Here is a Method For Managing Your Friends In The Workplace - Follow These 7 Simple Tips

Are you a new manager? Have you been promoted recently? Is some of your staff also your friends? Do you know how easy it is to loose all respect when you show favoritism? Here are 7 quick and simple tips to help you.

Managing employees at the workplace can be a challenging process. But what do you do when you are suddenly promoted and some of the employees you are managing are also your friends?

Here are 7 quick tips that will help you manoeuvre your way around this potential minefield:

1. Lay down the ground rules right from the start. Speak to each one of your friends privately and inform them that friends or not, business is still business. Inform them you expect them to continue to work, as they have been; professional at all times. Keep your tone pleasant but firm, and let them know that they are still required to follow the rules just like everybody else.

2. Treat your friends the same as the other employees. No better, no worse. If you don't, the other employees will take notice that you're showing favoritism and you will quickly lose their respect.

3. Don't have lunch or take breaks with your friends too often, unless other employees are also included in the group. Remember, people are watching and appearances are everything. Others will think you are sharing confidential 'secrets' and company / knowledge.

4. When evaluating your friends for raises and/or promotions, make sure the aforementioned raises and promotions are warranted and based solely on job performance, not friendship.

5. Do not discuss other employee's behaviour or performance with your friends at any time.

6. Outside of the workplace, do not discuss job-related issues with your friends.

7. At office parties, celebrations, etc., be aware of seating assignments. Do not associate solely with your friends. Again, make sure other employees are included in the group.

As you can see,managing your friends can be quite a balancing act. However, remember to treat all employees equally and you will be respected.

Andrew Rondeau transformed himself from a $4 an-hour petrol-pump attendant to a highly successful Senior Manager earning $500k every year. Discover how you can remove your fear and reduce your stress of being a new manager by receiving Andrew's free Management e-Course and report: http://www.greatmanagement.org/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Rondeau

By Andrew Rondeau

Employee Motivation - 10 Tips to Boost Job Performance

Increase Employee Performance by Harnessing the Power of Motivation

Employee motivation and productivity can be enhanced and improved by creating a work environment that maximizes the factors that affect performance. These factors are simple to understand, easy to measure, and can add tremendous value to any organization that is willing to implement them. Use these 10 tips to make sure that your employees are energized and inspired to produce the best results possible.

1. Interesting Work

Intrinsic motivation comes from the shear joy and pleasure of doing a task. When you read a great book, no one has to pay for each page you read. It is a pleasure to learn how the story unfolds and watch the plot develop. It is the same way with employee motivation. To maximize employee performance, find out what employees like about their jobs and then try to add more tasks that align with their own natural interests and talents.

2. Appreciation & Recognition

William James said, "The deepest desire in human nature is to be appreciated." It does not matter how much you pay someone, everyone want to know that their efforts are being seen and appreciated, especially by their manager. Don't just send them a thank you e-mail - that just means you care enough to hit the "Enter" key. If you really want to thank someone buy them a real "Thank You" card and describe how their behavior and performance has added value to the team and organization. Make it a point to catch people doing things right and they will inevitably do things right more often.

3. Feeling Involved In the Work Process

Research shows that when people get to participate in creating a system or process, they are much more likely to follow it than one simply imposed upon them by an outside expert. Recognize that the people doing the job have the knowledge of how things can be done better, faster, and cheaper. If you want them to tell you, then make it easy for them to offer suggestions and reward employees who contribute ideas that add value to the bottom line.

4. Achievement

Napoleon once remarked, "It is amazing how willing men are to risk their lives for a little bit of tin and ribbon to wear upon their chest." Awards and prizes can serve as a great motivator to harness the power of healthy competition. It is always better to use rewards that are meaningful and inspiring. When an employee exceeds your expectations, then make sure you recognize their achievement. On the day someone retires, they will pack up these awards and prizes to serve as fond reminders of a wonderful career.

