Serving Critical Assets
When it comes to handling critical assets, it's paramount to follow a series of vital procedures to ensure the seamless accomplishment of projects. These meticulous steps are essential for guaranteeing project success, adhering to timelines, and upholding operational excellence.
Preparation
The preparation phase is the first and most important phase of work. This consists of prework, operational planning, and pre-season activities such as site walks. The account management team reviews previous seasons, the site service map, and general expectations to ensure familiarity and understanding. The season is discussed with the field team to align expectations and responsibilities, and there is communication with service partners to clarify expectations and address any potential changes since the last season. The last step in the preparation phase is pre-season site walks which include snow map verification, site inspections, pre-season photos, staking, reviewing service delivery strategy, and stakeholder alignment. Plans are also made to avoid any issues experienced in the previous season.
Pre-storm
During the pre-storm phase, expectations are set and communication begins 72 hours prior to the event, as forecasts further out are often unreliable. However, the weather can be unpredictable and can change quickly so there will be times when that much pre-warning is not possible. The primary threat or concern of the event is identified, such as rain shifting into freezing rain and snow, making pretreatment difficult and creating ice patches. The time frame during which the event will be most severe is communicated, as well as the regions that will be most affected.
Active event
During the active event, communication with the client and the field team is crucial. Status updates are sent to the client roughly every 3 hours, providing information on service status, the state of the storm, any issues or incidents, and the estimated time of the next update. Field team communication with SPOs and RPOs is crucial to ensure the latest information is available. Specific concerns or locations that the client is worried about are addressed to mitigate potential issues.
Post Season
In the post-season phase, cleanup activities are conducted, including site walks with the client and service partners. Any seasonal damage that needs to be repaired, such as fence repair or turf damage, is identified. Post-season photos are taken, and a repair schedule is developed for the client. A client season review is conducted, with a slide deck prepared to discuss the season in review and plans for the upcoming season. Vendor season reviews are also conducted for major service partners to review seasonal performance.
Season Transition
During the next season transition, site restoration and clean-up are completed to the client's satisfaction. Repairs are verified through photos or site walks, ensuring the client's approval. Next season preparation involves verifying the scope of services from the previous season and discussing any potential changes or frequency adjustments. Season expectations for out-of-scope projects are also discussed, taking into account the client's budget and expectations.
Featured Team Member
Jim Myers
Organizational Development Manager
