Blackbird Security is one of Canada’s fastest-growing providers of professional security services. When the company started in 2015, the focus was local to their then-only headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia. As word spread of their security prowess, national retailers like Loblaws, Sephora, and Best Buy took notice. Blackbird Security has expanded across Canada with just over 2,000 employees and an additional head office location in Toronto.
“We needed automation to keep up when our business grew. We needed TrackTik.”- Ranko Vukovic, CEO of Blackbird Security.
Here’s how TrackTik automation helped to transform Blackbird Security.
1. Challenge: Expansion Growing Pains
2. Solution: Going Digital with TrackTik
3. Results: A Data-Driven Transformation
4. Removing Uncertainty in Guard Shift Management
5. Optimizing Administrative Procedures
6. Providing Transparency to Clients
7. Innovating Security Practices for Tomorrow
Challenge: Expansion Growing Pains
In the early days of Blackbird, the placement of security guards could be handled adequately with manual processes. A simple scheduling app gave enough visibility into guard activity to manage shifts. But as the company expanded and client needs began to ramp up, Blackbird knew they didn’t have the internal resources to keep up.
CEO Ranko Vukovic knew that the answer would lie in automation. “It was only manageable up to a point when we were doing things manually. We knew as we took on bigger clients that we needed programs in place that could do things for us instead.”
Even as the team looked at different management and administration apps, Blackbird was adamant there had to be a better way and looked for a more integrated approach.
Solution: Going Digital with TrackTik
As Blackbird ramped up from hundreds to thousands of guards, manual methods were handcuffing the team. The TrackTik platform would alleviate that increase in administrative hours.
For Vukovic and his team, connecting all facets of their business was imperative to success. They wanted a system with full transparency into guard scheduling, invoicing, and reporting to keep their operations running as smoothly as possible.
Vukovic commented, “I looked at multiple apps and different programs that didn’t speak to one another. I only wanted to navigate one platform with everything I needed in one place.”
The simplicity of TrackTik’s platform ultimately fueled the digital migration, but soon staff at Blackbird discovered the transformative power an integrated physical security workforce management tool can have. Customizable workflows crucial to their client’s varying needs were now at their fingertips.
Results: A Data-Driven Transformation
Thanks in part to a very communicative and collaborative implementation team coupled with easy-to-install integrations, Blackbird was able to gain alignment on TrackTik across departments from the get-go. Scheduling managers, HR, and finance teams all found new efficiencies within the TrackTik solution.
Removing Uncertainty in Guard Shift Management
Blackbird has seen tremendous growth in the last few years and prior to implementing TrackTik, the sheer number of guards in their service made shift management impossible for internal resources to keep up with manually.
Traditional approaches didn’t have the clock-in and clock-out features necessary to know exactly when and where guards arrived for their shifts. The Blackbird team appreciated that the TrackTik system had built-in notifications so clients could gain real-time visibility into guard clock-ins and clock-outs. This feature eliminated the manual task of phoning a store to see if a guard had arrived on time and helped in validating shift completion.
In addition, with TrackTik’s ability to keep track of guard certifications and licenses, Blackbird clients can rest easy knowing that if a guard is absent, a fully qualified replacement is available. Absences are a normal part of any business, but clients need to know that they have the right resources available to accommodate any changes to the schedule.
“TrackTik manages all the important documentation and keeps track of what’s expired and who’s up to date on all licenses. It assures the client that the right security guard can fill in if need be.”- Ranko Vukovic, CEO of Blackbird Security.
Optimizing Administrative Procedures
Tapping into the backend functions of the TrackTik system has reduced the number of administrative headaches Blackbird was facing. Accounting and payroll departments have full transparency into shifts worked so they can deal with any discrepancies armed with data. The accountability creates a new level of trust in how Blackbird bills clients and pays their guards.
TrackTik has saved Blackbird’s administrative staff countless hours in fact-checking and cross-referencing manual timesheets and helped them allocate resources more effectively. Every shift change or hour worked is captured effortlessly, so staff can export reports in seconds to auto-generate invoices that would have taken the billing department weeks to complete.
Providing Transparency to Clients
Not only is Blackbird experiencing operational efficiencies in their offices with TrackTik, but their clients see value in the solution as well. It’s no longer a matter of tracking down information or sifting through paperwork to provide insights to their clients. Instead, Blackbird customers can self-serve through the TrackTik platform.
Blackbird has customized client portal access within the TrackTik system so customers can log in to see real-time guard performance metrics. Clients have complete visibility into guard operations across their locations without having to request any additional information from their security firm. This provides clients with a welcome line of sight into an otherwise often restricted aspect of security workforce management.
Clients can even receive real-time incident reporting alerts or tour completion notifications to gain certainty that a guard has completed their duties to secure a site. With auto-generated emails and reports, Blackbird clients can proactively deal with issues rather than waiting until it’s too late.
Innovating Security Practices for Tomorrow
The Blackbird team is looking forward to where automation can take them. Using TrackTik’s Data Lab has been eye-opening for clients who can now access detailed analytics into productivity metrics. These insights have opened the door to data-driven alternatives when evaluating employee performance. Analytics highlight gaps in training or anomalies in workforce performance that need to be addressed.
Augmenting decision-making with automated reporting has allowed Blackbird to optimize resources and better anticipate future challenges to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving security landscape.