5. Job Security

If everybody had what it takes to be an entrepreneur, then there would be no General Electric or Toyota and we would all be buying products from artisans and craftworkers. Thankfully, many people prefer to be part of a large organization and can be more productive when they get to focus on doing their job instead of worrying about developing a business plan or marketing strategy. Telling people that they are lucky to have a job creates an atmosphere of fear and worry that decreases job performance. Instead, tell your employees that the company is lucky to have such a skilled and committed workforce and people will take pride in their work and their company.

6. Increased Responsibility

We all know that some employees lack ambition and have no desire to advance on the job, but the vast majority of workers want a chance to take on more responsibility and add more value to the organization. Always be aware of opportunities for training that will equip your employees with the skills and tools they will need to advance in their career. Always try to fill open positions with internal applicants before looking for an outside candidate. This will create a culture of career development and preserve institutional memory and organizational knowledge so that it can be transferred to rising employees as they advance in their own career.

7. Good Wages

Robert Bosch, founder of the world's largest automobile parts supplier, said, "I do not pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages." If you want motivated, high productive employees you have to pay such people according to their ability and performance. Good employees are motivated by more than just good wages, but never allow low wages to be the wedge a competitor can use to steal away your best people.

8. Good Working Conditions

If you want to get the most out of people you need to create an environment that facilitates success. At the minimum, you must offer a safe, clean, and sanitary work site. To get the most out of employees, help them take pride in their workspace, even if it is only a cubicle or workstation. Allow people to personalize their own work sites with photos or small trinkets so they will feel like they have a place that belongs solely to them.

9. Being Part of a Team

Being part of a dysfunctional team is an emotionally draining experience that results in low morale, low productivity, and high turnover. The great coach, Vince Lombardi, once remarked, "Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." We are all social beings and we all want to be part of a healthy team where we can give and receive support, help, and encouragement. Organizations can harness this natural human desire by aligning employee efforts to achieve goals that are mutually beneficial to both the organization and its employees.

10. Help with Personal Problems

How many times have you heard about a bad boss who told their employees to leave their problems at the door so they could focus on their job? Unfortunately, they probably left their motivation and productivity at the door as well. Smart managers know that it is not their job to be a counselor or therapist, but it is there job to recognize when one of their employees is having personal problems that are affecting their job performance. They need to have open lines of honest communication so that employees can feel encouraged to ask for help and then be directed to their Human Resources Department or their Employee Assistance Programs.

Thomas Haizlip is an executive coach who works with college educated, mid and senior level managers. He specializes in three types of clients: 1. High Potential- clients that need fast track development, 2. Valuable, But Risking Derailment - clients who are competent, but are not performing well now because of poor people skills, 3. Diamonds in the Rough- clients who are technically competent but are not advancing because of a lack of emotional intelligence and limited leadership competencies. Tom was a clinical psychologist for 16 years before he made the leap from couch to corporation. He helps his clients master the hard work of becoming a soft skills experts. Tom partners with clients to develop behaviors and skills that result in increased and sustained job performance and career advancement. Tom works with individuals and teams to improve emotional intelligence, build trust, engage in honest conflict, commit to goals, hold each other accountable, and produce results. To learn more, please visit http://www.skillsforsuccess.ws Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Haizlip By Thomas Haizlip

Succes and Business Intelligence Hand in Hand

A business without succes in some degree is not good. Succes comes from either growth in the number of customers or in the numbers of sales you do per customer. Business Intelligence can assist a company to gain new customers and keep hold of old ones. And by keeping old customers longer time you earn more money from them because of more sales to them.Business intelligence can be shortened to BI.

A definition of business intelligence is that it is a method of collecting information on your business. Information is enhanced into knowledge. Business Intelligence can present every business a precise idea of its customer’s requirements. Businesses that have huge amounts of information about their customer’s can take action upon that information. Businesses implementing BI add knowledge and understanding of a customer’s desires and decision-making process. Also the financial, cultural and technological trend of the customer is revealed. By using businesses intelligence, businesses choose either short term or long goals. BI helps a company accomplish those goals.

