How Agencies Go from ‘Live and Limping’ to Solid and Stable

What is an NPSG Rescue Project? 

By Cheryl McIntyre, Vice President of Operations, NPSG 

Implementing a new public safety software system is one of the most significant and disruptive projects an agency will ever undertake. From the initial planning stages to go-live, the process can take years and in the end, it fundamentally transforms how an agency operates. Done well, it increases efficiency, enhances communication, and improves the ability to serve and protect the community. 

Unfortunately, many agencies and consortiums find themselves struggling partway through. Over the past six years, National Public Safety Group (NPSG) has seen countless projects go “live and limping” or, in the worst cases, abandoned altogether after years of work, forcing agencies back into the market for a new vendor. 

There are several reasons why CAD, RMS, JMS and/or Mobile software projects often encounter major roadblocks post go live: incomplete interfaces, data conversion failures, unresolved support tickets, missing deliverables, software failures, software stability, and latency issues. Any one of these can delay go live, compromise system performance post go live, or even jeopardize safety. 

How NPSG Gets Projects Back on Track 

Our proven approach begins with a comprehensive, independent Needs Assessment. We document and prioritize all outstanding issues, determining whether they stem from internal processes or software configuration issues. Go Lives are chaotic, and agencies often develop inefficient workarounds as they are trying to navigate a new system, which we address through a Business Process Review to streamline workflows. 

Next, we conduct a detailed review of the vendor contract and project scope to confirm that all purchased deliverables are accounted for. When gaps exist, NPSG steps in to escalate issues and strengthen communication between the agency and vendor. 

Our experienced Project Managers then take the lead on timeline management, vendor coordination, and stakeholder communication — relieving agencies of that burden and leveraging our deep expertise in public safety technology and project recovery to bring implementations back on track. 

Protecting Your Investment 

NPSG can engage at any stage of a project. Our priority is always to make the existing solution successful — maximizing the time, money, and resources an agency has already invested. 

However, in rare cases where continuing with the current vendor is no longer viable, we shift focus toward getting the agency operational as quickly as possible. We also provide detailed documentation and justification needed to support a return to the RFP process with clarity and confidence.