Corporate professionals have a lot of responsibilities, but despite the many tasks they need to handle day in and day out, there’s no denying that security is almost always the primary concern. Confidence that one’s facility and the resources within are safe from human or environmental threats is an absolute must in the corporate world — and because of this, the ability to provide real-time alerts to your clients can make all the difference for a security guard company.
The inherent value of real-time alerts should be obvious to seasoned security professionals. While there are some incidents that can be resolved easily without the need for client involvement (such as office lights being left on after hours), other situations require immediate input to ensure that proper corrective actions are carried out. In a critical situation, getting the right information to the right people in a timely manner could very well prevent a disaster.
The Right System
Modern security guard software has streamlined the reporting process to ensure that real-time alerts can be sent quickly and accurately. In fact, modern reporting systems can eliminate paperwork entirely, allowing guards to submit reports directly from a smartphone or tablet equipped with the appropriate app.
Customized report templates allow management to create an easy to use interface with mandatory information fields which ensures that guards submit all necessary data in each report. For example, if a guard were to discover a leaking bathroom faucet while on patrol, they could file a maintenance issue report detailing the type of problem, its location, and priority level. Perhaps most importantly, guards can also indicate whether an issue poses a safety hazard. Guards can even upload photos and diagrams to provide more in-depth information about a particular problem.
When an incident report is submitted, a real-time alert system then ensures that the information isn’t lost in a sea of paperwork. Instead, relevant parties (such as the security company’s back office staff or a client representative) receive an immediate notification for the incident report. This can be done via SMS messaging, email, or even a push notification. This allows users to quickly examine the contents of the report, understand the nature of the problem, and determine the follow-up actions that should be taken.
Real-Time Alert Benefits
As should be expected, real-time alerts are highly beneficial in the corporate security world, as they allow clients to quickly resolve any issues that could pose a threat to their facility or employees. In the previously mentioned example of a leaky bathroom faucet, a real-time alert for this maintenance issue would enable a client to make a quick call to a plumber to get the leak fixed right away. On the other hand, if the incident report had gone unseen for some time, it could be days before a client becomes aware of the problem — creating the potential for the leak to get that much worse.
While a leaky faucet may not seem like a very big deal, the simple truth is that for the vast majority of reported incidents, a faster response will keep the problem from getting out of hand, helping facility owners avoid financial losses. When security alerts are delivered to a client and their security provider in real time, the two parties can collaborate to find the most effective solution. Finally, real-time reporting allows for what is currently a trivial incident to be dealt with before it becomes a major incident.
Real-time alerts don’t just help security professionals and their clients quickly resolve problems — they also provide peace of mind. Clients can have greater confidence when they know that they will receive a report the moment a serious problem arises. Best of all, this increased transparency builds trust between the client and their security provider as information is shared more freely.