The idea behind Business IntelligenceThe idea of business intelligence is to know your own strengths and weaknesses, and the strengths and weaknesses of your competion as well. Simply understanding the customer is not sufficient. BI is the method of gaining information about every element of your market. This is the fundamental idea in today’s business intelligence. Companies must know themselves better than their competitors, and they must know their competitors better.

Business Intelligence ToolsA company using business intelligence has to accumulate a huge amount of information. BI tools can help businesses sort out, store and even bring together business data. Some data tools are data modeling, data mining and data warehouses. Using data tools helps to progress the effectiveness of business intelligence. At the same time as data tools are used for organization, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is used in the analyzing process. OLAP is usually referred to as plain analytics, which is based on the hypercube dimensional analysis. A vendor can help your business with business intelligence as well. They provide the business intelligence tools and support needed for a successful implementation of the business process. And something important, support.

Business Intelligence final wordThe better a business understand its market, the more successful that business can be. Businesses that have as totalunderstanding of what their customers need and want will be better able to work out successful strategies and implement successful processes to make their business prosper. Business intelligence is the path that businesses can take to accomplish their goals, which can be both short-term and long-term. Some may question on the ROI of business intelligence. There is no doubt that, if a company ends up getting hold of numerous customers, and retaining existing customers as a result of business intelligence, then it will be a positive ROI. Business intelligence, if implemented right and professionally, will help your business.

Huge amount of Business Intelligence quality Information on this site. Go pay a visit today. http://www.businessintelligence.infostairs.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Finn_Jensen

By Finn Jensen

Connect with your employees: Meet these leadership challenges

by Doug Silsbee

The most valuable gift you can offer as a business leader isn’t your years of experience, your Ivy League education, or even the vast industry knowledge you possess. The most important gift you can offer your employees is you: your enthusiasm, your creativity, and your ambition. These qualities make a leader unforgettable.

Recall your favorite boss. It could be the boss from the last job you held or even the supermarket manager where you bagged groceries as a teenager. Whoever it was, that person made work meaningful for you. Great leaders have an infectious way of bringing out the best in others. They make work fun while teaching employees to be more productive, more resourceful, and better communicators. When employees learn these skills, they will reap the benefits throughout their lifetime.

As a business leader, you can’t always know whom you’re influencing. So to have the maximum impact on your employees, you need to fully engage them by bringing your passion and authenticity into the workplace. This will encourage others to do the same.

Unfortunately, even good business leaders can get stuck in a rut. The daily routine can be repetitive and it’s easy to slip mindlessly into habits that are not optimal for effective leadership. However, with some simple changes, leaders can add some variety and enthusiasm into their leadership and more fully engage their employees.

The following are the most common challenges business leaders face and ways to tackle them.

Challenge #1: Falling into routines. Routine means doing things the same way, over and over again. It’s like a plane being on autopilot. Routines are comfortable and reassuring, and are usually based on what has worked in the past. Don’t forget, though, that every workplace and each employee is unique. By stepping out of your routine, you can take advantage of opportunities that are ripe for change. As a result, your workplace will become more responsive to changing times.

To do this, pick a specific behavior with which to experiment. For example, if you want your employees to take more initiative, challenge them to identify possible solutions to business problems. Look back at the end of each day and write down specific instances when you encouraged this new behavior. By recording when you used this approach and reviewing your notes, you will begin to find new opportunities to encourage personal growth. Experimentation engages you in learning and interrupts your “same old routine” by re-directing your attention to new behaviors.

Challenge #2: Not staying focused on your task. Distraction results from the fact that our mind processes information much faster than we are able to speak. While in meetings or coaching an employee, we may use that extra processing capacity to think about our after-work plans or to formulate a response to someone’s question before they’ve finished asking it. When our mind gets ahead of us, we lose the connectivity with the person we’re interacting with.

