Security service providers today face new tasks. In the context of integrated security solutions, each employee is a component of the overall concept of technology and personnel. This includes having the appropriate equipment to optimally align technology, organization, and personnel.
Besides the flashlight, there is hardly any technical equipment in the field of security services that interacts so directly with the security personnel as the workforce management system. As old as the industry itself, it has always been used to document presence and thus plays a crucial role in potential liability issues. This technology has come a long way, from purely mechanical systems to today's online systems.
Integrating previous systems was challenging, if not impossible. Workforce management systems for security guards were isolated systems, far from seamless workflows or uniform standards. In an era of digitalization with increasingly dynamic data flows, most traditional workforce management systems still operate purely offline. This not only results in time-consuming and costly follow-up work in the back office but also requires data collectors to be brought from the site to the office for reading. This is disadvantageous for the security company and, consequently, for the client, as they must wait for the evaluation results. For example, if there was a break-in last night and both the client and the police are waiting for the guard service's attendance report, it can be quite nerve-wracking.
Another disadvantage of traditional offline systems and their time lag is the delay in employee management. If control points on the patrol were missed, the effectiveness of critical feedback discussions, with a potential delay of several weeks, is significantly limited.
Integrated security means not only dynamism but also interaction between individual components, ultimately between people in various roles and their equipment. For example, if a current online workforce management system utilizes the service phone already being carried, it can now leverage a far more intelligent platform than what was conceivable in the past. Modern systems like Coredinate are no longer simple workforce management systems but fully developed assistance systems for top-level security services.
Beyond the relatively mundane task of scanning control points, these systems show the progress of the patrol, all emergency contacts, complete service instructions, the findings of colleagues from previous shifts, task monitoring, and the ability to document incidents directly with a proof photo – all in real-time, without the need to read a data collector or even travel for this purpose. Both the employee on-site and the supervisor in the operations center can see the work progress in real-time, allowing for reactions to be made during the shift.
Modern workforce management systems seamlessly integrate into the workflow of the service through this data flow and corresponding interfaces. Remarkably, this eliminates a previously standalone entity: the data collector that was separately purchased is no longer needed, thus saving on both the cost of purchase and repair. Additionally, they offer lone worker protection, eliminating the need for another device on the belt.
This streamlines the data flow and enhances synergy effects, creating continuity from the security personnel directly to the customer. For example, if the security personnel record an incident, it can be automatically sent directly to the customer via email as a PDF, including a photo. Additionally, the security personnel can use a dictation function to facilitate input and reduce error rates.