As a security guard company grows, it often expands its footprint. In our case, that means being licensed in four states and having reliable strategic partners in several others, in order to serve our security partners. With dozens of security locations running at the same time, our Scheduling and Operations platforms empower Echelon to accomplish what used to be impossible — to be everywhere at once. We know exactly what each of our security guards is doing whenever they’re on duty. Our guards know they’re accountable for their time and our clients have confirmation that they’re getting what they paid for. Here’s a brief rundown of what platforms we use and how they benefit all stakeholders.
Our scheduling platform keeps everyone informed
Echelon’s uses a security guard scheduling platform called Humanity that let’s our employees know what shifts are available, where they need to be, what time and when, all in real-time. The platform helps guards stay on point by sending automatic alerts and reminders about their shifts. On the backend, it helps our office staff advise guards of any shift changes or new information while also allowing them to review shift hours. The platform is loaded as an app on the guard’s cell phone, or any device they choose and the entire staff can access it anytime, anywhere.
Geofencing keeps security guards honest
Our security officer scheduling platform also comes equipped with Geofence technology which allows us to specify a virtual boundary on a map using GPS. It’s basically an invisible fence that allows security companies to monitor the check-in and check-out of their security guards at jobsite locations. When a guard enters the geofence zone for their shift, the app sends an automatic report which documents the time spent in that location. If the guard leaves the jobsite during his shift, our Operations and Scheduling staff gets a GPS notification of the guard’s location.
Echelon uses Geofence for clients like construction sites, property management, institutions and other industries, which require shift confirmation. It’s an easy solution that allows us to document and file reports that are useful when issues or inquiries arise. The technology is affordable, user-friendly and doesn’t require complex setup or training.
Time cards provides shift records
In addition, our Humanity platform supplies a time card feature that can be crossed referenced to the Geofence reporting to make certain the guard who was scheduled showed up for his shift on time and at the right location. The time card feature confirms shift hours and the data is used to evaluate guard performance and double-check payroll numbers internally and externally.
Officer reports keeps guards on task
Echelon also utilizes an Operations platform called Officer Reports, which lets guards easily document their foot or vehicle patrols in real time. When we develop security directives with our clients, it includes specific posts or patrol schedules. Once the guard’s security protocols are finalized, Echelon can attach QR Code Tags at each check point of a guard’s tour. A QR code is a readable time-stamped optical label that informs us when the officer has performed his rounds as instructed. The guards simply scan the QR Code Tags with their cell phone as they make their rounds and the report is automatically sent to Operations for review. The guard also has the ability to take notes and photograph anything out of the ordinary; such as mechanical issues, jobsite hazards or unwanted activity.
Supervisor site visits build rapport with guards
Although our Operations and Scheduling platforms are nearly fool-proof in terms of verifying check-ins, reviewing hours, and confirming guard patrol duties — nothing beats an old school supervisor site visit. If something doesn’t look quite right on a report, or the client has any concerns, we send a Supervisor to the location to assess the situation. A site visit may be in the middle of the night, scheduled on-site, or a surprise. It’s not always to solve problems; sometimes we just observe them for a while or offer them a 15-minute coffee break. Once a Supervisor has firsthand knowledge, they can either mitigate the problem immediately or discuss the challenge with our team to determine the best solution. When you consider all the built-in redundancies in our process, platforms and people, we can actually supervise and manage all our security locations at once.
