, etc.) who collaborate to address incidents. This ensures that all aspects of an incident are covered by experts in those areas.
  3. Standardised Processes: The establishment of uniform processes for incident management across the organisation. This includes standardised protocols for incident reporting, assessment, response, and post-incident analysis.
  4. Comprehensive Communication: A structured communication strategy that keeps all stakeholders informed about incident status, impacts, and recovery efforts. This includes internal communication among team members and external communication with customers or the public as necessary.
  5. Continuous Improvement: Regular reviews of incident response activities and outcomes to identify lessons learned and opportunities for process improvement. This component is crucial for evolving the incident management strategy to handle future incidents more effectively.

Benefits:

  • Enhanced Efficiency: By using a unified approach, organisations can reduce the time and resources required to manage incidents, from detection through to resolution.
  • Improved Response Times: A streamlined process and better coordination among teams lead to faster response times, minimising the impact of incidents on operations.
  • Increased Visibility: Unified incident management provides a comprehensive view of all incidents across the organisation, helping in the allocation of resources and prioritisation of responses.
  • Better Decision-Making: With all relevant information centralised and accessible, decision-makers can make more informed choices about how to address and mitigate incidents.
  • Resilience and Compliance: A robust incident management process improves an organisation’s resilience to disruptions and helps ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.

Unified incident management recognizes that incidents, regardless of their nature, require a coordinated and efficient response. By breaking down silos and integrating efforts across the organisation, it enables more effective management of incidents, enhancing overall operational resilience.

An incident management platform can significantly bolster physical security efforts by streamlining the response to and management of security incidents, ensuring that threats are swiftly identified, addressed, and mitigated. Here’s how:

  1. Real-time Monitoring and Alerts: The platform can integrate with physical security systems like CCTV, access control, and alarm systems to monitor facilities in real time. It can analyse data from these sources to identify potential security breaches or unusual activities, instantly alerting security personnel to take appropriate action.
  2. Incident Logging and Documentation: Every security incident, regardless of its size, can be logged and documented within the platform. This ensures that there is a record of what happened, including details about the time, location, and nature of the incident, which is crucial for both immediate response and post-incident analysis.
  3. Streamlined Communication: It facilitates seamless communication between security teams, management, and other relevant stakeholders. By ensuring that everyone is informed and on the same page, the platform helps in coordinating a swift and unified response to any security threats.
  4. Incident Analysis and Reporting: The platform can aggregate data from various incidents to identify patterns or trends, such as frequent entry attempts at unauthorised areas or times. This insight allows organisations to make informed decisions about where to allocate resources or how to enhance security measures.
  5. Response Coordination and Task Management: In the event of an incident, the platform can guide the security team through predefined response protocols, ensuring that all necessary steps are taken. It can also assign tasks to specific individuals or teams, track the progress of these tasks, and provide updates to all stakeholders.
  6. Compliance and Auditing: Many organisations are subject to regulatory requirements concerning physical security. An incident management platform can help ensure compliance with these regulations by maintaining detailed records of incidents and responses, facilitating audits and compliance checks.
  7. Training and Preparedness: By analysing past incidents, the platform can identify areas where security staff may require additional training or where security procedures need improvement. This ongoing cycle of evaluation and improvement helps in enhancing the overall security posture of the organisation.

Overall, an incident management platform acts as a central hub for all physical security operations, enabling organisations to respond more effectively to incidents, improve security protocols, and maintain a safer environment for employees, visitors, and assets.

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