Lanner's PRISM Software Fights Crime with Crimestoppers

HOUSTON, TX, August 10, 2012 (Press-News.org) Lanner, a provider of simulation software proven to maximize performance and optimize resources, has joined forces with Crimestoppers in response to a substantial increase in demand for the non-profit's crime fighting services within the community.

Earlier this year Crimestoppers UK, the non-profit which works with law enforcement and the media in order to solve crimes, took on a substantial increase in business but without additional funding.

Turning to the Operational Research Society's "OR in the Third Sector" (ORiTS) group, which advises charities and voluntary organizations for free, two experienced independent analysts, Jane Parkin and Sue Merchant volunteered.

Lanner was a natural choice for both Crimestoppers and the ORiTS team. Lanner has been working with law enforcement agencies in the UK for 15 years to help them improve their operations. Lanner's PRISM simulation tool is designed to improve efficiencies and optimize processes. As a 'virtual' police force PRISM has helped revolutionize the way police forces across the UK make decisions, reducing risk, saving time and resources. PRISM incorporates a suite of simulation modules covering call handling, incident response, investigation, and custody.

PRISM was used to build a simulation model of the Crimestoppers call center, spanning three types of personnel: call handlers, online staff and shift leaders. This was then validated against known KPIs, assessing the impact of different shift patterns and recommending dynamic staffing levels.

This approach led to:-

- Thorough data analysis allowing identification of variations in demand

- The ability to simulate and optimize different shift and staffing patterns with a comprehensive assessment of the impact

- Proposals for new shift patterns, which the model indicated would significantly increase performance for no increase in staffing costs

- The development of staffing profiles for optimal performance for quiet, average and busy weeks

- Comparison of current and proposed shifts over an actual week's operations

The analysis indicated that the resulting changes in shift patterns and staffing would lead to a 7% increase of those calls answered within the target time of 20 seconds, taking the contact center over its 90% service level target. In addition, the average time to answer a call should decrease by 41% and there is expected to be a 47% decrease in abandoned calls. Soft benefits include releasing shift managers from taking calls and enabling them to better deliver training to call handlers during quieter periods.

"We've benefited hugely from the work and the support received in all areas of the project. From an organizational perspective, you've enabled us to take a highly professional approach to increasing the efficiency of our charity", commented Karen Ogborn, Head of Performance, Crimestoppers.

Jane Parkin, Operational Research analyst, said, "The strength of PRISM is that it is designed specifically for this environment and is backed up by a wide array of simulation expertise at Lanner. When a charity such as Crimestoppers gives you positive feedback that the simulation will improve the efficiency of the organization, you know it has been time well spent and that the tools such as PRISM do the job."

Kevin Sheehy, public sector lead for Lanner said, "This is a classic example of simulation enabling an organization to optimize its productivity and performance. PRISM is used by a number of UK police forces, so Crimestoppers is in good company when it comes to building better processes and allocating resources in the best possible way."

About Crimestoppers: Crimestoppers UK is an independent non-profit charity helping law enforcement to find criminals and solve crimes, and is part of Crimestoppers International based in Austin, Texas. Crimestoppers is best known for the anonymous phone number where the general public can pass on information about crime, though in recent years this has been augmented by the Crimestoppers website where users can complete an online form. Callers do not give their name or any personal information and calls cannot be traced since there is no requirement to appear in court or give a statement to the police.

About Lanner: Any business can use the proven simulation software and services delivered by Lanner to maximize its performance and optimize the use of resources.

Lanner is an international company with headquarters in the UK and offices in USA, Germany, France and China. Its simulation software has delivered answers for commercial businesses and government organizations since 1979, helping them move toward operational perfection. Lanner's customers include some of the largest and most successful firms in the world and its technology is embedded within leading software vendors' products.