Whether your venue is hosting an international sporting event, a sold-out musical performance, or an intimate evening with a celebrity speaker, your customers expect a seamless experience.
While there will always be unforeseen circumstances that can impact the quality of the experience, having the right apps in place helps venue operations teams manage events proactively by anticipating the unexpected, enhancing real-time communications, maximizing experience, streamlining incident management, and reducing risk.
8 Must-Have Apps for Venue Operations
Here are eight venue operations management technologies every facility manager needs to deliver high-performing services, workflow efficiencies, and optimal customer experiences.
Incident Management System
An Incident Management System allows venue staff to respond to an incident quickly, mitigate its impact, understand its cause, and prevent recurrence.
The key capabilities to look for in an incident management system include the ability to:
- Customize workflows.
- Immediately dispatch personnel.
- Maintain a detailed incident history.
- Fast-track resolutions.
- Enforce protocols and standard operating procedures.
Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)
CMMS apps centralize maintenance information to simplify the management of venue maintenance operations.
The key capabilities to look for in a CMMS include the ability to:
- Streamline operations.
- Automate routine facility maintenance.
- Facilitate asset management and inspections.
- Track vendor and warranty information.
- Schedule preventive maintenance.
Lost and Found
Lost and Found apps help reconnect guests with their lost items using online forms and automated workflows to increase return-to-owner rates and enhance customer experience.
The key capabilities to look for in a Lost and Found app include:
- Online reporting of lost items.
- Intelligent item identification.
- A digital lost item inventory.
Task Management
Task management apps help keep workflows consistent by providing visibility into the tasks that need to be done, when tasks are complete, and who is responsible for each task.
The key capabilities to look for in a task management app include the ability to:
- Add and access tasks details and track tasks all in one place.
- Document task assignments and completion status.
Request Tracking
Request tracking allows guests to submit requests via web form so you can immediately dispatch the right person to handle the request and track the status and outcome digitally.
The key capabilities to look for in a request tracking app include:
- Automated task creation.
- The ability to track and communicate requests separately or integrated into your incident management dispatch queue
- The ability to manage requests via mobile app to keep the appropriate staff aware of assignments and updates.
Activity Tracking
Activity tracking apps enable users to track and communicate activities such as shift changes, lunch breaks, meetings, briefings, patrols, and access requests.
The key capabilities to look for in an activity tracking app include:
- At-a-glance activity status tracking.
- Reporting and metrics to monitor productivity.
Communication
Multi-channel communication apps empower your customers, employees, and security staff to provide feedback and updates to your operations team in real time. This lets you =answer questions, resolve incidents, and handle requests as they are reported.
The key capabilities to look for in a communication app include:
- Multiple mobile messaging options with one centralized management platform.
- An at-a-glance status interface.
- Mobile alerts and notifications.
- Multi-channel integration.
Guard Tour
Guard Tour apps allow you to manage and monitor guard patrols to optimize your venue’s security profile and track guard progress.
The key capabilities to look for in a guard tour app include the ability to:
- Build and execute custom patrol routes.
- Develop tour checklists.
- Connect guards, checkpoints, and operations with mobile devices.
The Role of Mobile Technology in Successful Operations Management
Most venue operations teams couldn’t function effectively without mobile technology. In fact, many of us rely almost exclusively on mobile communication across various platforms and applications to connect with our customers, staff, and vendors.
Mobile technology enables operations to:
- Connect with the central communications hub from anywhere.
- Get real-time reporting and updates.
- Send and receive instant alerts and notifications.
- Increase visibility and agility.
Despite the ubiquity of mobile technology, there are risks in relying on it as your sole source of communication in a facility.
For example, signal disruption and loss or damage to a digital device can impact the flow of information and response during a critical event. Additionally, malicious actors often target mobile devices, which can pose a cybersecurity threat to your network, operations, and data.
How Native Interoperability Improves the ROI of Your Venue Management Apps
Non-native third-party apps often require expensive custom integrations to make them “play nice” with each other. And even then, there’s no guarantee the experience will be seamless.
Navigating between different platforms creates user friction and inefficiency, which impact customer experience, employee productivity, and incident response efficacy.
Creating a “single pane of glass” for ticketing, operations, maintenance, security, and other essential functions helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
IT Security and Compliance Are Essential Parts of Your Operations Management Strategy
Following IT security and compliance best practices will help reduce the risks of data breaches, cyberattacks, and other security events that may result in financial loss, reputational harm, and legal risk.
Venue operations management applications are subject to data protection and accessibility regulations, including GDPR, PCI DSS, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Some platforms, including 24/7 Software, take security to the next level and become Department of Homeland Security Safety Act Designated, significantly expanding their physical and digital threat mitigation support systems.
Demonstrating that your facility cares about data security will also foster trust and confidence among guests, employees, and other stakeholders.
24/7 Software's Mobile-First Solution Provides High Application Availability and Seamless Integration
24/7 Software is one of the only mobile apps that can work with any infrastructure setup, including Wi-Fi and cellular data networks. And because we believe in anticipating the unexpected, we also provide offline access to your data and record information. If you lose internet connection, your data is saved and will automatically sync with the platform when the connection is restored.
We want our guests and our employees to interact seamlessly with the 24/7 Software platform, so we support integrations with many other technologies to deliver valuable features, increase customer retention, and expand customer value.
24/7 Software integrates with many systems via REST API, but if we don’t currently have the integration you need, let us know. We can provide support and documentation for almost every integration.
Want to learn more about why today’s leading facilities rely on our applications to power their operations? Schedule a demo today.
