Technology Desc

Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q3 – Three Tips to Reduce Overtime, Now.

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THREE TIPS TO REDUCE OVERTIME, NOW. 

Plus: Things to keep in mind when dealing with overtime during a labor shortage.

Gail Tutt, TEAM Software by WorkWave

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the best way to reduce overtime is to stop it before it starts. It’s a little cliché, especially when overtime (and, unfortunately, non-billable overtime) is an inherent part of the security industry. Still, there are several tactics you can use to get a handle on overtime and manage labor costs. 

1. Know your service-level agreements. This doesn’t just mean at the executive level. Because SLAs dictate the service standards and pricing obligations you’re required to deliver to your customers, it’s imperative that any employee who is involved in managing your company’s scheduling is well versed in bill and pay rates by contract. By ensuring understanding in all scheduling roles, you can prevent costly mistakes (like wage creep, which can occur in a variety of scenarios, but especially when officers are scheduled for overtime shifts outside of the scope of what’s budgeted per job.) 

By knowing your SLAs inside and out, your company is also setting up the foundation for best practices in job costing. With industry-specific software solutions to assist in the heavy lifting of tracking and analyzing job performance, you can see at a glance which jobs are lending themselves to your profit margins, and which are under performing.

2. Don’t forget about compliance. In some cases, there’s no way around scheduling overtime without compromising your compliance with state and federal labor law regulations and overtime rules. In our industry, there are compliance risks posed from misclassification, recordkeeping and other hour and wage-related activities that can turn your timekeeping and overtime tracking into a headache. Earlier this year, even, this entity reported a wage settlement (with waiting time penalties) due to an upheld ruling alleging an employer failed to include meal period premiums on wage statements. A different case in 2021 found the California Supreme Court upholding that employers are required to pay meal and rest break violation premiums at the same rate as when paying overtime. Translation: these costs add up quickly.

While many integrated workforce management solutions don’t track compliance for you, they do provide tools to more easily prove compliance. Look for feature sets which include things like time and attendance (including punch times), scheduling, regulation monitoring and reporting to gain well-rounded visibility into your compliance.  

3. Become friends with your data. This point is straightforward: dig into your data early on in your scheduling process. In available TEAM solutions, we recommend including criteria like parameter searches for available guards that fit within the bill rate specified per job. That way, your schedulers will only be able to assign officers to shifts whose rate fits the given budget (see our first point).

Often, we find companies can implement at least one of these tips to help prevent and improve overtime. But we also recognize that the current labor market throws a new wrench into the mix. When it’s hard to find officers to fill shifts in general, of course it becomes more likely for regular shifts to turn into overtime to stay on top of SLAs. While there’s no easy answer, it’s possible resolving this particular overtime challenge can be addressed by refocusing on retention.

Start by taking a few steps back to analyze what your voluntary separations look like. Are officers leaving for higher hourly rates or benefits? Or are they leaving for more flexibility in their schedules? Maybe they’re pivoting careers into adjacent industries or taking even bigger leaps into entirely new verticals. The common theme of all these scenarios is that it is likely not a separation on bad terms. This could be an opportunity to think outside the box in the form of a self-scheduling program. This way, employees stay in your employee management system (as part-time or ad hoc employees) and can pick up shifts based on when they want to work (even if they are employed elsewhere). While it may not work for everyone, it is an interesting tactic to reduce overtime needs while increasing employee retention.

It’s hard to theorize if there will ever be a world without overtime in some capacity. But, there are steps you can take to improve this metric now. See how at teamsoftware.com. 

Gail has spent over 35 years in the private sector as a senior level finance and operations manager across multiple industry. Most recently CFO of a regional security company in San Jose, CA, Gail now works providing invaluable insight and expertise as a business consultant with TEAM Software.  Her hobbies include breeding and showing standard wirehair dachshunds, hiking and spending time with her family.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q2 – 3 STEPS TO COST-EFFECTIVELY STREAMLINE YOUR SECURITY GUARD MANAGEMENT PROCESS

3 STEPS TO COST-EFFECTIVELY STREAMLINE YOUR SECURITY GUARD MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Tony Unfried, CSA360

Are you looking to improve your security guard management processes? Adding a security management software system is key. With all the options out there, finding a budget-friendly system that effectively manages your team can feel like a daunting task. But there is an option that can easily meet both goals. A customizable security guard software system is a game changer for security teams of all sizes. 

