You can combine manned guards and technology to enhance monitoring performance, writes Skillweb.
There is no silver bullet in the world of security. Any surveillance tool, alarm or manned guard is vulnerable when acting alone. But as technology improves and the physical and digital worlds combine, monitoring is becoming much more effective.
There is certainly growing realisation that when it comes to designing a security strategy, the best approach is a collaborative one; combining manned guards with patrol software, surveillance and alert systems.
Paul Ridden, managing director of mobile solution provider Skillweb, explained: “There will always be a place for physical security. It provides a responsive and flexible means to react to a wide variety of situations.” However, without technology, guards are isolated with little quantitative information to ensure safety and performance.
From a customer standpoint alone, the days when physical and technological security systems were treated as separate entities are long passed. “Without technology your customer service is left to chance rather than being managed by design to deliver against expectations,” Mr Ridden said. “By using a smartphone-based real-time guard monitoring system such as SmartTask Attend you can be informed about each guard’s performance and more importantly receive notifications when things aren’t going to plan.”
SmartTask Attend for Security and Mobile Guarding combines all the benefits and features expected of a proof of attendance system, alongside such innovations as a customer portal, rostering application, accurate incident reporting and staff tracking.
The mobile phone technology can be used by guards, bailiffs, wardens and officers to log attendance at a site or location, access risk assessments and site-specific data, and report incidents from a single point. Businesses are able to harness unparalleled cost reductions and improved staff efficiency, reducing time spent on administration and calls to base by up to 20 per cent.
For managers, the information is available to view immediately from the administration web portal, which means you can see the data even if you are not in the office. Accountability is also assured through the Customer Portal, which enables clients to see when a guard has visited their site and what actions have been taken.
Merging cultures
While manned guarding and technology companies may at first appear like natural enemies, there has thus far been support of merging the two functions.
“It is our experience that the bulk of guards are conscientious and embrace technology where they can see it has benefits,” Mr Ridden said. “It is important however to ensure the guard’s experience is simple and intuitive.”
This means solutions should have obvious benefits, such as improving lone worker security, reducing paperwork, facilitating access to information and measuring performance.
Working together to improve monitoring
Improvements in technology have also made it possible for guards to act as a conduit for digitally monitoring goings on. As more and more guard performance data is available in real-time, it is now possible using the cloud to make this directly available to customers.
This has benefits for both security buyers and firms, improving transparency, increasing confidence and keeping people informed should problems occur.
“With more real-time data available, customers will grow to expect transparency at the click of a button over the internet,” Mr Ridden explained. “As has been seen in other markets, the internet drives increasing expectations for visibility so it’s important that software vendors like us deliver flexible products that can evolve to meet these demands.”
SmartTask Attend for Security and Mobile Guarding is an easy-to-use proof of attendance application that sends up-to-the-second data to businesses about the whereabouts of security staff, their rounds and locations visited.
Guards swipe their mobile phones over a tag/label unique to a site, registering their presence. They are then able to access risk assessments and site-specific data at the point of scan, enhancing lone worker protection.
Accountability of security firms is also assured through the new Customer Portal, which enables end users to see when a guard attends their site and what actions have been taken. Visit www.skillweb.co.uk
