Fall is in the air! The temperatures are dropping, leaves are falling, nights are shorter, and snow is coming. You may have placed the stakes, prepped sites, talked snow, but when do you fully shift your focus and how do you prepare for that shift?

Take time to evaluate

Many have been working on snow in some capacity since August, if not earlier. This, however, is a good time to do a final high-level review.

There is nothing like starting a salter just to have it stop running within a few hours, to be ticketed for being out of compliance, or—worst case—injure a team member. The first event is not a great time to find out you did not have the right phone number for the property management contact, or even worse that the contract was not signed.

A kickoff is a great way to delineate the change to snow season by concluding all preseason tasks and ensuring your clients and personnel are prepared prior to that first event.

When, how to schedule a kickoff?

There’s always a lot of debate about when the first snowfall will happen, but Mother Nature has the final say. Since you cannot with full certainty predict the exact date, a drop date allows you to be ready regardless. A drop date says to you and your organization that it is going to snow by "X" day and we will be ready.

To create a drop date, work back from your average first anticipated event. Work with others to have a full understanding of timing. Consider the schedule of staff and work to be completed prior to the start of the season. Ensure everyone in the organization is aware of the agreed-upon date and is actively working toward meeting it. On that date, regardless of snow, your organization will be performing a "snow event."

Let's kick off

You have reached the drop date, and it is time for the official start of your season!

Take this day to test your teams’ skills and celebrate the start of the season with a fully mocked event with real-life scenarios and complications. Teams should have to think through different tasks and critical processes while navigating difficulties that they could encounter. Drive home that hands-on experience—let the team get experience with the equipment while reiterating the relevant safety and maintenance practices.

The dry run does not have to stop at your field teams. Have office personnel perform mock tasks that will be required when snow actually falls. Build a mock event where schedules, documentation and client communication are needed and review how they would navigate different scenarios. Review any other tasks that are required for a snow event.

As much as possible, have the team come together. Host site-specific visits prior to and/or after the event. This allows a unified message while building bonds between teams that may not otherwise interact with one another.

At the end, celebrate with your team for their dedication. Share the excitement that you are ready for another snow-tastic season to begin!

BE PREPARED WITH A PAC DEEP DIVE

To prepare for the start of the season, it’s important to complete a PAC (Personnel, Assets and Client) review. Use these checklists to prepare:

Personnel

• Ensure that everyone knows and understands the process to be successful in snow at your organization, and that you have all required documentation.
• Review required processes for scheduling, invoicing, payroll/time entry, purchasing, communication, and service documentation. Document them, share and train with the appropriate people.
• Have you built a sustainable method of organizing these processes so they can be performed prior to, during and after events in a timely fashion?
• Are backup personnel trained in the event of absence?
• Are field staff truly prepared for the task at hand? If not, what do they need?
• Are personnel files up to date and in compliance?
• Do personnel have all the required PPE?
• Do they have the resources to make decisions in the field, or do they know who to contact to help make those decisions?
• Have you completed on-site snow training and dry runs?
• Review safety, equipment, tools, snow lingo, best practices, and processes within your organization. Have you shared with the team your organization’s objectives for this season and any key performance indicators?
• If new hires are new to your organization but not the industry, review with them your organizational structure, what snow looks like to your organization and how to be successful. Provide guidelines and expectations along with follow-up for development.
• If a team member is new to the industry, provide those same tools and expectations and, if possible, pair them with an experienced team member. They may need to learn the basics that seasoned snow professionals take for granted.
• Have you reviewed crisis management with the organization? Is your organization prepared for a major event? Does your team know how to respond? What processes are enacted in the case of a major event?

Assets

• Complete an overview to ensure all equipment is compliant and all documents have been updated. Do personnel know where this documentation is? Is the equipment operating correctly and are processes established?
• Review the placement of equipment. Do you have the right equipment for the job at hand?
• Have you inspected and tuned-up hand tools? Are non-motorized tools functional or do they need to be replaced or repaired? Can the team easily access the hand tools or are they still stored? Is there any process or documentation required for these tools? If so, has that been communicated and trained to those impacted?
• Review your deliveries. Is there anything that will be delayed, and if so, what impact does this have? Do you have a backup if that delivery delay is impactful? Have you communicated that delay to the appropriate people? With your rentals and materials, is there any documentation required and do you have a process that has been shared and accessible?
• Do all personnel know the safety requirements and potential hazards of the equipment?
• Does your team have the tools or the ability to make minor repairs if needed? If not, how is this accomplished? Is the field staff trained to complete pre-, during and post-event equipment checks? Do you have documentation for these checks, and if so, has that been shared and is it accessible?
• Do you have a schedule for regular maintenance? What is the process for breakdowns? Is this process known through the organization, and is it sustainable in long-duration events or crisis management? If not, what is the backup plan?
• Ensure all staff understand the basics of the equipment, even if it is not part of their normal role. Train on basic fluids such as oil, DEF and fuel; where and how to check and fill them; as well as basic machine functions. It is critical that, in a pinch, any staff member can assist in these minor tasks.
• Do you use snow equipment in other departments in the off-season? If so, do you know how long it takes to change over your fleet? Performing a dry run on one or several pieces can be extremely beneficial, working out the kinks of the changeover.

Clients

• Have you done your due diligence to ensure you are prepared? You only get one chance for a first impression.
• Are all contracts agreed upon and signed? If not, finalize these before that first event. You do not want to chase signatures prior to an event or perform work without that signature.
• Ensure all preseason site checks have been documented and agreed upon with the client.
• Confirm that the scope of work is clear with all parties. Does the client understand what work will and will not be performed and when? Is it documented? Have you reviewed major events or crisis management with the client so they know what to expect? Does the team know how to execute so nothing is missed or overserviced due to client direction?
• Is the invoicing process clear? Confirm that you have a process to track the work performed, as well as invoicing and payments that are and are not received.
• Do you have a process for communication and documentation? Review the method and desired frequency of contact. Who is your organization contacting before, during and after events? Who does the client contact within your organization? Do you have a standard documentation process has that been shared and trained to personnel?

Jenny Girard, ASM, is client success implementation specialist for The Integra Group. Contact her at Jenny.Girard@TheIntegraGroup.com or 518-231-9748.