Company Name: Orion Communications, Inc.
Headquarters: Dallas, TX
Signature Product: AgencyWeb®
Website: www.orioncom.com
Intro: Orion Communications has been providing web-based workforce management solutions for public safety since 1998. Using an intelligent platform that shares its data with other systems, Orion’s AgencyWeb® focuses on the day-to-day management of personnel with complex requirements. As a result, agency workforce costs are reduced, productivity is increased and regulatory compliances are realized.
Where did your company name originate from?
It’s based on an analogy about the Orion constellation as the home of a technically advanced star group that is responsible for the transfer of information. We liked the essence of that meaning since our software is responsible for the transfer of information as it pertains to an agency’s workforce.
What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
When we first began, we saw an opportunity to build solutions that bridged gaps between law enforcement and judicial agencies as part of the court subpoena process. As our customer base grew, so did their requests. Could we manage personnel data beyond the basics provided in their RMS? How about adding scheduling along with time and attendance functionality? What about automating training management processes? And so it went.
Simply stated, our inspiration has come from our customers themselves - along with the evolution of our AgencyWeb® product line.
Why do you believe your products are beneficial to the police community?
Make no mistake about it; labor cost is one of the highest line items on any agency’s budget. Being able to manage the public safety workforce effectively is an essential reality these days. By using an ‘intelligent’ workforce management system like AgencyWeb®, agencies with complex requirements are able to replace manual processes with automation. As a result, precious resources can be maximized and productivity increased.
But it’s even more than that; today’s law enforcement personnel have unprecedented pressures placed on them to simply do their jobs. Having a system like ours ensures that regulatory compliances are met throughout the entire agency so that risks and potential liabilities are reduced. Having a centralized solution that can be used to manage and track workforce processes is a great time saver. Better yet, using the system’s historical workforce data for auditing and/or cost justification purposes adds tremendous value. It’s exciting showing agency management how their own data can be used for analytics that lead to better decision-making. That’s when their eyes really light up.
What has been the biggest challenge your company has faced?
The entire public sector procurement process. Orion is not selling widgets and our sales cycle tends to be a long one. The complexities of participating in RFPs can be quite an investment with no guarantee of an award. That’s one reason that Orion is pursuing a placement on the GSA Schedule 70 later this year. This will enable discounted purchasing directly off the GSA schedule for many state and local agencies, as well as the federal government.
What makes your company unique?
Orion’s expertise with data interfaces. By using our AgencyWeb® Agent interface software, we are able to easily share data with different resources, jurisdictions and legacy systems. We do this as a standard practice and that has distinct advantages. For example, our ability to track the cost of CAD services or RMS activities is huge. Being able to quantify these types of workforce activities at a division, squad, or even individual level can be an eye-opening experience.
We also include business analysis services as part of our solution. This helps our customers easily transition from manual processes to an efficient online experience. A software system like ours touches all agency personnel. Orion’s Business Analysts help to keep everyone on an even playing field throughout each deployment – from the key stakeholders to mobile personnel.
What do your customers like best about your products?
Orion has an excellent reputation for providing innovative workforce management software that helps reduce costs and is simple to use. The fact that we are a small company allows our customers and industry partners to work with us in a professional, yet personal environment.
What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder community?
We feel tremendous respect for the public safety community and by offering a product that is serving them, we are serving U.S. communities as a whole.
Is there any fun fact or trivia that you’d like to share with our users about you or your company?
While we are a certified woman-owned business operating out of Dallas, we have deep roots in southern Louisiana.
What’s next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
We will be launching AgencyWeb® Insight later this year. This is an add-on analytics tool that will allow agencies to create dashboard views using the workforce data that is most important to them. We’ll also be formally launching our add-on IVR telephony solution with a wide range of outbound and inbound applications.