The benefits of implementing a customizable security guard management system are vast. But most importantly, it puts the control in your hands. A customizable system means: 

You can pick and choose which modules you need most. Many security guard management systems require you to buy every tool and feature, which significantly drives up costs. But a customizable system means you can choose which tools, features, and modules are best for your team.

A custom system is budget-friendly. A customizable security software system means you only pay for the modules you want. This makes it much simpler to stay within your budget. 

You can plan for future growth. A customizable system allows your team to grow with the software. The modules you decide are unnecessary today may change in the future. Simply add more modules and tools as your needs change. 

Ready to see how security guard management software can modernize your security management processes? 

Here are 3 Steps to Cost-Effectively Streamline Your Security Management System

Step 1. Decide Which Software Features Are Most Important for Your Security Team

Your security guards need modern, innovative, and user-friendly tools available to help them do their best work. A security software system is the ideal way to do this. Not only does security software reduce challenges for security teams, but the modules and features also improve processes at an affordable cost. 

Some security guard management software features and tools to consider include: 

  • Cloud access. Cloud access eliminates location hassles for your security team. This software feature allows you to log into the software anywhere, from any device. 
  • Technical support. Technical support means a highly-trained technical support person is only a phone call, email, or web ticket away. 
  • Customizable modules. This is a huge perk for cost-conscious security teams. Customizable modules allow you to only pay for the modules, workflows, and documentations tools you want.

Step 2. Customize Your Security Software Solution

Customizing your security guard management system gives you total control over everything in your software, from workforce management to incident reporting. And remember, you can further customize your software to fit your needs as your security team continues to grow. 

Some security software modules to consider include: 

  • Live dashboards and widgets. Interactive live dashboards deliver the real-time information you need, including incident locations and issues, news and weather, guard tour and facility maps, and more. All can be customized and organized for your unique team. 
  • Automatic connection to dispatch. Forget scrambling for a phone or a radio during a security breach. An automatic connection to dispatch gets backup to your guards quickly. 
  • Customizable incident reports. Toss those antiquated reporting templates. Customizable summary and incident reporting streamlines reporting processes and resolves issues quickly. 
  • Guard tour management. GPS locations and mobile QR technology make tracking and monitoring guard tours easy, even with a smaller security guard team. 
  • Txt Commander. Utilizing a unique phone number, this security software module allows clients, guests and staff to text questions and concerns to your security team. 
  • Automated visitor management. With smart check-in capabilities, pre-registration tools, electronic notifications, and facial recognition tools, automated visitor management is a must-have for security teams.  
  • Workforce management with HR commander. Say goodbye to the old way of scheduling. Security guard scheduling software gives managers a clear view of the upcoming schedule, requested PTO, potential overtime, and any staffing gaps. 
  • Digitized forms. This security guard software feature allows you to take standard business forms and digitize them, streamlining filing and communication all in one tool.  

Step 3. Choose the Right Security Software Partner 

There are many different security software options out there. But careful research is needed before making a final decision. The bottom line is that you need a security software partner that can provide an innovative security solution that fits your team and budget. A customized software solution is by far the most affordable option. Choosing what modules and tools you need puts you in control of your team and budget.

 

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

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Kate

The Californian 2022 Q1 – 5 BENEFITS OF UTILIZING SECURITY OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

5 BENEFITS OF UTILIZING SECURITY OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Tony Unfried, CSA360

As the physical security industry continues to evolve, so too has the software being utilized by security companies and their teams. The need for high performance, cost-effective, unified software solutions that help ensure a safe and secure environment has grown dramatically over the last decade.

Benefits of Utilizing Security Operations Management Software for Your Security Company

Regardless of the size or type of security team you manage, implementing security operations management software can alleviate many of the challenges you face today. This will allow you to enhance security risk management and add to the integrity of the overall security plan for your clients.

Let’s take a look at some of the top benefits of utilizing security operations management software to improve your processes and procedures.

