Flexibility of method of transmittal.
The new byword in Notifications is flexibility. If you’re putting in a system to notify someone of an event – it has to be flexible. What does that mean? It means that the method of transmission has to suit the client, not the system developer. If the client wants to receive only “Whats App” texts, then that’s what he should get. If the client wants to receive bot “Whats App” texts and emails, then that’s what he should get. “Flexibility” in Notifications is critical.
Programmability of time, destination, and date.
Another key feature of the new Notifications is programmability. This came about when LeakAlert was gathering information from a client, and the client told us of a key requirement: “If the unit owner doesn’t respond by dealing with the water leak in 15 minutes, then notify the security guard on the desk. However, only do this between the hours of 9am to 5pm.” For Notifications to be really effective, they have to be able to deal with situations like that.
Escalation depends on the seriousness.
The ability of a Notifications system to escalate is critical to its success. The seriousness of the Notification should be critically matched so that if the Notification is extremely serious, then the critical right people receive the notification. Perhaps a family member of the unit owner should be informed, only after a set period of time, not right away.
Action responses, if possible.
An optional, but highly desired action response to a water leak, is the automatic closing of the correct water valve. This may or may not be possible depending on the individual circumstances of the multi unit building.