A Comprehensive Guide to Finding the Best Security Guard Management Software

Selecting the best security guard management software for your physical security company is a big decision that affects many aspects of your business, including compliance, guard safety, emergency response time, and so much more. With the right software system, you gain the tools and the customer support for your business’s needs, and access to best practices in using technology to gain results.

In this guide, we break down the key areas that security professionals need to hone to make the right decision for their operations.

• The KPIs of Guard Activity Management:
  • Tracking and Reporting
• Managing Operations
  • Factor in Cost, Ease-of-Use, and Training

In addition to this guide, this article will help you select the best security guard management software for your security company by addressing the following:

• Importance of security guard management software
• Critical considerations when selecting security guard management software
• Onboarding, training, and integration
• Final decisions for security software selection

Importance of Security Guard Management Software

What is security guard management software? A guard activity management system is an application that helps security companies manage their operations. This includes monitoring security guard movements in real time, controlling and dispatching guards from a command center, and providing tracking flexibility. In today’s dynamic business environment in which security threats evolve daily, guard management software helps security companies mitigate risk and keep everyone safe.

With guard tour tracking (i.e., real-time GPS tracking for security), security companies deploy security officers as quickly as possible based on who is closest to the area in question whenever there is an incident. Guard tour management software also keeps track of guards as they conduct patrols, escort visitors, or carry out a variety of other tasks and activities. It gives valuable real-time visibility and insights into the progress and completion of assigned tasks as well as the completion of tours and whether guards missed any checkpoints.

Incomplete tours can lead to insights on potential tour management, errors in guard communication, and even a reevaluation of guards on schedule for specific tours for better guard placement. By gaining actionable insights, you also create trust and transparency with your clients by having exact information about their site.

The data in your guard management software delivers an exact assessment of your security team’s efforts. When your team has this insight, you’ll be able to make better business decisions that can lead to better operations. This leads to security operations optimization.

Case studies in security management consistently show that security companies must use only the best security guard management software to take security officer operations to the next level and ensure security operations optimization.

7 Key Considerations Before Selecting Guard Management Software

When looking for the best security guard management software, it’s important to take a mindful approach. Here are some considerations:

1. Up-front costs vs. long-term savings

Take the time to perform a cost-benefit analysis for security guard management company software. When you consider the amount of money necessary to buy guard management software, it pales in comparison to what it would cost to lose a lawsuit due to false allegations or lose clients due to poor reputation associated with guard mismanagement. In addition, there are many long-term savings associated with increased guard productivity and retention. Only a cost-benefit analysis for security software will help you see things clearly.

2. Usability

The best security guard management software is easy to use, and it fits into existing workflows and patrol patterns. If the system is difficult to use, nobody will use it which defeats the purpose. Look for case studies in security management to see what others are saying about the product and what they like.

3. Customer support

What type of ongoing management and support does the security guard management software company provide? For example, does it customize hardware or update software when you need new features? Does it address ongoing support requests promptly?

4. Tracking capability

Scalable security solutions ensure guards are accountable for their activities and ready for dispatching if an incident occurs. For example, look for security management solutions that:

• Ensure guards stay out of restricted areas.
• Establish real-time information about guard location.
• Leverage flexible technology such as NFC, barcode technology, or GPS tracking for security.
• Allows you to oversee multiple locations and sites, guard availability, and proximity to an incident.
• Supply automatic alerts whenever a guard enters or leaves a pre-defined area.
• Provide historical insights about where guards have been.

5. Real-time reporting

Incident reporting software provides digital tracks of all incidents and activities with verified documentation. Look for incident reporting software that:

• Allows you to configure reports to meet operational and client needs.
• Includes easy prompts to make it easy for guards to complete an incident report.
• Produces credible reports that uphold against litigation.
• Supplies digital notifications to supervisors when a report is incomplete or requires follow-up.
• Standardizes your team’s reporting process.
• Track historical data for powerful benchmarking and operational standards.

Insufficient reporting impacts not only your bottom line but also the ability to provide your clients with real transparency. If clients don’t feel like they’re getting their money’s worth, that can signal distrust, leading to contract termination. Compare the reporting capabilities of each RFID guard tour system. Does each company collect data in a meaningful way? Does each company offer reports that allow you to check key performance indicators? Does each company provide data to meet regulatory standards?

6. Training resources and onboarding process

Once you’ve selected your security guard management software, the next step is to train security guards on how to use it. Many security management solutions provide the bulk of this training in a variety of formats such as live demos, online courses, and training manuals with common FAQs. Security management solutions may also provide supplemental training that goes beyond simply how to use the product itself such as how to prevent theft, promote a culture of communication, manage crises, detect threats, and more.

During the onboarding process for security software implementation, it’s important for you to share your own policies and procedures to ensure the vendor can integrate into the workflow as seamlessly as possible.

7. Integration with existing systems

You must think about how the security guard management software fits into your overall security program, acknowledging that guard patrols are only one part of an effective program. In addition to contactless guard management, you may also need other types of technologies such as remote monitoring and video systems, temperature biometrics, and more.

Your security software implementation strategy should also address data analytics. One of the key benefits of digitally automating guard tour management is the amount of new, actionable data you can collect. Every tag sign-out, checkpoint reached, and real-time location logged feeds into the central management system. As a result, guard tour management software collects a massive volume of new data. But that data is only as useful as the new insights you can generate from it.

Making the Final Decision

Ultimately, scalable security solutions are ones that provide you with as many resources and connections as possible to ensure you can provide the highest quality service and best outcome for your clients. This means full transparency in all guard activities, business intelligence and actionable insights, comprehensive reporting, and top-notch support from a security partner that knows what they’re doing.

Those features are made a reality with the right solution. Discover how TrackTik, the security workforce management platform from Trackforce, can enhance your organization’s security guard management efforts. Get a Demo today!