  1. Manage Risks Associated with Staffing Gaps

Experiencing staffing gaps is a major challenge in the security industry today, with security companies struggling to achieve optimal staffing. By implementing security management software, you will have the tools needed to address these staffing gaps and manage the guards you have more efficiently.

We know that you are focused on hiring, but your client’s risks don’t stop while you are recruiting new guards. The right software will have features and modules that enhance processes like scheduling and remote monitoring, allowing you to continue managing these risks with a smaller staff.

  1. Increasing Workforce Accountability

Increasing workforce accountability can add a range of benefits to your security company. Having a system that makes tracking accountability seamless is crucial in achieving this accountability.

Software that has digital reporting capabilities will allow your guards to submit accurate and complete documentation and allow you to determine who is producing inaccurate reports. With quick access to documentation, like incident reports and daily activity reports, you will decrease the time it takes to address issues with your guards. Having this level of accountability will enhance the effectiveness of your security team and increase client satisfaction.

  1. Mitigate Risk and Legal Liability with Proactive Security Procedures

Mitigating risk and legal liability is best served by implementing proactive security procedures. These procedures allow you to detect risks before they happen and reduce the impact they have on your clients. You don’t need your staff waiting on an alarm to tell them there is trouble, when they could eliminate it from the start.

The key to this proactive approach is knowledge through data —and the more pieces of data gathered, the greater the likelihood of recognizing vulnerabilities and enhancing your proactive security services. Providing that robust data is a key feature of any good security operations management system.

  1. Simplify Guard Tour Management

Effective security operations management software will feature a guard tour system to help you organize, log and execute guard tours. This feature allows you to simplify your touring processes and make tracking accountability seamless – ensuring that guard tours are completed effectively and efficiently, within the pre-defined time intervals.

The days of scattershot paper reports are gone. An effective guard tour system files a tour report with a simple tap of a smartphone or other mobile device, sending the information straight to your command center. Whether you’re establishing a new guard tour plan or updating an existing one, having this accurate information quickly is invaluable to your team.

A bonus benefit for your security company is that software allows your guards to be freed from tedious data entry. This gives them more time to focus on the more significant aspects of their role

  1. Provide Comprehensive Data Analytics and Reporting

Analytics play such a crucial role in an effective security management system. Having a solid data infrastructure in place helps your company increase awareness, enhance communication, provide accurate documentation, and make data-driven proactive decisions.

Security software that features an incident management solution provides all of the above. The analytics provided present a clear understanding of the ways in which you can improve your operation by having instant access to all incident report data. This real time incident report data leads to better solutions and faster response. When looking for your software solution, be sure to choose a system that can cover all of your needs.

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2022 Q1 – USING SMART SCHEDULING IN YOUR JOB COSTING STRATEGY

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USING SMART SCHEDULING IN YOUR JOB COSTING STRATEGY

Gail Tutt, TEAM Software Business Consultant, Network Partner

Moving into the new year, it’s important to look at how you can strengthen your profit margins. Especially when other market factors (like ongoing labor and supply shortages) are carrying over into 2022. One tactic you can consider? Use scheduling, particularly smart scheduling, as a part of your job costing toolkit.

What’s smart scheduling?

In short, smart scheduling is a system that does the heavy lifting for you when it comes to your officer schedules. This means factoring in your contract needs against your available officers, so you can make data-backed decisions when posting officers to jobs based on criteria like qualifications or pay rate. 

One simple way to keep jobs profitable is to deploy smart scheduling early in the process. When scheduling, include a parameter search for available guards that fit within a job’s contract bill rate. That way, you know officers on shift are within the scope of what’s budgeted per job. (If you skip this step, wage creep could get ahead of you, and it can show in your expenses.) 

If this isn’t something you’re used to doing, start by using smart scheduling reports in your enterprise workforce management solution to examine your labor margin direct labor (DL) percentages. If you know a particular job should be performing at a DL of 60%, you can compare it against your actual percentages to see if a job’s material costs are performing higher or lower than budgeted. If it is higher, drill down into the report to identify the problem. Chances are, if there’s a problem with one job going over DL, it’s a problem across your business. Is a manager scheduling officers without factoring in pay scale? Are you scheduling officers for a shift when a different job is needing their certifications? Is wage creep pushing you over budget? 