To reconnect to the present moment, think back to when your mother told you to count to 10 when you were angry. While the act of counting to 10 by itself is meaningless, the power lies in the fact that this exercise reminds you that you have a choice about how to respond, and an opportunity to refocus on what’s important. It works whether you are angry or distracted. So the next time you feel yourself jumping ahead or your mind wandering, take a long breath. Feel the air going into your lungs and back out. As you exhale, bring your attention back to the matter at hand.

Challenge #3: Not watching our projections: Projection is the tendency to see our own aspirations in others. For example, we may assume that an employee’s reluctance to participate in a meeting is based on apathy or self-consciousness, because we felt that way at one time. In reality, it could be that the employee is having problems at home or experiencing a health problem and his or her mind is elsewhere. When we project, we’re not seeing a unique individual. Rather, we’re seeing ourselves reflected in the other person. Instead of projecting, learn to see the differences in others in order to respond appropriately to your employees.

To avoid the projection trap, ask employees about themselves. Learn what hobbies they enjoy, what activities they participate in, and what their long-term professional goals are. Listen to their answers and look for ways in which this person is different from you. Be curious about the differences and learn from them. Let your employees know you are interested in them as people. You will be rewarded with a deeper level of trust and cohesiveness within your team.

Challenge #4: Being trapped in our identity. Identity is how we establish a sense of well-being and competency in the world. We may seek to be seen as an expert, as a great listener, or a compassionate person. All these are elements of our identity, and we often act in ways that invite reinforcement from others. It’s easy for business leaders to fall into the trap of always telling their ideas when it may be more beneficial to ask questions or just listen. Play the role of a student sometimes. Your employee’s need to be heard may be greater than your need to appear knowledgeable.

To elicit feedback from your team, create a two-way conversation about the process of learning. Ask your employees which methods are helpful and which aren’t. Learn together what makes the workgroup more harmonious and productive. Make this a real-time process; don’t wait until the yearly reviews. Encourage feedback from your employees about what is most helpful to them and what isn’t. Don’t be afraid to make some changes. Adaptability is important to any business and its management. Let your employees know that their feedback is important. By doing so, you will build a stronger relationship with your employees.

Make Changes Today Identifying our leadership challenges can be intimidating. It’s hard to own up to the fact that some of our leadership skills can be improved. So take it one step at a time. Begin by identifying your own unhelpful habits and replacing them with more effective ones. This is both a challenge and an opportunity, and you will soon be rewarded with more enthusiastic employees and more variety in your daily routine. Your leadership skills will be a positive example for others to follow, leading to a more unified and productive workplace.

About the Author

Doug Silsbee is a leadership coach, author and master teacher in Asheville, NC. His most recent book is Presence-Based Coaching. More information on Doug’s work is at http://dougsilsbee.com. Inquire at contact@dougsilsbee.com or 828-254-2021 for more information or a free consultation.

Copyright © 2008, Doug Silsbee. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this piece in its entirety, provided that no changes are made, the intact resourc

Coaching Skills Training: Coaching and Communication 1

by Matt Somers

Most managers I train as coaches are clear (or have been convinced by their bosses) that they need to take on the role of coach as part of their people management responsibilities. Most are less clear about exactly what this means or how to go about it. There are obvious difficulties in defining coaching with any precision and of incorporating coaching into a general management role.

A useful starting point is to consider coaching as one type of communication and see how it fits with typical management communication that most of us will recognize.

Here we'll consider six communication styles that differ in terms of the level of control exercised by manager and team member respectively.

Tells

When we tell people what to do and how to do it, we assume total control. This is highly attractive when time is tight or the consequence of error high.

Sells

Here we loosen our control just slightly and involve team members to the extent that we realise that they must be convinced of the merits of an idea before they'll feel inclined to act upon it with any enthusiasm.

