You press the power button on your remote.
The television turns off, and you make your way to bed.
Between this election and your property’s operation, you’ve got a lot to sleep on these next several weeks.
If you’re a U.S. citizen, there’s a lot for you to consider after watching Monday’s debate all while preparing for the October 4th debate at Longwood University in Farmville, Va.
It’s no secret either; both Trump and Clinton have opposing views on many topics and policies.
One thing is for sure, the outcome of the 2016 general election will determine the United States of America’s fate for – at least – the next four years.
A choice must be made.
We get it; it’s a tough choice too.
For today, though, we’d like to take the pressure off. We’re changing the focus to your operation.
We’re addressing a critical topic that we know can help your operation.
But, we’re not going to make it difficult to decipher, nor does it require a presidential debate to determine whether it’s viable for your property.
We’re exploring Proactive Operations, a methodology that we’ve created to help your operation maximize performance.
We know it’s right for your property. Are you ready to learn why?
What is Proactive Operations?
‘Proactive’ and ‘Operations’ are two common words you hear often but separately.
Proactive: means controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.
Operation: the singular of operations, means the condition of functioning or being active.
But, when you combine the two – something powerful happens.
A new way of thinking, understanding, and executing is created that defines what every property, in every industry, must strive for year round: Proactive Operations.
It’s a term we’ve coined to identify those operations that have taken or plan to take, their operation to the highest level of performance ability.
Proactive Operations is where property operations utilize strategy, infrastructure, and technology to achieve maximum performance.
Once in place, strategy, infrastructure, and technology work as a whole to produce a well-oiled machine.
You must understand that applying ‘Proactive Operations’ in your property operations means making a long-term commitment to professionalism.
Make your commitment to being proactive, rather than reactive.
After you do, you must start implementing your strategy.
Strategy: How to Apply the ACDA Principle™
For quite some time, we’ve had the first part of this puzzle figured out.
It’s not to boast or toot our own horn at all. We’ve had the privilege of working with industry experts for almost a decade now.
Over the years, we’ve listened – carefully.
Listening led us to the first part of ‘Proactive Operations,' which is being a professional operation.
To become proactive, you must first become professional.
The key development here is your strategy; it’s your utilization of the ACDA Principle™.
The ACDA Principle™ is the first step on your ascent to ‘Proactive Operations’ as a professional operation.
The Principle includes the understanding, application, and continuous improvement of:
- Awareness
- Communication
- Documentation
- Analysis
If you embrace all of the areas of the Principle for your operation, you’re on track to being proactive.
Begin using the ACDA Principle™ to ask the hard, important questions. Dig in deep to find your current strengths and weaknesses.
Not only will you learn a lot about your current state, but you'll also know how to execute your strategy from this day forward.
Being proactive starts here.
These thirteen questions will help you get started.
- What currently occurs in your operation?
- Does your staff always/ever know what’s happening?
- Is your staff proactive in any way?
- How does your resource allocation stack up?
- Are you able to efficiently manage departmental teams?
- How does your staff communicate (i.e. radios)?
- Does your team efficiently execute operational tasks?
- How far back can you quickly retrieve incident details?
- Is liability defense something your operation struggles with regularly?
- If a guest loses something, how quickly can you find it and return it?
- Can you track accountability?
- Do you know whether your staff is executing the correct protocols-to-handle?
- What tools do you use to improve your operation's performance continuously?
You need to design and build your operation’s infrastructure as the next step to securing a proactive operation.
Infrastructure: How to Organize Information Flow
Your infrastructure will vary depending on your particular industry or operational needs. Simply put, you must have infrastructure.
Your infrastructure will need to include representatives from each department where issues or incidents could affect performance and customer experience.
To give you a large-scale perspective on the purpose of putting an organized infrastructure in place, we’ll use a stadium setting.
Here’s how you could set up your infrastructure.
Front-Of-House
This command center is where you would manage the operation.
You and your front-of-house staff will operate in a single location. In a stadium setting, you’d want a place that’ll provide your team a visual of the entire stadium bowl.
If you’re not a stadium property, having full awareness is still vital to your success. So, pick a place that helps you achieve this.
Front-of-house department representatives will include:
- Front-of-House Dispatcher
- Police
- Fire Rescue
- Event Security
- Guest Services
- Parking Operations
It’s important that the front-of-house dispatcher monitors a single radio channel for incoming communications.
This method reduces radio traffic, allowing for all representatives in the command center to receive any calls-for-service and incident details via a central source.
Every department representative needs to have the ability to view and manage their own department’s information.
Or, in the case of Guest Services, they’ll need to be able to track non-incident related questions and concerns such as lost and found items or guest requests.
Back-of-House
The back-of-house command center is set up in a separate location to mitigate confusion for departments, which enhances communication.
With a similar setup, your back-of-house command center will include a central dispatcher as well. They’ll monitor a single radio channel for all back of house incoming communications.
The back of house department representatives will include:
- Back-of-House Dispatcher
- Information Technology (IT)
- Engineering/Maintenance
- Housekeeping
- Concessions
Having two command centers gives you the ability to create issue or incident records for back-of-house and front-of-house departmental incidents.
You do this, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Once you separate these dispatch channels, you remove all communication barriers that will affect your ability to be proactive.
Technology: How to Augment Efficiency
You’ve defined your strategy. You’ve put your infrastructure in place.
Now, implement the best technology in the marketplace to experience what it’s like to have a proactive operation.
First, we recommend you read more about the ACDA Principle™ in the blog article we mention above.
We wrote a whole piece about it, which breaks down each aspect and how it correlates to technology.
The first pillar of the Principle is Awareness, so we’ll use that to explain our point in this article.
Consider what increased awareness could do for your operation.
- How would increasing awareness improve your operation?
- How does limited or nonexistent awareness impact your operation?
Having increased awareness helps you be proactive.
When you’re more aware, you’re able to respond to incidents quicker. You’re able to respond to one more in less time.
- How do you increase your awareness?
- How do you ensure your operation is ready to be proactive?
You develop an infrastructure that cultivates the awareness you need.
Case in point, we note above that you must define a command center that gives you the ability to see the stadium bowl.
That’s a major part of initiating your strategy, which focuses on awareness.
But, you can take this even further!
You can maximize your awareness.
Implement solutions that optimize your strategy, infrastructure, and skyrocket your performance, which drastically increases awareness.
You’ll have the greatest ability to ensure nothing ever slips through the cracks again.
This ability is ‘Proactive Operations’ at its core. This ability is one you can do.
Your property has guests, visitors, patrons or fans, right?
You can drastically increase your awareness with their help. How?
By using text communication software. It’s one solution to add to your operation that supplements your proactive efforts.
When you add this technology to the initiative, you eliminate the need for your staff to handle everything.
You save time by affording your guests to take the reins. They’ll have the ability to instantly and discreetly report issues, incidents or ask questions, using their cellphones.
They can “speak” directly to your command center.
Everyone can be on the lookout – staff and guests included. You’re saving valuable time while increasing your awareness.
That’s being proactive.
Over to You
Your operation needs maximum performance.
Proactive Operations is the solution that ensures your strategy, infrastructure, and technology meets the requirements of the ever-changing operational landscape.
Now, you must employ it.
