MERP: Emergency software modernization

MERP stands for Mobile Emergency Response Plan. Safeguard Risk Solutions, based in Grove City, Ohio, provides the product to schools, businesses and other organizations in the United States.

Staff use it to reach their organization’s emergency plans and response procedures. Administrators need to keep that information current. In this setting, access and navigation are practical concerns: a user may be looking for instructions on a phone, under pressure, with little time to search.

The previous software had security weaknesses and an inefficient operating setup. Changes and provider integrations required too much intervention. Maintaining the product was taking effort that could otherwise go into improvements for customers.

The challenge was to replace the underlying applications without making existing organizations start again. Emergency plans, documents, permissions and established access paths had to be considered alongside the new code.

We began with stakeholder interviews and a review of the code, database and infrastructure. The findings became functional specifications and delivery priorities.

Our scope covered the web frontend, mobile applications, backend, DevOps, data migration and cutover. QA and a dedicated test environment supported the release. Security remediation and accessibility improvements were part of the modernization, including keyboard navigation, screen-reader behavior, focus and contrast.

The wider MERP/PREP modernization introduced SSO infrastructure, configuration guidance and documented self-service for supported provider integrations. This gave supported connections a repeatable setup process instead of requiring the same development intervention each time.

A provider with different requirements still needs technical assessment. The improvement is that recurring configuration work can be handled through the supported process, leaving development time for changes that actually require engineering.

The infrastructure and services supporting MERP and PREP cost approximately $800 per month before modernization and approximately $80 afterward — around 90% less across the shared setup.

Documented self-service configuration for supported provider integrations was also delivered at this shared level. Both products benefit from the change.

Our delivery team reports that the cutover completed without service interruption or crashes. Many users continued using the applications without noticing that the underlying product had been rewritten.

The engagement continues through product care, with new features, fixes and improvements. The team reports faster changes and positive feedback from client teams across the MERP/PREP work.

MERP was modernized alongside PREP for HAPevolve. The two cases share engineering work; PREP’s case focuses on healthcare organizations and their access needs.

Read the PREP healthcare modernization case.

Bring the current applications, the changes that take too long and the workflows customers rely on. We can help assess what to retain, what to rebuild and how to plan the transition.

Explore legacy application modernization or talk through your product with us.