About Us
CrisisSuite helps our crisis team hold structured meetings.
Following a devastating fire, Zorggroep Ter Weel decided to make structural improvements to its crisis management. Wilko Clarijs, facilities project coordinator, crisis coordinator, and chair of the crisis team, explains how CrisisSuite has since become an indispensable part of their approach.
“The crisis response team had been in place for a while; in fact, we’d had a crisis coordinator since around 2016. But to be honest, we weren’t really paying much attention to it,” he says. “That is, until we had to deal with a fire at our facility in Krabbendijke in 2016.”
That fire had serious consequences: three residents lost their lives. “Of course, what happened is terrible. At the same time, we felt that we had handled the situation well as an organization. But we also realized: we can do better. The question is, exactly how?”
After the fire, the organization began a thorough review. “What we were really missing was structure. No logbook, no meeting minutes, no set meeting format. We were just winging it. We wanted to change that.”
Just before the fire, the company had already taken its first tentative steps toward making improvements. That search led Ter Weel to Merlin and their crisis management tool: CrisisSuite. “After the fire, everything moved very quickly. We knew: this is what we need.”
Today, Ter Weel uses three modules within CrisisSuite:
1. Alerts –“This allows us to quickly notify employees using pre-configured scenarios. I test them regularly.”
2. Logtool – “During a crisis, we document everything, plan our next steps, and maintain an overview—even on the go via the app.”
3. Plans – “Our plans are available digitally and are actively used by everyone with access to CrisisSuite.”
Wilko: “We didn’t have the system in place when the fire broke out, but we were able to use it during the pandemic. We’ve been using it ever since.”
Wilko emphasizes that CrisisSuite is not only suitable for crisis situations, but also for scenarios where the severity is still unclear. “We often say: let’s get started right away. That proactive approach brings peace of mind and clarity.”
A concrete example? “At one point, we knew we were going to be featured in the newspaper in a negative light. So I convened the crisis management team, and we documented everything using the Logtool. That way, we’re prepared if the situation escalates. It helps tremendously to have a structure in place right away.”
Wilko finds working with Merlin a very pleasant experience. “Communication is quick and direct. Recently, something went wrong in the system, and before I even had a chance to report it, they called me: ‘We see something’s gone wrong on your end.’ That’s really great!”
Contacting the help desk is also a smooth process. “I get a quick response, and they take immediate action. The account manager calls regularly to check in: ‘How’s it going? Do we need to make any adjustments? Is there a need for training?’ I really appreciate that level of commitment.”
