Consolidating your law enforcement software systems saves your agency time and money!
Consolidating several tools into a more useful compound tool has been the way of innovation for several revolutionary devices that have paved the way for paradigm shifting advancement in technology.
Take the clock radio for example. In the 1940’s, when the device was popularized, these two devices were used by every American, every day. James Reynolds and Paul Schroth Sr. realized that combining them would have several benefits, not the least of which would be the amount of space they would take up. With the functionality of a clock AND a radio, these devices streamlined morning routines for Americans, but they also changed the way radio programs structured their content. Knowing that their listeners were using their radio program to wake up to, radio stations played certain songs and advertised at times to coincide with the increased radio use. And this invention lives on! I challenge you to find a hotel room without a clock radio.
Another revolutionary consolidation of technologies was the smart phone. With a smart phone, consumers now had a phone, pager, clock, digital camera, camcorder, address book, calendar, portable music player, calculator, voice recorder, personal computer, and more, all in one device. This groundbreaking invention, like the clock radio before it, opened new possibilities by combining and consolidating technologies.
Consolidation of Technology is Good for Law Enforcement
As technology develops in the Law Enforcement space, your agency’s efforts to make the most of that technology should be developing too. Consolidating your Law Enforcement Software is one of the best ways to modernize your agency, while reducing expenses and overhead.
By now, most agencies have RMS, CAD, Mobile and Jail software to manage their operations. But as technology grows, Law Enforcement is realizing the benefit of consolidating, or interfacing, their software to reduce entry time, and move data more efficiently around their agency. They’re also probably realizing the challenges and difficulties associated with interfacing software as well.
Square Peg, Round Hole
To most folks, it seems simple to connect two pieces of software together. But when it comes to complex systems like Law Enforcement Software, that challenge is much more complicated than many assume. We discuss this more in depth in a related article called “The Truth About Data Conversions”, but here’s the cliff notes version, different companies (or even different products within a single company) build the “same” tools differently. One company might use a dropdown, where another uses a text field. One company might have a database structure that stores and references data differently. In the computer world, little differences can cause big problems.
It’s not that you can’t combine systems, but the more complex combining two sperate systems is, the more opportunity for failure and frustration you introduce. It’s not to say that a square peg can’t be whittled down to fit in the round hole, but it takes work, and you’ll lose material along the way.
Shop Carefully and Ask Questions
It’s obvious to most that interfacing products from different companies can introduce the opportunity for failure, but it’s easy to overlook the fact that some companies struggle to interface to their own products. This is most evident in companies that grow by purchasing their competitor’s products.
For those companies, the problem is really the same. They bought out a competitor and their products, so connecting that product with their existing product is no different than connecting with other company’s products. That’s not to say it can’t be done, but if that’s a problem you’re already having, why would you want to knowingly introduce it again?
Find a True, All-In-One Solution with EFORCE®
If you’re looking to maximize the benefits of consolidating your CAD, RMS and other Law Enforcement Software Systems, you need to look at EFORCE®! Unlike many vendors offering a “keep it all under one roof” solution, EFORCE® built all our products from the ground up. With EFORCE®, you won’t have the issues connecting your systems. Data moves seamlessly from one product to another because it doesn’t actually move anywhere. The different products facilitate access to the information stored in your database in a way that’s built to make it easiest for the different roles at your agency.
We’d love to show you more about why EFORCE® is the best solution for your agency’s needs! Contact us today at 888-570-4943, x. 3, or by email at [email protected].
