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5/6/2017

 
     12 hour graveyard security shifts was what my weekend consisted of for years as a college student. After heading out to grad school I started to get more and more into entrepreneurship & technology, which eventually led me to start programming. My affinity for it grew strong enough that I actually left my master's program in order to explore it further.

    That was 3 years ago, and now I'm surprisingly back in the industry which I had thought of as only a means to an end. This time though, oh this time, I'm ready to change things up. It seems to have been an organic process in the making. I was developing software with efficiency in mind and at the same time the security service trade was still a decade behind. The more I thought about all of the unproductive practices that were so commonplace, the more I got eager to want to do something about it. 

    What needed to change:
  • Paper reports - After filling out a report either by hand or on a computer you have to either place it on the client's desk, fax it over to the office, or even slide it under doors. Not only that, the content is usually really redundant, if you can even read it. 
  • Uniforms - Listen, I'm sure tactical boots are great for certain circumstances but not for indoor office security. You can look commanding without having to imitate military or law enforcement. 
  • Low pay - All I can say is you get what you pay for. 
  • Check Up - I remember one company which never even bothered to check up on a guard for months. Another firm I worked for would check up, but since they were doing it physically it was usually around the same time. Additionally these checkups are usually for uniform inspections and to see if a guard is on site and awake. 
  • Communication - Some places give you a cheap phone with contacts, another might provide walkie-talkies, while others just provide you with a book of numbers for you to call if needed. 
  • Hiring - Warm bodies, walkers, zombies, whatever you want to call them, they seem to be getting all of the recruiting attention. One side of this issue is related to pay and the other with time. In terms of pay, experienced guards want a higher wage and rightfully so. What happens though is that a lot of companies prioritize the pay being asked by the guard more so than what they actually have to offer. Some places will also advertise high wages to get a good amount of applicants only to then offer them less. The other is time related, sometimes a client needs a guard for an emergency situation and due to low staffing they hire the first person that applies. 
  • Shifts - I don't know how many times I would get calls from managers/supervisors asking me to cover shifts. They would call around and around until they found someone to just say yes. The ironic part is when I wanted to work shifts I wouldn't be asked unless I called. 

   So what did we do about these 7 points?
  • Reports - We made an app that allows you not only type up timestamped reports but also add videos,images, and even emojis to enhance them. Additionally the reports can be viewed by other guards, management, and essentially the client. 
  • Uniforms - Performance polos, that are not only comfortable to wear but also present a commanding athletic presence. The uniforms were actually supplied by a small business that works with a lot of sports related material. 
  •  Pay -  In order to combat the high turnover rate in the industry we start guards off at $12/hr. Our goal is to reach a competitive wage of $15/hr which we feel will not only help attain good guards but retain them as well. Our pricing is transparent which is another thing that sets us apart from the rest.
  • Check Up- Checking up on guards couldn't be any easier, every guard profile on the app has a button to initiate a video call whenever needed, a simple way to make sure the guard is uniformed and up to speed. Aside from that, every log made is GPS verified to make sure the guard is on site. If thats not enough we have some live video stuff we're currently looking to integrate.
  • Communication - Each guard is given an iPhone to use while clients are given iPads. This way everyone is on the same technological level. Also a section of the app contains contacts, not just for management or maintenance but also for the local police/sheriff dept.'s non-emergency number. 
  • Hiring - Only around 17% of the people that apply with us actually make it pass the first interview. 
  • Shift Exchange - Open shifts is a section of our app where a guard can pick up extra shifts or give theirs away. 

    For us this is just a start and we hope to continue to innovate and change the way security services are utilized. Check out our blog for any new updates and most of all stay SAYF.

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