exception: ACCT’s growing accreditation program requires applicants to obtain an operational review from an ACCT qualified reviewer. Such a review seeks to ensure compliance with relevant ACCT standards, which touch on most of the aforementioned points in some way. This review will focus on the criteria needed for accreditation, and might not be a comprehensive check on all other parts of your business—mar- keting and guest service functions may need a closer look. Be clear about scope when hiring a reviewer. HOW IT WORKS A comprehensive review typically con- sists of the following components: 1. Secret shopping. For this, the reviewer goes incognito and does everything from purchase a ticket to climb the course, just as a customer would. A covert visit helps give the reviewer a snapshot of what’s truly happening and can expose serious risks or flaws in operations. 2. Observation and walk-through of course or park. Following a covert visit, reviewers will typically want to observe park operations and see a variety of procedures and protocols, such as rescues, equipment inspections—really, any action or passive behavior a staff member may need to perform. This could take some time, depending on the size of the operation and the com- plexity of its procedures. 3. Document review. A key piece of the review process is looking for the pres- ence and consistency of every check-
list and manual a park should have. Furthermore, the observation process should assess whether what’s writ- ten is actually happening in the field.
WHY SO IMPORTANT?
Some readers to this point may be thinking (perhaps rightly so) that their organization is doing just fine without a review—why fix what isn’t broken? Others may have already decided that there are clearly benefits to having someone help assess what’s going well and what’s not. Those that see the benefit should know that this process takes time and will entail some expense. Further, a review might indicate a need for more training or updating documents, taking more time and money. Problematic findings from any review will need to be fixed, and if there aren’t resources to fix them, the organization could be exposed to an even greater liability by having known of a problem and not addressing it.
Documentation—presence and consistency: If you didn’t write it down, it never happened. Documents, such as inspection forms and training records, are useful for many reasons. They are also “discoverable”—meaning that they can be requested as part of pre-trial proceedings. Such documents can in- clude manuals, daily logs and checklists, and even emails—as long as they are specifically requested. Keeping documents accurate and updated to reflect current methods of operation is an ongoing challenge, but is absolutely essential. A good review ensures that organizations are following appropriate documentation practices and describing their procedures in a way that’s consistent with reality. Compliance with laws, regulations, and standards: Beyond a desire to run fun and safe operations, many opera- tors choose to comply with—or must follow—various standards or laws. ACCT, ASTM, and OSHA are just some of the entities that write laws, standards, and outline practices that may be rele- vant to your operations. An operational review may include some or all of the above components. The AEE and ACCT standards both require operators to conduct periodic reviews, but do not specify who or how such a review is to be performed. One
So, is it worth the cost? That’s a decision each manager must make.
“The value is in having real feedback on your operation from a pro who can look at everything from how your equipment is being used to what the customer experience is like,” says Pingle. In other words, the review process can point to improvements that will help your oper- ation grow and become more success- ful in the long term. It’s not just about risk management.
“If you’re approaching this like an
The review process can point to improvements that will help your operation grow and become more successful.
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator