You might come across situations where there are more Site Group alerts than individual Site alerts in Prewave. It is because of how risk information is:
captured,
referenced,
and distributed across the Prewave platform.
This approach is especially relevant for large, global companies (for example 3M, etc.), ensuring broad risk visibility even when details are unclear - and that no critical events are missed.
Why Are Most Alerts at Site Group Level?
1.Monitoring at the Site Group (Company) Level
All alerts are created at the Site Group (Company) level by default. This ensures risk coverage even when the exact location of an incident is unclear.
If Prewave can match the event to a specific facility, a Direct Site Impact is added alongside the Site Group impact.
If no specific site can be identified, only the Site Group impact remains.
2. Brand Image and Broader Risk Visibility
Site Group alerts provide an overview of risks across all of a company’s locations, giving visibility on what’s happening globally for key risk topics. Many incidents (such as insolvency, legal issues, or labor practices) impact the entire brand or legal entity, not just one site, making broader alerts necessary for accurate risk awareness.
3. Media Reporting Nature
The majority of public sources mention companies like “3M” or “Foxconn,” rather than specific facilities or plants. As a result, Prewave triggers alerts at the company or site group level when the exact site isn’t specified. For example, a news report about “Child labor at Foxconn” or “Earthquake impacting 3M” affects the perception and risks for the whole company, not just an individual site.
4.“Safety Net” for Risk Events
When Prewave cannot match an event to a precise site, it uses a Safety Net: all relevant incidents are assigned to the Site Group, so that potential issues don’t slip through the cracks.
Without Site Group alerts, a major strike at a supplier might be missing on your dashboard simply because the news article didn't mention an address or concrete location.
Example: 3M Mass Layoffs
3M operates over 100 manufacturing sites worldwide, with many grouped in Prewave under Site Groups.
If mass layoffs are reported at a specific 3M facility, Prewave issues a Direct Site Alert (for that site) in addition to the Site Group alert.
If layoffs are reported only as “3M announces global job cuts”, without reference to a facility, Prewave issues a Site Group alert.
Given the scale of 3M, the majority of reports are phrased at the brand level - so Site Group alerts vastly outnumber site-level alerts.
Situation | Resulting Alert Type | Reason |
Mass layoffs confirmed at a specific 3M plant | Site Alert + Site Group | Exact site can be matched, but event also affects brand perception |
Media reports “3M announces layoffs” without site details | Site Group Alert | Event is reported at brand level, no specific site identified |
3M company-wide mass layoff reported | Site Group Alert | Event impacts the legal entity/all sites, not just one |
This ensures that no matter which 3M site a client is monitoring, they will be made aware of any risk events tied to the broader brand. Even when the media or source lacks specificity.
Most of the time you can think of Site Group alerts as contextual risk (situational awareness) and Site-Specific alerts as operational risk (immediate action required)
How the Alert Process Works
All monitoring begins at the Site Group level.
If a direct site match is possible, a Direct Site Impact is added to the Site Group alert.
Perspective Settings determine visibility:
CompanyLevel activated → always shows Site Group impact (standard)
This process guarantees that:
Company-wide risks (e.g., insolvency, mass layoffs, PR crises) are always captured.
Site-specific events (e.g., fire at a named facility) are reflected at both the site and group levels.
Unclear reports still trigger Site Group alerts, ensuring broad coverage