Security Incident Reporting Software

The United States had 850,000 security guards in 2022, which is an increase of about 20,000 compared to 2021. Researchers equate the rising demand for guards with a dramatic increase in physical threat activity. According to a 2022 study, roughly 88% of physical security decision-makers at major US companies reported a dramatic increase in threat activity in 2021 and expect that threat to grow. 

These trends have a global reach. Currently, at least half the world’s population lives in countries with more private security workers than public police officers. In more than 40 countries, including the US, China, Canada, Australia and the UK, more workers are hired to protect specific people, places and things than police officers, according to research.

In the US, market share concentration for the security industry is low. The top four companies generate less than 40% of industry revenue. And that makes it competitive for smaller companies that operate in niche areas or serve specific geographic regions.

For security companies to remain competitive, guard technology has evolved. It currently consists of mobile devices, cloud software, drones, cameras, integrated biometric access control systems and more.

Despite the variety of different options, security incident reporting software allows industry professionals to investigate incidents and respond decisively, while optimizing, automating, organizing processes for efficiency, storing records and sharing information. 

Incident reporting

Incident reporting can prevent accidents before they become a problem, and mitigating safety issues is a good practice for earning repeat business. Even when it’s impossible to avoid an incident, reporting it can help quickly resolve the problem. And timely incident response can help ensure client satisfaction. 

For physical security professionals, incident response involves the actions required by a company to detect, contain and resolve a security threat, which could include trespassing, theft, false identification, public safety threats and more. 

What is an incident report?

Most security professionals are familiar with incident reports and security report writing. Incident report forms provide relevant details and facts pertaining to workplace incidents. Some businesses may have a different name for these report forms. However, they generally detail incidents that occur on-site and describe the time and steps it took to resolve the incident.  

As technology has advanced, security reporting software has become paramount to incident response in relation to client retention. And that’s because security software provides resources that help with record keeping and sharing information. Those two factors are key when it comes to investigating incidents. It’s important to respond decisively and be able to provide evidence that shows steps were taken to resolve incidents. 

Security incident reporting software is designed to provide a more holistic view of the operations and activities on a site, including triggering alerts and protocols to support quicker resolutions.

Creating an incident response plan

Ensuring that incidents are properly resolved generally involves taking preventative steps to address potential threats on-site that could lead to an incident. Workers must know their role in responding to any issues. Identifying how workers respond to incidents is a proactive approach. 

In the event that an incident occurs, containing the situation is just as important. There should be communication methods in place to contain the incident, while information is being shared between relevant employees.

After the incident, it’s necessary to investigate what caused the issue to understand how it can be prevented. Along with analyzing the incident, it’s necessary to take corrective actions to processes, personnel, work audits and technology used on-site. Finally, periodically reviewing the entire process is essential to ensuring that the incident response plan is effective. 

Digital reporting and guard performance

Security guard reporting software helps companies keep better track of where staffers are on a map. When managers know where everyone is located, that can help determine the best and the closest staffer to respond to an issue. After an issue is resolved, the software helps with liability. And that’s because digital logs can show that necessary steps were taken to avoid the incident. 

Increasing awareness at security checkpoints by making sure that key zones are serviced, and setting up loop time to automatically monitor when the last service was performed, are additional ways that security professionals can use software to ensure safety on the job. 

Security reporting systems

Security incident reporting software promotes job safety by offering real-time data to help guards better respond to incidents or potential hazards. A reliable incident report system also ensures that new and loyal customers have the information they need to review details about what led to an incident and how it was resolved, which is critical for the customer experience.

To continue learning about how data from security reporting systems help guards best respond to high-risk situations and offers valuable information for security business owners who want to better evaluate their incident reporting system, access our latest eBook:

Data and Reporting: Making Businesses More Performance-Driven