SFM Security has provided unarmed security guard services since 1992. With a storied history of serving high-profile events at the City of Miami’s Orange Bowl Stadium, the company has grown to supply security services to 60 client sites across South Florida. Their client base encompasses various sectors, including commercial real estate, government agencies, medical facilities, residential communities, marinas, and educational institutions.
After implementing TrackTik, SFM Security saw marked changes and improvements in operations. The adoption of the all-in-one security workforce management platform tied together on-site guard activity and backend operations, driving major improvements in operational efficiency, client satisfaction, and service delivery.
5 Ways SFM Levelled Up Their Security Operations Using TrackTik
1) Immediacy and Accuracy in Incident Report Delivery
TrackTik significantly enhanced SFM’s incident reporting process. Security officers now have the capability to instantly send reports to clients minutes after creation. This rapid delivery ensures that clients are informed in real time, providing a substantial value addition given the sensitive nature of security work.
John Frensdorf, VP of Security Operations at SFM Security, commented, “We’ve been able to shorten the time between when the report is created and when the client receives it. Sharing time-sensitive information quickly is critical in this business, giving our clients tremendous peace of mind.”
In addition, the data captured in TrackTik’s incident reporting also helps create efficiencies and provide clients with transparency into on-site activities. Security officers can now provide tangible proof of their patrols, as photo evidence accompanies a report showing that checks have been completed.
SFM noted that manual processes like logging vehicle licenses and registrations at a point of entry to a gated access community, for example, could now be replaced with the photo-capturing capabilities in TrackTik incident reporting.
“Now the client has access to instant information on all vehicles present during an incident to perform rapid cross-checking and pinpoint if a vehicle was on site,” stated Frensdorf.
2) Optimized Scheduling for Limiting Non-Billable Overtime
Early on, SFM was utilizing separate software for timekeeping that was disconnected from payroll, which resulted in operational inefficiencies. The manual scheduling and timekeeping system led to a lack of flexibility, poor oversight of overtime accumulation, and inefficiency in payroll management. SFM sought a solution to streamline guard scheduling and reduce non-billable overtime.
TrackTik’s comprehensive scheduling features, including the Shift App that notifies employees about open shifts for special events, proved very cost-effective for SFM. The software’s ability to automate timekeeping and optimize schedule planning helped SFM maintain precise control over guards’ working hours.
This strategy effectively prevented guards from nearing overtime thresholds. Impressively, SFM managed to keep non-billable overtime at just 1%, significantly lower than the industry standard of 5%.
Tying together scheduling and timekeeping records has also resulted in more accurate payroll processes that minimize human error and ensure guards are paid fairly and on time.
3) Streamlining SFM’s Administrative Processes
By implementing TrackTik, SFM has successfully transitioned to managing a paperless operation. The shift to an all-digital platform has streamlined processes and significantly reduced the administrative overhead traditionally associated with manual paperwork.
TrackTik covers more than just daily tasks; it includes features for handling payroll and sending invoices, which is incredibly time-consuming for accounting teams that are used to manually reconcile timesheets and check-ins for billing clients. Frensdorf praised TrackTik’s all-in-one approach: “By bringing these different tasks together in one place, —everything is organized and easy to find. TrackTik makes the whole business run smoother and work better together, like a well-oiled machine.”
Administrative operations have been streamlined, resulting in approximately $80,000 in annual savings while freeing resources from manual data entry.
4) Proving ROI of Services Delivered to SFM Customers
Introducing a self-service client portal transformed how SFM Security interacted with its clients. Clients could now effortlessly access reports, scheduling information, and documentation, fostering transparency and enabling self-serve functionalities that were highly appreciated.
Frensdorf commented, “The platform’s portal has been a game-changer, offering clients a comprehensive view of their security scheduling and serving as a central repository for all their reporting needs. This self-service access to reports has streamlined the process and proven invaluable in legal cases by providing supporting evidence.”
TrackTik’s comprehensive reporting was showcased in a particular case involving an entertainment facility plagued by security lapses, notably with tenants frequently leaving a particular bar door open. During patrols, the security guards meticulously documented each instance within the TrackTik app over a few months. The client could easily pull these archived reports through their custom portal. This documentation allowed SFM’s client to prove negligence after an incident occurred at the bar door, with evidence to support that security teams had done their due diligence.
5) Transforming Data into Action with TrackTik’s Data Lab
SFM’s leadership team needed to understand how they managed site visits across all client locations, ensuring each site and post was visited systematically, at least every other day. However, gathering that data from the TrackTik app and finding a way to visualize and export that data for easy analysis and confirmation of checkpoint completion was challenging.
The transition from manually generating reports with logs in Excel to utilizing TrackTik’s Data Lab marked a significant shift in operational efficiency. Data Lab can translate large data sets and critical metrics into visually appealing charts, tables, and graphs. It now helps SFM monitor incidents and activities, spot trends, and share real-time insights across the organization. SFM could now receive comprehensive reports automatically using chart and graph widgets to quickly pull and share relevant data, confirming that all necessary checkpoints were covered during patrols.
Frensdorf shared his thoughts on how Data Lab is changing its internal reporting processes, “Now we’ve got this great setup for productivity checks and balances. We’re enhancing accountability among officers and can easily pull and share that data with leadership looking at KPIs across the organization. The dashboard is a great way to look at our operations immediately more clearly.”
Data Lab has significantly simplified the process for compliance checks, particularly regarding employee record keeping for things like certifications and licensing for security personnel. All this data is stored in TrackTik’s Back Office suite of administrative tools but now can be easily accessed and shared using dynamic dashboards in Data Lab. Staff can verify if a security guard has a specific certification and or if their licenses are up to date, even advising officers 30 days in advance about the status of their credentials. This level of efficiency and foresight in compliance management highlights another benefit of integrating TrackTik’s end-to-end solution and visualizing all that data and information in a simplified dashboard.
Recognizing the importance of accessible and understandable data for strategic decision-making, SFM and TrackTik have partnered to develop custom widgets. These tailored tools are designed to streamline data analytics, offering SFM’s leadership team insights into operational metrics and trends. This cooperative effort highlights the adaptable nature of TrackTik’s platform and its potential to transform security management practices by offering tailored, actionable data for improved decision-making and operational oversight.
Taking key business outcomes to the next level and looking forward to growth opportunities
TrackTik has transformed SFM by integrating automated solutions into its security operations. Through improved operational efficiency, enhanced client satisfaction, and significant cost savings, SFM Security is poised for continued growth, with TrackTik serving as a pivotal partner in its journey.
“We are extremely satisfied with our partnership with TrackTik, upheld by a true open-door policy with their team. The system is superior in reporting and scheduling, and its HR and billing capabilities are top-notch. It helps us manage the entire security operation from end to end. We can see our company growing because TrackTik is our partner of choice. Close communication with training and customer service allows us to ask questions to fuel innovation and creativity in approaching our business. The backbone of our future growth will be built on a strong technology foundation using TrackTik.” – John Frensdorf, VP of Security Operations at SFM Security.