If your job’s DL is lower than benchmarks, you can still dig into the data and see what processes you can repeat on other jobs. From there, it’s only a matter of adjusting and measuring outcomes. 

At TEAM, we recommend reviewing your DL percentages with regularity. Assuming schedules are updated daily, a good rule of thumb is to review at least weekly. That way, you can catch budget deviation before it comes a larger issue. 

Flexible scheduling to support smart scheduling. 

While software solutions can help automate your scheduling needs with smart scheduling, they improve scheduling in other ways, too.

Think of scheduling as a larger job costing strategy. Self-scheduling through a feature like a mobile job board can improve employee engagement. In turn, this can improve retention and even reduce high-cost activities like overtime.


Where smart scheduling helps identify officers who are the right fit for a given shift, self-scheduling helps empower officers to offer their shifts to others without needing to involve a scheduler or supervisor. Others can then pick up the open extra work, keeping shifts filled without needing to go back-and-forth with a manager.

Don’t forget to factor in compliance. If your scheduling solution allows it (and believe me, it should) configure criteria on your self-scheduling job board so only qualified employees can fill certain shifts. This helps support job costing by keeping direct labor expenses reasonable per job. 

Scheduling for profits — and retention.

Here’s a crazy idea: instead of filling gaps, consider creating them. I know — crazy — but hear me out.

Expand your current, labor-intensive scheduling processes to include self-scheduling. This reduces some of the manual work demands of your managerial staff and engages your officers to have a say in their own schedules.

I’ve heard of some security companies piloting scheduling programs that strategically leave a small percentage of the global work schedule unfilled. By hiring a portion of your workforce in a self-scheduling-only capacity, you can have a subset of officers set their own schedules by filling open shifts. This approaches the smart scheduling, and retention, strategy from a whole new angle.

For example, let’s examine an officer who’s decided to leave your company. They could be leaving to work a different job, but still be hoping to make some extra cash on the side. In the pilot program described above, that officer could choose to stay an active employee within the self-scheduling program, picking and choosing shifts that fit around their new work schedule.

Pros:

  • Your company doesn’t lose out on any investment you’ve put into their hiring.
  • The officer has a flexible avenue to earn extra money by choosing jobs from your available contracts.
  • If the officer ever chooses to return to working for you full-time, their employee records are still on file. This streamlines your rehire process and cuts out added hiring expenses.

 

Gail has spent over 35 years in the private sector as a senior level finance and operations manager across multiple industry. Most recently CFO of a regional security company in San Jose, CA, Gail now works providing invaluable insight and expertise as a business consultant with TEAM Software.  Her hobbies include breeding and showing standard wirehair dachshunds, hiking and spending time with her family.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q2 – LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR A MORE FLEXIBLE, EMPOWERED AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE OF OFFICERS

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY FOR A MORE FLEXIBLE, EMPOWERED AND ENGAGED WORKFORCE OF OFFICERS

Jody Stier, TEAM Software Sales Engineer, Network Partner

A younger workforce of officers may be leading to shifting practices, beginning with flexible scheduling. 

It’s no big secret that the security industry workforce largely consists of a younger workforce. In fact, Generation Y employees, or millennials, make up nearly half of the security industry labor force, even though labor trends over the past several years have shown, statistically speaking, millennials’ retention rates are lower than those categorized in older demographics. And, in an industry already prone to high turnover volume, improving your retention rates could be the secret to helping lessen expensive labor costs related to hiring and training in what can sometimes feel like a continuously revolving door. 

Flexible scheduling as a retention tool

So, what could entice a younger officer to remain at any one business for a given period? One answer is flexibility. The workforce — no matter the industries — is putting a higher value in company benefits like work-life balance. According to a recent study by Deloitte, surveyed millennials state a growing desire to stay at their place of work for five or more years, with the even younger Generation Z workforces’ desire to move jobs experiencing a downtick as well. One reason behind the change of mind? Employers are addressing values like work-life balance to attract and retain the people it needs.