Tests

A further loosening of our control and a greater involvement for team members because we literally test out an idea or decision and accept the risk that the team will not agree.

Consults

I think of this as a meeting halfway, 50/50 kind of style. The team's input is sought and their ideas considered but it is still the manager that makes a final decision and thus retains a high level of control.

Joins

This is an egalitarian communication style aimed at decision making by consensus. Control has switched. More is with the team members but not all of it.

Delegates

The manager sets the parameters of the task, success measures, reporting guidelines, etc. however, control over how exactly the task will be accomplished is given to the team member(s). This is a much riskier strategy but potentially a more fruitful one.

It would be a mistake to conclude that any one of these styles is necessarily right or wrong. Each has its advantages and disadvantages and the most effective managers adapt their style to reflect the needs of the situation and of the person with whom they are communicating. Imagine a fire alarm sounded as you were reading this. You could attend a meeting to discuss evacuation options, but I think you'd want something more direct. What would be needed is for someone to take the lead and to ensure that people were moved to safety quickly and in accordance with the laid down procedures. Similarly, a new person on the team will need a period of close monitoring and some instruction before they have built up the knowledge and experience required for delegated tasks.

I intend to write follow up articles that develop these themes, explore advantages and disadvantages and examine where coaching fits.

About the Author

Matt Somers is a coaching practitioner of many years' experience. He works with a host of clients in North East England where his firm is based and throughout the UK and Europe. Matt understands that people are working with their true potential locked away. He shows how coaching provides a simple yet elegant key to this lock. His popular mini-guide "Coaching for an Easier Life" is available FREE at http://www.mattsomers.com

Knowledge Management Services: Organizing Knowledge For Businesses

Knowledge management is about managing knowledge processes that are crucial for business operations. It involves creation, collection, dissemination, use, and organization of information. Knowledge management can be used either for the distribution or for use of existing knowledge or for the creation of new knowledge. Knowledge management programs involve developing knowledge collection, access to the knowledge, and a control mechanism for checking abuse of the knowledge.

Advantages of Knowledge Management Systems:The need for knowledge management services emerged as a necessity due to the haphazard growth of information, decision support issues, data integration, and many other issues. We discuss why knowledge management services are not just advantageous but also crucial for any business.

1) Globalization:In the era of globalization, knowledge is no longer limited to a special domain. It is diffused and stored in many different locations. To succeed in your business, you need to locate, store, and organize knowledge properly.

2) Profitability:Knowledge, if properly packaged for relevant applications, is highly valuable. Companies pay a lot to obtain know-how that they can use to boost the cash flow.

3) Business Restructuring:If changes are made in the organization model of the business, some of the knowledge gathered over the years may be lost in the restructuring process. Knowledge management services help organizations store crucial data.

4) Experience:Companies can benefit greatly from the knowledge of older employees and put it to use in similar experiences.

Knowledge Management Process:All knowledge management services follow roughly the following procedure to set up a comprehensive knowledge management system.

1) Delegating Responsibility to Knowledge Manager:A knowledge manager creates and coordinates with a multidisciplinary team to gather and develop knowledge.

2) Developing Knowledge Centers:A knowledge center develops strategies, expertise networks, and financial data planning.

3) Access:Companies need to regulate access to knowledge, both to check misuse of knowledge and to ensure that the right information reaches the appropriate people. Knowledge management services help companies with this issue as well.

Knowledge Management Strategies:Ideally, knowledge management strategies should enhance the knowledge collection, sharing, access, and use. This can be accomplished if:

1) The knowledge manager is committed to good knowledge management practices and can coordinate and motivate his team.
2) The knowledge management team has the support of the managers and other employees.
3) Clearly stated goals are very important if you want good knowledge management services.
4) Recognizing and rewarding good work is important, since it motivates the knowledge management team to reach higher.

