BCG Announces Powerful New DLAN Features
BCG is committed to continually updating and enhancing the DLAN system. Over the past few months, BCG has added several powerful tools to the system.
Ticket Manager Premium now includes a number of new tools to facilitate consistent data entry in custom workflows and to simplify the end user experience. The new Preparedness Toolkit allow users to draft pre-planned tasks and missions, resource requests, and reports of critical information that are commonly used or that need to occur at the start of an incident when time is critical to response. The ticket templates can be activated during an incident to assist with numerous EOC workflows.
Ticket Manager and GIS Premium have been further integrated to include the ability to add and edit tickets on the map, as well as to view ticket templates as layers.
The Mobile Responder App now includes a personnel tracking func tion and improved offline functionality using our new assigned task mode.
Other enhancements include: additional subscription types and integrations in the Status Board Builder, the ability to include ICS/IMS forms in Situation Reports, and GeoJSON integration.
Combined these tools work to create a robust, unified tool for emergency preparedness, response, and overall situational awareness.
Ticket Manager Premium
Status Workflow Mapping
This function allows administrators to control the chain of statuses that a ticket must go through for improved workflows. For example, an administrator can say a ticket must go through the status “Approved” before it can be set to “Tasked.” Administrators can set which statuses can be used as initial statuses on a ticket, which statuses can move to particular statuses, and which users are allowed to bypass workflow settings to move a ticket as needed. This creates consistent workflows for all users, while also allowing managers to override settings when necessary.
Status & Priority Locking
This feature works in parallel with workflow mapping to create consistent, simplified workflows. It is designed to reduce and simplify the status and priority choices that are available to users when working with a ticket.
Status and Priority Locking gives administrators the ability to control which groups of users on the system can change a ticket’s status or priority once it has been set to a particular value. This allows an administrator to build process “gates” and “check-stops” by crafting statuses and priorities that are specific to a group, departments, or workflow and only extending the ability to use those statuses and priorities to specific users.
For example, an administrator can set up status locking so that only someone from a Command Role can work on a ticket once it has been set to “Needs Incident Commander Approval.” The Commander can then set the ticket as “Approved” which will allow other users to resume their work on the ticket. Locking can be configured so that the entire ticket is locked (not editable) by a user if the ticket is in a Status or Priority that is locked to him or her. Or, locking can be set so that just the priority/status fields will be locked for that user but the rest of the ticket, such as notes, is still editable.
Preparedness Toolkit (Ticket Templates)
With the Preparedness Toolkit, users can create ticket templates and template reports associated with various incident categories (types of incidents). Templates allow users to draft pre-planned tasks and missions, resource requests, and reports of critical information that are commonly used or that need to occur at the start of an incident when time is critical to response. Ticket Templates allow the full functionality of the ticket to be setup ahead of time, including: log entries, priority, status, routings, forms, contacts, CC recipients, attachments, and other data that would be needed on a ticket of that type.
Once created, ticket templates can be activated by posting them to an incident either singly as needed or in bulk. For example, an individual user can create a new ticket based off a template as a way to save time and improve accuracy. Or, an administrator can post all the templates in a template report to the current incident and they will be converted into live tickets.
This powerful feature can then be leveraged to assist with numerous EOC workflows including building tickets for repeatable exercises, pre-filling Mission Ready Packages, assisting Duty Officers in the entry of frequently entered tickets, creating task lists for different types of scenarios, and pre-planning anticipated resource requests from critical facilities or jurisdictions (ex: mission to open a shelter with all known task tickets beneath it).
Stakeholder Notifications (CC Function)
Stakeholder notifications are designed to improve situational awareness among individuals not directly responsible for working on a task or ticket, such as executives and outside agencies. It provides the ability to share ticket information with internal and external staff as an Email. This helps to keep all essential personnel informed about requests, tasks, reports, or donations without needing to log into DLAN. This is especially useful for sharing information with stakeholders that do not need to have direct access to your DLAN system but whom you want to keep informed on particular occurrences.
When either an external stakeholder or staff member replies to a CC notification email their reply email can be appended directly into the ticket log in DLAN, keeping all essential information in one place regardless of the source of the information.
Signature Capture Forms
Ticket Forms can now be built by BCG that allow staff to electronically sign forms for approval and verification purposes. Once signed, the form can be locked to pr event further edits. This feature is only available on BCG created forms.
Packet Printing
Packet printing allows users to customize the style and content of tickets when they are printed. With this feature, users can reorder segments of a ticket (e.g. individual forms, individual attachments, contact sections) and choose which data to include when printed.
GIS Premium
Add & Edit Tickets Directly on a Map
Tickets can now be added and edited directly from the DLAN Map without going through Ticket Manager. This allows for much quicker data entry and ticket management via the GIS Premium Map. By default tickets added from the map uses a streamlined editor for ease of data entry, but users can also enter the full ticket for advanced editing options.
Ticket Template Layers
To assist in planning for an incident, template ticket reports can now be visualized as individual map layers, allowing staff to see and activate tickets quickly when an incident impacts that location or facility.
GeoJSON
DLAN can now incorporate GeoJSON feeds. This improves DLAN’s ability to be a hub for displaying Geographic Information regardless of the source.
Mobile Responder App
Peronnel Tracking Device
The DLAN Mobile Responder App can now be used as a tracking device for field staff and other personnel. Since there are no per user fees for the app, the Mobile Responder App can be used to create an unlimited number of tracking devices at no additional cost.
DLAN’s GIS Premium can be used to display a user’s current location and historical breadcrumb trail. This provides a simple, accurate, and cost effective way to track personnel and see historical routes for vehicle drives, damage assessment, grid searches, and more.
Assigned Task Mode
DLAN simplifies the user experiencing by focusing users’ attention on the tools they need to do their job. The Assigned Task mode in the Mobile App helps get field workers started on their daily duties quickly. The App can now automatically sync and download all the tickets assigned to a field worker (routed their role) when they first log into the app. This includes all information the field worker needs to do his or her job, including forms, basic ticket data, and contact information for the person who assigned them the task as well as contacts for the job location and anyone else assigned to assist on the task. Additional tasks can be pushed to a field worker in real time and completed ones will synchronize to DLAN when published. If the field worker enters an area with no cellular or wireless connectivity they will still have all their assigned task data to work with offline. When the worker returns to an area with connectivity, the App automatically publishes their completed assignments to DLAN.
Status Board Builder
The Status Board can now display Finance Reports, Templated Ticket Reports, and Ticket Logs Entries as interactive panels. ICS/IMS Forms, IAPs, and Sit Rep Agency Reports, along with other module information, can be included as linked data for use in slide shows.
Situation Reports & Incident Action Plans
ICS and IMS forms can now be included as part of an Agency Report that will feed into a Situation Report document.
BCG is always open to learning from customer feedback to improve on DLAN and create new features. This dedication to listening to our customers, as well as staying on top of the latest trends in emergency management, has made DLAN the most innovative emergency management software on the market.
