Let’s take a step back for a moment and ask one simple question: What’s the overall vibe in your OCC?
When you walk into your Operations Control Centre (OCC), is it an environment that fosters collaboration, efficiency, and a drive for excellence? Or is it one where departments are operating in silos, political power battles are brewing, communication is strained and there’s more drama than the last episode of your fave soap opera?
It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind of the operation, but the overall satisfaction and culture in your OCC are critical indicators of its long-term success.
The Culture Check: Is It a Good Place to Work?
A high-functioning OCC isn’t just about ticking off the boxes on operational control or cost management. It’s about fostering a workplace where people actually want to work. This means encouraging open communication, minimising office politics, and ensuring every department feels supported rather than isolated.
Take a look around—how’s morale? Is your OCC a well-oiled machine where team members share information freely, or are departments so caught up in their own objectives that cross-functional communication is nonexistent? If your answer leans more toward the latter, it might be time to address these silos. In an environment where split-second decisions are required, silos and internal friction can be incredibly costly.
Every OCC has areas that could be tweaked for better results, but what about the quick wins? The low-hanging fruit that could significantly improve operations without needing a complete overhaul? Perhaps your communication channels could be streamlined to ensure quicker decision-making. Maybe it’s something as simple as implementing better rostering tools to reduce scheduling conflicts? The key is to be conscious of these small, yet impactful changes. Identifying easy improvements now can lead to long-term gains in efficiency, cost savings, and overall satisfaction.
At the end of the day, a high-performing OCC needs to excel in every area we’ve covered in our series of articles—operational control, safety management, incident response, cost control, training, and continuous improvement. You can afford to lag in one or two areas, but much more than that and you’ll start to see wasted dollars, inefficiencies, and possibly even safety risks.
The satisfaction and performance of your OCC go hand in hand. By fostering a positive culture, breaking down silos, and targeting both quick wins and strategic improvements, you can transform your OCC into a high-performing, goal-kicking, high-fiving collaborative environment where employees thrive both individually and as a team.
Every OCC has room for improvement, but the goal is to foster an environment where continuous improvement is the norm—not the exception. If you’re ready to take your OCC to the next level, we’re here to help. When it comes to the overall satisfaction and performance of your OCC, let’s make sure that you’re not just meeting expectations—you’re exceeding them.
