HOW TO STREAMLINE YOUR SECURITY COMPANY’S PROCESSES WITH SCHEDULING SOFTWARE
Jody Stier, TEAM Software Sales Engineer, Network Partner
Integrating your scheduling and payroll processes enhances your operational efficiency, directly benefits employees and preserves thin profit margins.
It’s no surprise to anyone who manages a contract security company that overseeing a distributed workforce is not only complicated, but also costly. You have multiple teams spread out across multiple sites, and you’re busy staying on top of shifting expectations, requirements and regulations. Every overtime hour clocked by one of your guards eats into your already thin margins since service level agreements (SLAs) often prevent you from passing overtime and excess payroll costs onto your clients. And even when you can pass on that cost, doing so can negatively impact your customer’s satisfaction with you as a service provider
One thing that can have a noticeable impact on your bottom line while allowing you to elevate the customer experience is using an industry-specific security company scheduling software. Here are three ways the right technology can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your guard scheduling.
Integrate Scheduling with Payroll
When managing things like multiple data sources, paper timekeeping and other manual processes, it’s easy to make mistakes and not always know it. One of the surest ways to reduce errors that could be costing you time and money is to move your scheduling and payroll processes to one integrated system. With a single source of data, scheduling is handled more effectively, and the information needed to process payroll accurately is already in the system. Streamlining has the potential to cut your payroll processing time by 90%, saving you significant amounts of money and time.
Reduce Overtime and Implement Repeatable Processes
You may not know one of your guards is clocking in overtime hours until it’s too late. By using a single, digital source for scheduling and payroll, you’re able to improve visibility over your company’s scheduling habits and identify overtime, as well as over-budget jobs. Implementing easily repeatable procedures also goes a long way in reducing the workload for your managers back-office workers, freeing up their time to focus on completing revenue-generating activities and improving service delivery to your customers, instead of spending time on manual and labor some processes.
Keep Employees Informed with Predictive Scheduling
Predictive scheduling is a growing topic of concern for contract security companies. While not a law in the state of California, predictive scheduling bills are frequently introduced. Although none have yet to pass in the state, some individual cities have laws requiring employers to provide their hourly employees with guaranteed work and predictable schedules. In addition to avoiding fines, making sure your workforce is properly informed of scheduling changes is necessary for your guards to know where they need to be and when to deliver on SLAs, even as the schedule evolves.. Easily accessible scheduling software via a mobile app ensures your hourly workers can see their schedules anytime, from anywhere, well in advance of their scheduled shifts, and they can confirm and acknowledge any scheduling changes as they happen.
Now, more than ever, finding ways to enhance your business’s efficiency through streamlined processes is necessary to controlling the things you can. That’s why having one scheduling solution that seamlessly connects to your accounting and financial system means the potential for big impacts across your entire business. For more tools and tips on efficient and effective scheduling, review our security company scheduling software resource suite.