Security managers have long played a vital role in companies both big and small — after all, without their guidance and managerial skills, it would be nearly impossible to formulate and implement an effective corporate security policy. Of course, it should come as no surprise that security manager duties are beginning to undergo many changes, in large part thanks to the new technologies that are impacting all areas of the workplace.
While security managers still need to take a proactive approach in managing their teams and identifying and mitigating threats, the ways in which they do this are rapidly changing. Fortunately, this isn’t a cause for alarm — instead, these changes help security professionals become more effective at their job so they can have an even bigger impact on the corporate world.
New technology, new opportunities
Some of the biggest changes have come in the technology used by security teams — and these changes have had a dramatic impact on how a security manager is able to ensure they get quality results from their guards and protect their facility. New technologies allow managers to better evaluate guard performance and meet the needs of their companies.
Guard monitoring systems, in particular, have made a significant difference in the way security managers get the job done. For example, modern apps allow management to track the position of their guards via GPS while on duty, with geocoded checkpoints activated by smartphone coordinates. This allows managers to make sure that guards are completing their patrols properly. Monitoring systems can even be set up to send automatic alerts if a guard doesn’t check in after a certain length of time, alerting managers to a potential problem.
Even more importantly, these guards monitoring tools allow security managers to respond quickly and accurately when a guard reports an incident. For example, if a guard requests back up, the manager only needs to look at the map display to determine which guards are closest and best positioned to provide assistance.
Modern tools go well beyond patrol monitoring. Management software provides access to scheduling data all in one place, making it easy to see which guards are available for which shifts. This makes it easier for corporate security managers to manage time off requests, find replacements when an unexpected absence occurs, and take care of other scheduling tasks. By streamlining these mundane tasks, more time is left for more important work.
The need for adaptation
Of course, with the many opportunities presented by new security management tech tools, it is essential that security managers learn how to best implement this software in their own work environment. Eliminating paperwork will only be efficient if the manager knows how to navigate digital reports themselves.
Part of this adaptation includes knowing how to pass on incident reports to individuals outside of the security team. For example, if a security guard reports a leak in one of the bathrooms, this information will need to be passed on to the maintenance staff. As a result, the security manager will need to ensure that their guard monitoring system is set up to forward such reports to the right member of the maintenance staff.
Learning to utilize analytics data will also play a larger role in the future. Rather than relying on personal observations alone, the use of new technologies provides insights into important security trends. By learning to evaluate these reports, security managers will be better positioned to provide actionable recommendations for improving guard performance and corporate security practices.
Going forward, the most successful security managers will be those who successfully implement new technologies into their workplace. By using guard monitoring systems to help evaluate guard performance, use smarter data, and mitigate incident responses, security managers can become more effective and help their entire team take better advantage of technology.
