Internal transformation creates a certain degree of anxiety and the idea of changing your entire operations can seem daunting. The temptation is to opt for plug-and-play solutions that can solve specific functions in your security operations such as guard management, payroll preparation, or dispatch. The logic is that, by avoiding a more comprehensive implementation, you avoid the challenges and complexity that technology rollouts can bring.
When planned correctly, there are a number of benefits to opting for a centralized approach of rolling out technology across your operations. Here are three such benefits for a centralized security workforce management system:
1. Get the whole picture and access to analytics
Each system you deploy creates a data silo. When you choose one technological solution for scheduling, another one for payroll preparation and yet another one for mobile dispatch, and so on, you risk creating a plethora of systems that don’t talk to each other. With all these disparate systems, cumulatively you may have the solutions you need for each of your activities, but what you don’t have is efficiency.
With data locked in different platforms, you have to manually draw out the information and consolidate it to get a complete overview of your operations. This takes time and also opens you up to human error which could lead to you making decisions based on flawed data. You may then also need to work on separate integrations with your existing systems which is another call on resources and more opportunities for communication failures.
Conversely, if you choose the right multifunctional platform to meet the needs of your entire security operations, you gain efficiency by creating a single source of truth. With seamless data flows across your on-site, mobile and back office functions, it’s easier to notice trends and spot patterns that may impact your operations. It will also facilitate real-time reporting sent via push-notifications to your stakeholders. A robust security workforce management software, like TrackTik will also allow you to supplement the push-based notifications with a dashboard-view access to your customers for enhanced transparency.
2. Set yourself up for success with proper adoption
The success of technology projects often lies in successful user adoption. Training is a core part of enabling users to become comfortable with a new system, no matter how intuitive the product. Successful training allows users to make the most of the capabilities of the new technology, builds confidence and ultimately creates a sense of ownership of the new way of working that fosters adoption.
When it comes to security workforce management technology, the tolerance for complexity is often quite low among front-line personnel such as guards. Likewise, your leadership doesn’t want to have to log in to various platforms to get a clear view of your operations.
If you choose multiple systems to manage your operations, you risk turning off your users because of the need to learn multiple new ways of working. You also need to invest more time in training on each platform, not to mention organizing separate training sessions and refreshers as technology changes.
Avoid undermining your technology implementation by picking one centralized platform to manage your security operations and cutting down on the training required to make user adoption a success.
3. Control the costs of your investment
As with any investment, you need to demonstrate ROI. For the money you invest, you need to be able to demonstrate the value of your proactive security services. You should be able to exhibit the successful handling of security incidents, security risk mitigation, reduced overtime expenditure, etc.
While the initial purchase of a stand-alone solution for e.g. scheduling may suggest higher ROI because of the lower up-front cost, but as you purchase further solutions to cover the rest of your operations, ROI is diminished. With multiple licenses, dealing with vendors with different pricing structures and support models, your fixed costs will start to outweigh the efficiency savings and strain your day-to-day operations. The negative impact on your budget will also undermine your future budget discussions as you seek to protect and expand security spending in your organization.
When it comes to your security workforce management platform, putting all your eggs in one basket is actually a benefit. By centralizing your software spend with the purchase of one such software, you control your outgoings in the long term despite the higher upfront cost – therefore generating higher ROI. Alongside the dollar savings from centralizing your operations, you also save time spent dealing with multiple product packs.
Choose a comprehensive security workforce management software
While it’s true that change needs to be well planned, taking an incremental approach to a tech roll out is a false economy. By trying to avoid a radical overhaul, you may find yourself juggling multiple systems and platforms, which in turn leads to rising expenses and inefficiency.
The right approach is to accept that integrating technology into your operations means making a significant change, but it’s also an opportunity to rethink how you do things. By taking a step back instead of racing to digitize the status quo, you can introduce efficiency to your operations.
Having made this mindset change, the next step is to select technology that meets all your needs. TrackTik is a security workforce management software that enables you to view, analyze and control your entire security operations in one place. With this software, you will have access to a suite of advanced guard management tools for seamless and centralized physical security operations management.