Derek Pando, Director of Product Marketing, Relay, discusses how new technologies are driving the evolution of security and guard patrols.
Guard patrols continue to be a critical tool in maintaining a secure environment.
Despite a surge in technological innovations, the indispensability of the human element in security measures remains.
In a time when the benchmarks for operational efficiency and regulatory compliance have reached new heights, security experts encounter formidable challenges in striving to meet these rigorous standards.
As we navigate through the transition from manual processes to automation in security operations, the impact on efficiency, supervision and accountability is profound.
This shift not only significantly improves how threats are detected and addressed but also revolutionizes the overall approach to security management, making it more effective and responsive to the evolving landscape of security threats.
Technologies should serve to enhance the capabilities of human guards, making them better, more efficient and freeing them to focus on higher-level tasks.
In our rapidly evolving digital era, there’s more demand for methods that minimize inactive labor and magnify the activeness of our security guards.
By empowering these vital professionals through technological solutions, managers can unlock time for comprehensive vigilance, achieving a significant improvement in security effectiveness.
Traditionally, guard patrols required manual check-ins, physical logs and close supervision, leading to a time-consuming process vulnerable to human error, non-compliance and procrastination.
Manual documentation in security is like an old lock – functional, yet outdated.
Every minute spent meticulously logging details is a minute not spent observing, analyzing and protecting.
Additionally, the need for constant follow-up often made accountability feel like an endless cycle of nagging, a dynamic disliked by all involved parties.
In the worst-case scenario, this translates into compromised safety, unhappy employees, potential liability issues and a reactive rather than proactive security approach.
While QR code scanning solutions initially seemed like a leap towards modernizing guard patrols, they’ve inadvertently introduced new challenges.
First and foremost among these is the vulnerability of QR codes to duplication and fraud, making it relatively easy to counterfeit or tamper with them.
This undermines the very essence of security patrols – ensuring the authenticity and integrity of the check-in process.
Furthermore, these solutions demand that security guards shift their primary focus to their smartphones or scanning devices.
This act, seemingly minor in the execution, significantly detracts from their ability to remain vigilant and observant of their surroundings.
In an environment where every second counts, the potential costs of divided attention are too high.
The promise of automation in enhancing security measures necessitates the exploration of more sophisticated, secure and less intrusive technology solutions.
Near field communication (NFC) tags have emerged as a promising technology to overcome the limitations posed by QR codes in guard patrol systems.
Unlike QR codes, NFC tags offer a more secure form of data exchange, significantly reducing the risk of duplication or fraud.
This technology requires a guard to physically tap their device against the NFC tag to register a check-in, enhancing the authenticity of the patrol logs.
However, despite these improvements, the implementation of NFC technology in guard patrols is not without its challenges.
While NFC tags simplify the check-in process and enhance security, they still demand active participation from the security guards, just like QR codes.
Therefore, the quest for an ideal solution continues – one that minimizes manual interventions while maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of guard patrols.
The future of security patrols may lie in further technological innovation, aimed at eliminating the need for active participation and allowing security personnel to remain fully immersed in their critical role of ensuring safety.
Enter the automated tracking of guard patrols – a leap forward not just for security but also various sectors that depend on regular rounds, such as healthcare and hospitality.
The benefits of replacing manual check-ins with an automated passively tracked system are numerous:
Automated systems are the future – streamlined, accountable and adaptable.
Imagine a world where a security guard, while vigilantly completing their rounds, has everything logged and tracked seamlessly in the background without needing to take any additional actions beyond ensuring safety along the patrol route.
If anything is missed, they are alerted within minutes and can quickly address the missed action.
In security, as in all sectors where precision and reliability are paramount, the move towards technologies that support and enhance human performance is an investment in quality and safety.
As automated guard patrol tracking systems become the norm, the security industry is entering a new era focused on innovation, actively preventing risks, being highly vigilant and empowering security professionals.
This article was originally published in the May edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.