All software is not created equal. Choosing a system to properly run a smart security business is no longer a nice-to-have option. We are way beyond the paper and pencil and spreadsheet approach. But in order to properly exploit data, the system you deploy must be more than easy to use, accessible from anywhere, and centralized. In fact, those criteria have become the strict minimum to meet industry and business expectations and standards.
You can judge the effectiveness of your security workforce management software to determine if it has gone beyond the minimum by evaluating how the data is used, with who it is shared, how easy it is to manipulate, and to what extent security decisions are driven by data as opposed to being best guesses.
Here are 4 other things to consider as you embark on your digital transformation:
1. You don’t have access to real-time and historical data
Without real-time insight into your operations, it’s difficult to manage and adapt to last-minute changes, maintain SLA compliance, accurately reduce overtime spending or measure KPIs. Without accurate reporting and data, you’re unable to spot trends and get ahead of potential risks before they develop into problems. The more you can take advantage of technology, the better. Control the cost and exposure of unbilled overtime and missed shifts. Get scheduling information into the hands of your staff in the most efficient way possible, through SMS, email, or phone. The solution needs to offer you the flexibility of an easy-to-use report-building module. A picture speaks a thousand words, so your reports should be rich with pictures and other data that tell the story you need to tell.
2. You can’t demonstrate compliance
From health and safety to labor laws, and public safety reporting requirements, security operators are affected by legislation directly or indirectly. You should have a process to regularly review existing legislation and communicate any changes to your stakeholders. Security managers may have to directly report compliance or provide data to support their customers’ compliance efforts – either way, you need a security workforce management solution that is able to collect, store, and communicate data from across the operations and mitigate the risk of potential compliance errors. Another way to demonstrate compliance is with accountability, reliability, and transparency.
3. You can’t follow the progression of your guards
Are you still wondering where your guards are? In today’s wired world, that shouldn’t happen. You should know where your teams are in real-time. Without this feature, you can’t reassure your clients, be accountable, or drive end-user peace of mind. With GPS tracking, you have access to a dynamic, real-time map that displays the location of your guards at all times. With preset geofences, you’ll receive alerts when staff enters a specific area or if they leave the client site. Your supervisors and guards should be automatically notified by SMS and email alerts if the guard is in the forbidden zone you’ve established.
4. You are still performing unnecessary manual tasks
Manual tasks are time-consuming, error inducing, and a waste of energy. If you are still manually calling guards to see who can work and when, or using paper timesheets, and transcribing hours into payroll systems by hand, you’ll generate huge costs in administrative work, potential data loss, and put the organization at the risk of human error. Find a solution that equips your guards with all the tools they need like incident reporting to push reports directly into the platform through their mobile phones. A security workforce management solution should help you schedule shifts, track time and attendance, and have an integrated payroll reporting system.
A security workforce management solution has to go beyond the basics and fully integrate into your operations, help you reach your business goals, and drive the following benefits: Organization, Efficiency, Peace of Mind, Accountability, and Performance. I would challenge you to consider how good your system is at getting multiple types of data points out of it and manipulate the information to use it to improve your business.
Technology adoption should not be a feature by feature exercise. It should be part of a plan for business improvement. If you limit yourself to features, you are likely not taking advantage of the opportunities that technology can bring.
If your security workforce management software isn’t up to par, schedule a demo with TrackTik to see how we address industry and business expectations and standards.
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