Knowledge management services can enhance the bottom line; making it crucial for companies to hire knowledge management services from the outside if they have no internally appointed knowledge manager. Knowledge management services will put existing knowledge within reach of the right people and encourage creation of new knowledge.

Alexander Gordon is a writer for http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com - The Small Business Consulting Community. Sign-up for the free success steps newsletter and get our booklet valued at $24.95 for free as a special bonus. The newsletter provides daily strategies on starting and significantly growing a business.

Business Owners all across the country are joining "The Community of Small Business Owners” to receive and provide strategies, insight, tips, support and more on starting, managing, growing, and selling their businesses. As a member, you will have access to true Millionaire Business Owners who will provide strategies and tips from their real-life experiences.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Gordon

By Alexander Gordon

Disaster management practices using ArcGIS, ArcIMS, ArcSDE and SQL

by K. Selvavinayagam

Introduction Emergency management is a dynamic process. Emergency preparedness for disaster management is the process of preparing, mitigating, responding, and recovering from any emergency situation. Individuals and organizations responsible for emergency management use different tools to save lives reduce human suffering and preserve economic assets before, during and after any catastrophic event. But nowadays, correct and timely information is a critical part of any successful emergency management program. The unique tool for emergency purpose is a web enabled Geographic Information System (GIS), which could provide accurate and timely information.

Generally, disasters are characterized by the scope of an emergency. An emergency becomes a disaster when it exceeds the capability of the local resources to manage it. Disaster is an event “… meeting at least one of the following criteria: kills 10 or more persons; affects 100 or more persons; leads to a declaration of state of emergency; or leads to call for international assistance.” Disaster also involves humanitarian emergency, humanitarian actions, mass casualities etc. Effective disaster management requires rapid decisions and actions on behalf of relief workers. The scope of disasters is large (in terms of the number of people affected) and also the most important thing is the lack of resources to manage disasters.

Disaster management in developing countries exists within a complex political, social and economic environment, where a coherent and coordinated approach can be difficult to implement. As such, large-scale high magnitude ��" low frequency disasters will continue to overwhelm local disaster managers, prohibiting effective management, particularly during the response phase. Although most natural disasters cannot be prevented, disaster losses can be minimized when appropriate actions are taken which utilize the latest technology and real-time spatial data/information. Through GIS and remote sensing we can make data / information available, and answer questions concerning the spatial and temporal dimensions for disaster management.

In today’s information technology disaster management rely on IT tools such as GIS, electronic mail, document sharing, web and database access. GIS database can be accessed for damage assessment or to locate critical infrastructure such as chemical facility that needs to be inspected and secured. High resolution images or video sent in a real-time situation from a remote location can allow experts to assess damage. Henceforth, GIS integrated with IT presents significant opportunities to greatly improve the effectiveness of emergency management.

Recently, the internet is gaining popularity as a mechanism that can facilitate the exchange of information/data (spatial and non-spatial) in time to warn a disaster. Initiatives such as the Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) provide evidence of the importance and the value of disaster ��" related information, as well as the need to obtain and share it effectively. The aim of GDIN is to “provide the right information, in the right format, to the right person, in the right time to make the right decision” (GDIN, 2005). Spatial decision support systems, commonly considered as application specific software solutions (Rinner, 2003), are used in solving complex spatial problems where alternative decisions needs consideration. Wellar (1990) and Crossland et al. (1995) showed that the use of GIS as a type of Spatial Disaster Support System (SDSS) reduced the decision time and increased the accuracy of individual decision-makers, while Peng and Tsou (2003) the power and benefits of GIS. Integrating these technologies in an online, GIS based SDSS has the potential to increase the use and accessibility of spatial data, as well as the accuracy and efficiency of decision making, thereby improving the effectiveness of disaster response.

