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Softscape Launches New Rapid Response Emergency Management System

Posted on: Monday, 14 November 2005, 12:00 CST

Softscape, the industry pioneer in intelligent people management, today announced its new Softscape CaseOne(TM) for Rapid Response Emergency Management. Softscape's solution supports Homeland Security initiatives by enabling government agencies and first response service providers to track and manage vital information in order to prepare for and expedite safe responses to disasters of any kind. The web-based system provides a secure and centralized data repository of case information that improves identification and management of victims, and eliminates redundant data that impedes the flow of care to citizens.

Government agencies at all levels are constantly evaluating disaster readiness plans and assessing their ability to respond in times of crisis. With Softscape's people management platform, agencies can manage the preparation of case workers, as well as the response to citizens from one single system.

"Too often, disaster planning only focuses on how to move people out of the affected area, coordinate recovery, and build a bridge toward the rebuilding phase," said Dave Watkins, founder and CEO, Softscape. "The unfortunate reality of the recent events in the Southern United States spotlights a secondary crisis, the vast displacement of humanity and the short and long-term assistance required before recovery can begin. Softscape's Emergency Management solution helps solve these major challenges, while better preparing agencies for future crisises."

Victim Management

Softscape provides all levels of government with a complete case management system to monitor relocated individuals and families, help find available shelter, coordinate service delivery and ensure they receive the state and federal assistance available to them. Softscape CaseOne enables organizations to intake key victim information and refers citizens to available services more rapidly. Agencies are able to immediately begin identifying those in need, enter them into the system to coordinate care, and ensure that each citizen has access to the network of services mobilized to meet their immediate needs. Softscape CaseOne also enables remote field managers, emergency response staff, and service providers to gain access to critical data through PDAs, web-enabled cell phones, or laptops with cell modems. In addition, data can be automatically backed-up and stored offsite and accessed via Softscape's Secure Hosting Facility service.

Intake & Eligibility Processing

-- Guides case manager through the intake, eligibility, and screening processes, and provides validation checks to ensure eligibility.

Housing & Shelter Inventory

-- Track shelters and available inventory, including emergency supplies, food, and water.

Shelter Management

-- Manage available shelter space to assist displaced citizens. Designated emergency shelters can include Department of Social Services, mental health agencies, police, hospitals, schools, community services, universities, family/friends, churches, self-referrals, and other sources.

Transportation Manifest

-- Track and inventory available transportation means to displaced citizens during an emergency event. The system can log vehicles, certified drivers, and emergency routes and their availability.

Emergency Funds Tracking & Distribution Management

-- Track program payments rendered and remaining funds available to be allocated in the event of an emergency.

Incident Tracking

-- Track and report incidents that occur and determine procedure for resolving incidents.

Waiting Lists

-- Establish waiting lists for services based on a variety of criteria including available shelters or funds to provide services.

Disaster Relief Outcomes & Measurements

-- Maintain service provider information and track service activities linked to programs.

Personnel Management

In addition, Softscape CaseOne incorporates best-practices functionality from Softscape's award-winning human capital management platform to ensure personnel have the skills and resources needed, certifications are current, and a succession plan is in place for each role. The web-based system includes workforce planning, recruiting, goal management, skill management, learning management, and succession planning for emergency readiness and disaster planning. Like all Softscape solutions, the system is highly configurable and can be rapidly deployed around the world.

Goal Management

-- Enables emergency plan goals and objectives to be aligned and cascaded across multiple agencies.

Skills Management

-- Enables organizations to create a library of staff skills and identify any necessary training. By developing competencies and success metrics, organizations are able to identify education and training programs to fill critical needs.

Skill Gap Analysis

-- Projects the differences between the current skill sets and what is needed. Gap analysis provides an immediate view of the risks to the organization due to skill gaps and what actions can be taken to mitigate those risks.

Certification Management

-- Links certifications that are required for each position to individual employee certification. Certifications are supported through online courses, practice exams, skills assessments, and other learning tools that help employees to achieve industry certifications and accreditations.

Learning & Development

-- Employees can be assessed from numerous perspectives including skill assessment, peer reviews, and leadership potential. Assessment results then serve as the foundation for development plans, whether to improve in a current position or in preparation for future positions in the organization.

Expert Finder

-- A skill-matching tool that works directly with Skills Management to find answers to problems by searching for workers with specific skills or knowledge.

Succession Planning

-- Succession Planning uses information collected on organizational needs, employee skills, and certifications to help managers identify, prepare, and track candidates to succeed key roles in the organization. As key resources leave the organization, gap analysis identifies employees who are candidates for promotion or transfer, and evaluates their potential for successful placement.

Other key components of the solution include:

-- Role-based security permitting only authorized individuals to view and/or edit information in case files.

-- Easy sharing of subsets of information with other state and federal agencies.

-- Log maintenance related to each case and robust reporting tools to create custom reports and forms.

-- Case-cycle automation, creating a standard assessment for victims that generates a profile of support needs, assigns each victim to an intensity of need level, and prioritizes access to available resources.

-- Develops a system of oversight, monitoring, and supervision of services throughout the system to ensure compliance with federal regulations, agency standards, and best practices.

-- Service Reports by victim, including treatments provided by 3rd party providers, transportation, medical, and dental so that they can be applied to various aid budgets, grants, and federal assistance programs.

For more information on Softscape's solutions, please visit http://www.softscape.com.

About Softscape (www.softscape.com)

Softscape simplifies every aspect of people management with innovative technology and strategic services to better manage human resources and government case management. Recognized by leading industry analysts as the most comprehensive integrated people management platform, Softscape's award-winning web-based software enables customers to easily enhance productivity, improve effectiveness, facilitate long-term planning, reduce operational costs, and drive organizational performance. Softscape's customers represent millions of workers across 46 countries and include Merrill Lynch, Corning, GKN, Northrop Grumman, Freightliner, Medica, YMCA, the City of Chicago, and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Softscape is based in Massachusetts with offices in Chicago, San Francisco, Hartford, Washington DC, New York City, London, Munich, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.

The Softscape logo and marks related to Softscape products are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Softscape, Inc. Other brand & product names contained herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Source: Business Wire

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