For security guard companies and their clients, it isn’t enough to merely respond to security threats and other incidents as they come up. In reality, the end goal should be to implement strategies that mitigate threats and prevent future incidents altogether.

So how is this to be accomplished? Those who have found the greatest success in preventing future problems largely owe their results to a quality incident response platform. By implementing the latest technologies to analyze trends and gain new insights, security managers and their clients put themselves in a far better position to prepare for the future.

Here’s a closer look at how the right incident response platform helps this happen.

Deep Dive into Data

How an Effective Incident Response Platform can Help with Preventing Threats
Real-time status updates allow security management to monitor active incidents

In reality, the work of preventing future incidents starts with current incident reporting. Modern dispatch software utilizes GPS trackingand other tools to record alarm triggers, emergency calls, and other incidents as reported by a security guard team. In the moment, real-time status updates allow security management to monitor the status of active incidents and response tasks that are assigned to their guards.

While the mapping of this information is certainly helpful in the moment, the collection and storage of this data for further analysis is where companies can make a real difference in preventing future threats. When data is automatically stored and organized, it is much easier to access and use in the future.

A quality incident response platform catalogues all reported incidents and allows users to view the information based on the type of incident reported, as well as where the event took place. It also gives insights into other vital details, such as how long it took for security to respond to the threat and what was done to fully resolve the problem.

Analyzing this information is a crucial first step in preventing future threats. By mapping out the data, security companies and their clients can see which threats occur most frequently, as well as which areas pose the greatest risk. With this information in hand, they don’t have to work off assumptions as they develop a threat mitigation plan. Instead, they can work together to formulate an informed strategy.

Actionable Insights

By using an incident response platform to collect and analyze data on past incidents, it becomes much easier to plan for the future.

For one thing, it helps security managers establish priorities in mitigating future threats. The areas that have seen the highest number of incidents will naturally have their security needs addressed first.

A closer look at the types of incidents that have affected the facility should have a direct impact on threat mitigation planning. For example, if data from the incident response platform indicates that a particular door is frequently left unlocked, it becomes much easier to find connections between other reported incidents like theft and vandalism. Without this data to draw from, however, a facility manager could easily draw incorrect conclusions as to why his building has recently experienced a high number of thefts.

One key insight gleaned from collected data could ultimately be enough to prevent a wide variety of problems. In the unlocked door example, the facility owner might decide to install a keypad entry or badge scanning system so that the door will lock automatically when employees leave for the day. In other situations, data insights might reveal a need for an increased security guard presence or even the installation of a security fence around the building’s parking lot.

By addressing the root causes that have contributed to prior security incidents, companies will be better prepared to prevent future incidents altogether. Using data enables everyone involved in the decision-making process to understand which factors have truly contributed to past security problems. These actionable insights allow for the creation of a strategy that will actually work.