What does that mean for you as a security company? Some common tactics, like remote working options, just aren’t an option when it comes to physical security. That’s where thinking outside the box with workforce management technology can play a part. Look at scheduling, for example. Flexibility in scheduling software is one way to address work-life balance. Self-scheduling through a feature like a mobile job board can improve employee engagement, lend itself to retention improvement and even reduce high-cost activities like overtime. The tool works by empowering officers to offer their shifts to others without needing to involve a scheduler or supervisor. Others can then pick up the open extra work, keeping shifts filled and closing any gaps without needing to go back-and-forth with a manager. Compliance requirements are considered by configurable criteria that can be set up to ensure only qualified employees can fill certain shifts. The flexibility to swap shifts depending on what works best for the officer at any given moment is a huge step in the right direction in terms of employee engagement. 

Changing the way scheduling is structured

In other instances, we’ve heard of security companies using a self-scheduling feature to pilot programs that take it one step further and strategically leaving a small percentage of the global work schedule unfilled. By hiring a subset of officers with the agreement they set their own schedules by autonomously filling open shifts, rather than having a set schedule as a starting point altogether, they’re approaching retention from a whole new angle. Even if an officer leaves the company, they could still technically remain in the company system in this self-scheduling program. It’s a win-win, as the company in question doesn’t lose out on their investment into hiring, training and onboarding the officer, and the officer has a flexible avenue for extra income. Plus, if they ever chose to return to work full time, their employee records are pre-existing, streamlining the re-hire process. It’s a tool that benefits any generation of the workforce, but as younger generations are already accustomed to leveraging technology in their everyday lives, it can especially be leveraged when retaining those officers. 

Integrated technology for officer benefit

This is also where integration shows its value in software. A tool like self-scheduling, which is also mobile-friendly for even more flexibility, operates within an employee self-service hub. That hub provides your officers with information, tools and resources that allow them to do their job better and more independently by accessing information like paystubs, benefits and personal information for themselves, while dually housing HR policies, personal protective equipment guidelines, work site orders and compliance requirements. Through mobile applications, all of this is available at an officer’s fingertips no matter when or where they’re working.

For more information on retention and labor trends in the security industry, and to read more about how a one security company is leveraging self-scheduling as a retention tool, visit teamsoftware.com/californian. 

Jody Stier joined TEAM Software in 2010 and currently works as a Sales Engineer responsible for actively driving and managing the technology evolution of TEAM’s sales process. She does this while working with product and sales teams to interpret customer requirements and deliver quality solutions. Jody has spent her career advocating for customers and providing top-notch support through her product knowledge and customer focused strengths. Jody is a level VI Pragmatic Marketer and a certified Product Manager.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q1 – HOW TO STREAMLINE YOUR SECURITY COMPANY’S PROCESSES WITH SCHEDULING SOFTWARE

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.

 

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2021 Q1 – PHYGITAL EXPERIENCES IN THE SECURITY INDUSTRY

PHYGITAL EXPERIENCES IN THE SECURITY INDUSTRY

Tony Unfried, CSA360

The security industry has been changing at a rapid pace. New technologies are appearing daily and 2020 was the year to adapt to change or become extinct. One newly accepted but not a real new experience we are having in the Security industry is Phygital. What is phygital? Pronounced  like fidge- ital, Phygital is the blending of the best parts of digital and physical experiences to create the best customer experience.  This has been around for years, but 2020 has made it much more obvious and brought us even new necessities.

With what 2020 brought to us, we have a new way of operating. Many people have installed kiosks to handle visitors and check them into buildings while other people have used thermal imaging to effectively monitor guest and employee temperature from a safe distance. RFID cards and mobile apps for entry and pre-screening are becoming commonplace. These phygital experiences help guests and employees feel safer as they are practicing social distancing and that presence of extra technology can provide an added feeling of security.
Using programs like text and push notification that allow your clients and guests to communicate with your team while an incident is occurring provides your clients and guests with the means to have a say in the environments in which they live, work, and play. It is a phygital experience  combined with the right technology that can help create a better experience for everyone and allow your team to effectively deal and be prepared for any threat or situation.

Phygital doesn’t just affect your guests, it can also affect your team. How can you use Phygital experiences to your advantage? Almost everyone has a smartphone these days. While some workplaces see them as a curse, you can use them to your advantage. Security software has become a very useful tool for making your team more accountable and prepared for anything. Using push notifications you can send live notifications to alert your team of a threat or issue at specific facilities or to even notify them of an open shift. This can help streamline communication in your facilities and save you time and money with the new efficiencies.

