Corporate alert systems have become almost as popular and widely used as other traditional communication tools like the email. Desktop alerts, for instance, appeal to many business owners because this communication medium can send urgent and important messages straight to the desktop PCs of employees. Event reminders, company news and even emergency alerts can be coursed through desktop alerts.
Business owners or company purchasers looking for alert software for their respective firms may find that there are a good number of alert system vendors in the market today. Thus, they may also find it a bit hard to select just one system for their firm.
If you have been tasked to shop for a corporate notification software, there are certain features you should look for in the product. The following list shares some of those functions and traits you would want from an alert software:
1. Software should support customized messages.
The ideal alert software should support customization of messages. Whether the message is a simple two-liner about an up-and-coming event, or includes interactive elements like hyperlinks, PDFs, and videos, the notification system should be able to display the message correctly on the desktop PCs of the employees.
2. It must be able to target recipients.
There are times when a message isn’t appropriate for all employees. That’s why it is important to have an alert notification software which can target recipients, or send messages to groups or individuals as specified by the sender.
For instance, only officers and employees who are involved in an environmental management system audit will receive an alert reminding them about the audit proper. Members of the senior management, for example, will also be the ones to receive a notification about a meeting.
3. Alerts can be delivered to mobile devices.
Desktop alerts have become so powerful that messages are no longer delivered jus to the desktop PCs of employees. System developers have also included mobile device integration in their products, enabling users to send alerts that can appear on the mobile devices either Android or iOS-powered.
4. System has a snooze function.
Another important feature you would want in an alert software is the snooze function. This is a function that employees who don’t want to be disrupted would find very useful. Whether they are in a meeting, or working on an important document, employees have the option to snooze a reminder. However, the alert software administrator determines the maximum time allowed for the snooze function. The administrator can also override the snooze function.
5. Ease in implementation.
Company notification alert systems should be easy to roll out and implement, even with minimal support from IT. This is important especially for companies which intend to designate another unit for managing the system, such as the corporate communications department or even HR. With a notification software that is easy to administer and use, anyone in the company may be assigned to handle it.
The software must also have configurable administrator rights. This allows the company that uses the program to assign multiple administrators who have varied messaging, moderation, and administration rights.
Administrators must also be able to access their accounts from any device, particularly smartphone and tablets. This is very important during emergencies, as they may not be able to log into their accounts using their own PCs.
6. Full reporting.
Finally, a good alert notification system must have full reporting. It should give the administrators details such as who has read the messages as well as the response of recipients. The system must also have the ability to re-send urgent messages in case recipients have yet to read them.
