Emergency Response Optimization for DSB by Novacura Flow

10 min to read

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) is a government organization tasked with protecting Norway and it’s citizens from natural disasters and other non-military threats to safety. As a national organization, DSB is responsible for collecting and organizing information across local, regional, and national offices so that they can quickly respond to threats and provide up-to-date information back to the government.

The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB) is a government organization tasked with protecting Norway and its’ citizens from natural disasters, corporate accidents, and other non-military threats to safety. Working under the Minister of Justice and the Police they handle everything from training personnel for disaster response, crisis response, performing studies to assess potential risks, cooperation between military and civilian agencies, and data management in each of these areas.

Novacura Flow is to be used by the Norwegian Civil Defense. The Norwegian Civil Defense is subordinate to the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB).

Over the years their over 20 locations have utilized different and sometimes outdated tools and software systems to manage the operations listed above. The Civil Defense realized these systems were undependable and the process of compiling all the data had become a tedious task. According to Lars Sørsdal, Head of Investigation, Operation, Plan and Exercise:

Novacura Flow made it much more efficient for us. Our ERP system [IFS Applications] is very good but we see that Novacura Flow on top of it makes it easier to retrieve exactly the data we want to see.

Lars Sørsdal

Head of Investigation, Operation, Plan and Exercise

This project demonstrates how ERP for civil protection organizations can be enhanced with low-code solution.
Novacura was brought in to help standardize the processes for each of the various functions that DSB was involved in. Using a combination of IFS Applications and Novacura Flow, the team built a custom emergency management software solution that improved emergency request handling by:

Standardizing operations and automating manual processes
Instantly capturing data in the field with a mobile app’s
Improving visibility across civil defense districts with a universal dashboard
Replacing outdated systems

Over the years DSB and it’s twenty civil defense districts utilized different and sometimes outdated software systems to manage their operations. The Civil Defense realized that their systems were unreliable and were looking for a way to streamline its processes.

We have eight thousand conscripts who have a duty to meet when there is an effort going on and we must have records of all their competencies and history of the stakes and exercises they have been a part of. If the system that we used to track that information broke down, we would be in a bit of a crisis. So that’s the main reason we wanted a better system.

Lars Sørsdal

DSB, Head of Investigation

By streamlining emergency requests with digital tools, DSB eliminated redundancy and manual errors.
Once they had the vision, the next step was building custom applications to replace old systems and tasks that had previously been done by manual operations. These custom applications had three major benefits. First, it allowed 8000 personnel in the field at disaster relief sites, training facilities, inspections etc. to report data in real-time, second it automated and digitized processes that had previously been manually entered one at a time, and third it compiled and displayed all the information in a Portal dashboard.

Novacura allows us to see the total overview of what is happening, we get the statistics so fast. Someone uses Flow in the forest, we can follow through on it here. In Flow portal but also inside IFS and Lobby in IFS which is a very good tool.

Lars Sørsdal

Head of Investigation, Operation, Plan and Exercise

When a forest catches fire or some other natural disaster strikes resources in form of personnel and equipment can be dispatched instantly. DSB has reduced the need for manual tasks and no longer has to make as many phone calls, approve paperwork, request up-to-date info from several offices, or manually check licensing for responders. All of that is now visible to them from their desktop, tablet, or phone.

The most important thing for us is that Novacura Flow is very easy to use on a cell phone. I can do a call-out in a quick and easy way and I think that is really good. It’s also a big advantage that we can pick out what data to see and pick out data in relation to user access of what the individual needs to see. If there are too many buttons then it gets a bit complicated to use it. So it is a low threshold to use it.

Lars Sørsdal

DSB, Head of Investigation

Anyone who has spent time at a large organization knows that real change is easy to imagine, but almost impossible to achieve. The Civil Defense and Novacura have together implemented processes across over 20 districts and changed the day-to-day routines for over 250 employees. One of our core values at Novacura is that “We care”, so implementing these changes at an organization dedicated to protecting the well-being of the Norwegian citizens and countless others worldwide is something we treasure.

FAQ

How to digitize emergency response processes without ERP modifications?

Use a low-code platform like Novacura Flow for public sector organizations to replace manual operations with mobile apps, automated workflows, and real-time dashboards.

How to integrate ERP in public sector organizations?

Combine your existing ERP system (such as IFS) with a flexible low-code integration platform to streamline processes and improve data accuracy across departments.

How to automate personnel management in civil protection?

Expand your ERP with digital tools like Novacura Flow to manage competencies, track training history, and enable mobile data capture for thousands of field personnel in civil protection agencies.

What is the best software for crisis management?

The ideal solution seamlessly integrates ERP with emergency management software, mobile accessibility, and automated crisis response workflows—exactly what Novacura provides by extending ERP capabilities without altering the system’s core.

How to streamline emergency requests with digital tools?

Deploy emergency services mobile applications and a shared digital dashboard to reduce manual coordination and respond to threats faster and more effectively.