Another phygital experience that can help is e-learning for training. It is important to keep Security Officers prepared for any occasion. Requiring quick training on a regular basis will assure your security team is in the know. Using e-learning softwares, you can allow your staff to train from any device and learn and refine their physical protocols.
 The world is changing faster than ever and it’s time to start thinking of ways YOU can implement these phygital experiences. With phygital services, you can create more efficient experiences for everyone. By looking into new technologies such as security softwares it can help create the ideal experience for everyone. 

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

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Aley Moyer

The Californian 2020 Q4 – THREE WAYS YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD SUPPORT MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE 

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THREE WAYS YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULD SUPPORT MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE 

Team Software, Network Partner

By capturing electronic timekeeping data with your software, you’re able to catch and prevent violations before they happen — something that isn’t possible with manual timekeeping. 

Timekeeping is an everyday concern for security companies. Your guards are clocking in and out of shifts across multiple locations. Your supervisors can’t be everywhere at once to ensure breaks are being taken by the right people at the right times. This doesn’t just have an impact on your individual employees — it also has an impact on your business’s financial wellbeing when it comes to paying for meal and rest break compliance violations. 

Understanding the impact of these laws is especially crucial for security companies in?California, where violating meal and rest break laws can result in compensating employees for lost breaks with additional hours of pay. Here’s a list of three ways your software should support your business when it comes to meal and rest break compliance. 

Timekeeping and Punch Types

Your meal and rest software should offer enhanced timekeeping and punch types to allow you to track your guards’ multiple unpaid and paid (otherwise known as on-duty) meals and paid breaks. You should also be able to see actual in and out times, and view, edit, and clean up your collected data in efficient and helpful ways when punch data must be corrected. 

Reporting

Look for software with useful and informative meal and rest reporting to help determine who is and who isn’t in compliance with your company and/or state’s meal and rest laws. Reporting should be flexible to allow you to identify any or all violations such as meals and breaks that have been missed, are too short or not taken in a timely manner. The identification of and premium (or penalty) payment of the violations you identify according to your business policies should be a simple, streamlined process. 

Notifications 

Your software should be able to send notifications to the right people at the right time to support your company’s meal and rest compliance and minimize premium payments to employees. To ensure lunch breaks are taken in a timely manner, look for focused notifications that alert supervisors if a meal hasn’t been started after a certain amount of time into a shift. Guards should also be notified if they’re checking back into work before their lunch or break is taken in full. 

When used properly, a holistic software solution ensures your timekeeping is accurate, easy to manage and in compliance with state, local, union or company-specific regulations. Contact TEAM Software at sales@teamsoftware.com to learn about how we can help you manage your meal and rest break compliance. 

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Kate

The Californian 2020 Q3 – THERMAL IMAGING: WHAT I’VE LEARNED

THERMAL IMAGING: WHAT I’VE LEARNED

Tony Unfried, CSA 360

COVID-19 regulations are causing nearly every industry to adopt new technologies for increased physical health security. The temperature screening of guests and employees at every designated entrance of operational locations is mandatory under reopening plans in most states, as well as by major organizations such as the NBA. For accuracy and speed, many leadership teams are voting to invest in temperature screening technology, such as thermal cameras, to ensure that individuals who actively have a fever are immediately identified, documented, and are turned away for testing to reduce the spread of infection.

Thermal Imaging isn’t a new technology; it was first used in the Korean War to aid in nighttime combat, translating body heat energy into light to create visibility. Since that time, the technology has been adopted by first emergency responders and rescue teams, electricians, building inspectors, and more. And now, we are seeing this technology used by Security Teams and reopening businesses and offices to execute plans for no-touch temperature tracking. In some cases, it’s coupled with facial recognition for easy no-touch shift clock-in.

At CSA360, we’ve identified some setup and use best practices to help our clients obtain the most accurate readings and records for their contracts, so I thought I would share this information to assist in this time of new tech adoption.