Hence for emergency preparedness and disaster management, GIS domains such as ArcGIS, ArcIMS, SQL Server and ASP were integrated and explored. Modules pertaining to emergency management were also developed by integrating the knowledge of experts, managers, programmers and developers, web enabled GIS techniques were used to manage nuclear, chemical, natural and many other disasters. These web enabled GIS based applications provides salient features for hazard alert, emergency response, emergency management, leverage investment, facilitates emergency alerts, periodic situational updates, community notifications, service disruptions, interagency coordination, e-Government solution and so forth.

Results and Discussion

Web Technology for Emergency Management

GIS system integrates ArcGIS, ArcIMS, SQL Server and ASP domain networks to form a web-based emergency preparedness / management system. Both spatial and aspatial were kept in GIS database. Coding for information retrieval, search capability, feature extraction were carried using ArcIMS and ASP. All the Objects, Methods, Modules and Components available within the software environment were utilized effectively, coded and programmed. The application is developed as a web enabled GIS on Microsoft Windows Platform. In all the applications for disaster management, Maps are the primary output of the system which, when displayed on computer screens, are more dynamic, potential and versatile (Alexander, 1991). This system complies with Coppock (1995) who points out that the technological developments intended for use in developing countries must be kept simple, considering the skills (both technical and bureaucratic) and resources available. The tools available in the webGIS applications and its features towards emergency management are formulated similarly. The potential of webGIS tools for nuclear, chemical and natural and many other disasters were discussed as follows.

Nuclear Disaster

Although construction and operation of nuclear power plants are closely monitored and regulated by the nuclear regulatory authorities, accidents, though unlikely, are possible. The most immediate danger from an accident at a nuclear power plant is the exposure to high level radiation.

Emergencies declared for nuclear power plant are defined in terms of notification of unusual event, alert, site area emergency and general emergency. Notification of unusual event means a problem has occurred at the plant, but no radiation leak is expected. Alert means that small amounts of radiation could leak inside the plant, but it will not affect the community. Site area emergency describes a more serious problem. Small amounts of radiation could leak from the plant. Area sirens may sound. Citizens are requested to listen to radio or television for instructions and be prepared to evacuate or find shelter. For addressing the above issues an emergency preparedness plan for nuclear power plant is developed using the recent scientific web enabled GIS technology.

The NuclearPlannerTM, a web GIS based application tool, provides a web-based evacuation preparedness for citizens living close to nuclear power plant, within the 10 mile radius. This is an important tool for strengthening relations with the community by reaching out to citizens with updated information and proactive planning tools. This delivers personalized response information to identify appropriate evacuation routes and response measures. Citizens living in risk area can identify their emergency reception centers, driving directions, and emergency exits. The system can also be integrated with weather, demographic data and real-time highway database and could help planners to evacuate peoples during the crucial time of natural disasters. Its major components includes end to end web-based solution, feature query, proximity analysis, emergency response plan module, evacuation routing module for public emergency, property query module, theme add in and on/off module, buffer analysis etc.

Chemical Disaster

Hazardous material are chemical substances, which if released or misused, can pose threat to the environment. These chemicals are used in industry, agriculture, medicine, research, and consumer goods. As many as 5,00,000 products pose physical or health hazards and can be defined as “hazardous chemicals.” Each year, over 1,000 new synthetic chemicals are introduced. Hazardous materials come in the form of explosives, flammable and combustible substances, poisons, and radioactive materials. These substances are most often released as a result of transportation accidents or because of chemical accidents in manufacturing plants.

In the early hours of Monday, Dec 3, 1984 a toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas enveloped the hundreds of shanties and huts surrounding a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India. Later, a deadly cloud slowly drifted in the cool night air through streets in surrounding sections, sleeping residents awoke, coughing, and rubbing painfully stinging eyes. By the time the gas cleared at dawn, many were dead. Four months after the tragedy, the Indian government reported the parliament that 1,430 people had died. In 1991 the official Indian government panel charged with tabulating deaths and injuries updated the count to more than 3,800 dead and approximately 11,000 with disabilities. Considering the importance of emergency preparedness for these chemical disasters a webGIS tool Tier II Manager TM is developed.

