People expect to see guards in estates, whether at the gate to regular patrols. Guards are especially expected to be on the spot when anything happens and generally get the blame for whatever goes wrong, irrespective of whether they were even there or not.
The reliance on guards and the size and complexity of estates, and even smaller complexes, therefore makes the management of guarding services anything but simple. How does one ensure the guards are where they are really needed and not at the opposite end of the estate when something happens? How can one be sure that your human resources are deployed in the most effective, and cost-effective manner?
In an attempt to resolve this dilemma, companies started using technology to supplement their guarding services. One the one hand they use it to make sure guards are at their posts and do whatever tasks are assigned to them, but they also use the same technology as a means to protect their people from danger by allowing them to raise the alarm through panic buttons and so on. Arguably, the most useful component of guard-enhancing technology is the assistance it provides in optimising guard patrols and placements.
Hi-Tech Security Solutions approached Bernard Slabbert, CEO of Bloodhound SA to find out more about what technology solutions the company has available to assist in managing guards as well as helping them perform their duties optimally. And, from the perspective of the security service provider, we asked how this technology can assist in ensuring they meet their SOPs (standard operating procedures) and can prove their efficacy to estate management.
More than checking patrols
Slabbert notes that the days of only using technology to monitor if guards are doing their patrols correctly are long gone. “The advances in mobile technology during the past few years have now enabled companies like Bloodhound to offer guarding service providers solutions to ensure full visibility of their entire security workforce.
“The live monitoring of officers on patrol is one aspect, but there are so many other factors that are important when it comes to delivering a high-level security service (for example, security officer uniform condition, visibility of vehicles, bikes and other essential equipment, and more).”
The mobile devices in use today from companies like Bloodhound, have opened many new opportunities for product development companies, just as the technology has in other business sectors.
As an example, Slabbert says that mobile apps allow for a much more advance level of interaction between the security officer and the product. “Officers are now able to do much more complex workflows, like patrols, inspections and incident management with their devices. Not too long ago, these functions were simply impossible when guards were, at best, equipped with the traditional ‘baton-type’ products.”
Expanding on this, Slabbert explains that Bloodhound offers a suite of modern workforce management tools for the security industry (See sidebar: More on Bloodhound solutions). “This ranges from an advance patrol monitoring module (AndRover), to a comprehensive compliance management application (FILE13) to ensure that any type of inspection or audit gets completed successfully, to a comprehensive COVID-19 protocol screening module for staff, residents and visitors. All of these product modules run on Bloodhound’s cloud platform (Observer).”
More on Bloodhound solutions
AndRover is designed for team managers, offering various location-based scheduling and reporting tools in addition to proof of presence functionality. The data that is collected is tamper-proof as guards cannot edit, delete or create a patrol route schedule or any information associated with a patrol. This means that the data that is analysed and used for reporting purposes is reliable and an accurate reflection of the security operations. This allows security managers to gain valuable insights with customised, transparent top-down and bottom-up reports for all levels of security operations. They are also able to measure service delivery levels against set KPIs and industry benchmarks. With this approach, human error is minimised, efficiency is improved, time is saved and costs reduced with a single, cloud-based platform.
Find out more at www.securitysa.com/*bloodhound1
FILE13 and the Observer cloud platform ensures an improved customer experience, increased productivity and efficiency, better quality service, complete transparency, real-time visibility and business intelligence at your fingertips. Bloodhound has a specialised approach to new-generation workforce
management solutions that deliver end-to-end solutions, offering a flexible solution for security workforce compliance management. With Bloodhound, security personnel are now equipped to easily record and respond to incidents and request backup or emergency services when required.
Find out more at https://www.securitysa.com/9551a
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