Think about the device: There are so many new devices hitting the market, look for cameras that comply with the FDA’s guidelines for accuracy. While there are iPhone and Android apps available on the market, the accuracy of these apps is questionable at best.

Think about the flow of traffic: Complying with temperature checks will inevitably create a bottleneck of traffic at the testing stations. While it only takes a few seconds to scan with a thermal imaging camera, you may need to consider having multiple temping stations to limit compliance disruption. You can save time for employees and clients by choosing a device and software that allows for clock-in/out at the time of screening.

Think about Placement: I’ve seen some beautiful glass atriums when I’ve been offsite assisting setups for our clients- DO NOT USE THERMAL CAMERAS IN SUNNY SPACES. That is the best way to skew your testing results. The air temperature fluctuates so much throughout the day, and that will effect your readouts and the body temperatures of the individuals being screened. Instead, find or create a climate-controlled location away from open doors and windows to perform screenings.

Think about the Weather: External temperatures will directly impact the thermal readings of an individual who has just been outdoors. This is true for both thermal cameras and thermometer guns, so perhaps consider having a holding area for people to regulate their temperatures before entering.

Consider the Background: Shiny or reflective objects positioned behind the screening subject could cause readout errors. If you have an issue with this, try hanging a black curtain behind the testing area.

Think about Strategy: This has been an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it. Chokepoint screening is far more accurate than Mass Scanning. One at a time will yield the most accurate results, protecting the people in your spaces as best we can.

There is always more to discuss in Security Technology, but hopefully, these points are helpful as we reopen and protect our spaces.

 

Tony Unfried, CEO of CSA360, holds a master’s degree in Public Affairs and Criminal Justice from Indiana University, where he graduated with honors. While enrolled in his master’s program, Tony worked for The TJX Companies, Inc., leading the region in loss prevention and moving the company toward technology use in Security. Tony went on to join the most significant security company in Indiana, managing more than 500 employees and 50 sites, including the Indiana Convention Center, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Seeing a noticeable gap in technology use in the physical security sector, Tony created his first security software application, launched at the Super Bowl in 2012, and recognized twice for Excellence in Mobile Technology by Techpoint. Tony has also spoken on Tech in Physical Security on panels with ASIS and IAVM.

 

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Kate

The Californian 2020 Q3 – WHY YOUR SECURITY COMPANY NEEDS EASILY ACCESSIBLE SOFTWARE

WHY YOUR SECURITY COMPANY NEEDS EASILY ACCESSIBLE SOFTWARE

Team Software, CALSAGA Network Partner

Drastic economic shifts can happen with little or no warning. When they do occur, your security business needs to be able to stabilize operations. One thing to help keep your business operations stable, efficient and streamlined is a technology solution. When implemented and leveraged correctly, a holistic software solution tailored to your business’ industry can ensure your company weathers the impact of an economic change.

As recent global emergencies have shown, having access to your company’s data, workforce management solutions and messaging capabilities are crucial to maintaining uninterrupted operating procedures.

 

Global access

The first step in having a software solution that can be an asset during times of instability is making sure your software solution can be accessed from anywhere, at any time.

Guards, front- and back-end staff and even C-suite executives need access to the right tools at any given moment. It’s crucial to optimize workforce management through a holistic software solution so employees working remotely have global access to files, data and other day-to-day information needed to keep your business running smoothly.

This is possible with cloud-based, mobile software. Even during stable working conditions, an industry-specific cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) tool can foster connectivity, productivity and workforce efficiency by being accessible via the web rather than localized installations.

 

Vendor-provided infrastructure

One of the benefits of implementing a SaaS solution is your service provider should shoulder much of the day-to-day infrastructure of your software solution, whether that be maintenance and patches, released product upgrades or automated data back-ups.

Assuming your guards have access to a mobile device, a holistic software solution with mobile technology capabilities grants your back office the ability to be in constant communication with them.

The right tools for your security company can provide real-time visibility over your distributed workforce and proof of service for your customers, while granting your employees access to workforce management tools from anywhere at any time.

When used properly, a holistic software solution ensures you have access to everything you need to handle what you’re facing at any given moment. For additional information on navigating your business through a time of crisis, download the Using Technology to Help Your Security Business During a Crisis eBook from TEAM Software.

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