This is a user friendly comprehensive tool developed to streamline the process of meeting emergency planning and emergency response needs. This provides a real-time access to critical hazardous chemical inventory and facility information. It addresses the needs of first responders, emergency response planners, facility submitters, and state authorities. Vulnerability reports, demographic reports, notifications, and payment modules make this system more valuable. This is ensured with multiple levels of security to appropriate groups in order to have access for appropriate data and functionality.

It streamlines the process of chemical inventory reporting. Chemical storage facilities can submit regulatory and planning information through a set of simple on-line forms. In following years, the facilities can revise the existing information anytime, significantly reducing the expense of repeating the entire submission process each year. Planners can access real-time information to create emergency response plans and carry out comprehensive oversight activities. When rapid response is necessary, first responders can map all chemical storage facilities and instantly retrieve other supplemental information like site plans while mobilizing toward the emergency site. This provides a comprehensive, cost-effective way to meet regulatory requirements and provides emergency response information at the critical moment decision-making in no time. Its major components includes end-to-end web-based solution, chemical storage facility analysis tool with respect to infrastructure and demographics, automated authority level query tool for spatial planning, query tool for an extensive database ��" data retrieved in seconds and as an add-in for any back-end database platforms. For first responders, the application can be deployed wirelessly or as a standalone version, covers non-coverage areas and it also possess hierarchical level security for end users.

Disaster Warning System

As population and housing densities increase, the world continues to experience ever increasing danger and damages from natural and man made disasters. Deaths, injuries, and loss of property will increase around the world due to disasters, unless changes are made in the manner we respond to disasters. Most experts in disaster claims that the world’s population is at an ever increasing risk of death, injury, and property damages from disasters. Hence to notify the disaster and to minimize the risk a webGIS based Disaster Warning System, is developed.

This Disaster Warning System is aimed to continuously alert the most geographically appropriate emergency response personnel such as rescue, fire, police, and ambulance personnel, to allow much quicker and more accurate first response efforts and further reduce disaster impacts on lives and property.

Combining the power of GIS mapping analysis and notification capabilities, the system facilitates end-to-end response and recovery. It helps to analyze a situation, send out calls, and collect responses from thousands of people in an hour using flexible standard based tools. DWS differs from any location with an internet connection, providing powerful decision-making and proactive notification capabilities.

It brings together the best in speech technology with the power of mapping through GIS to provide Emergency Response Managers with the speed and flexibility to meet even the most challenging notification scenarios. It is developed using XML technology which provides an open standard that the Emergency Response community has been seeking. The easy-to-use application can be assessed by multiple agents from any location though a simple internet browser. With a set of personalized passwords, responders can customize a set of standard response forms, choose the targeted area for the notification using a simple GIS interface, and initiate the call. Recipients can hear the message spoken. The system can conduct dialog, map and collect critical response information, and trigger alerts and other dispatch. Easy-to-read reports, help one to rate and understand the notification, performance, identify which calls were answered, which ones never reached their intended recipients, and which recipients need help. It combines technologies to enable informed decision-making and communication when crucial situation exists. Its major components includes interactive mapping, speech and text-to-speech recognition, voice recognition, real time critical responses from clients, real time GIS mapping and multi-modal response, system interoperability and to communicate by using the advantage of XML.

Conclusion

Thus for nuclear, chemical and natural disaster webGIS based tools such as NuclearPlannerTM and ChemicalResponderTM will be very useful for emergency preparedness and disaster management practice. The paper also reveals that the web enabled GIS technology has got its unique potential for emergency preparedness management. These web enabled tools currently serve as a national and international application tools for emergency preparedness and disaster management.

About the Author

The Author is a Project Manager in Stesalit Inc.

http://www.stesalit-inc.com/userexperience.html