The verdict in three sentences
For a private security company with 150 to 1,500 officers, scheduling and occurrence book software costs between 10 and 30 million FCFA (about EUR 15,000 to 46,000, or GBP 13,000 to 39,000) in 2026 when built with our Dakar team, depending on the number of client sites and payroll integration; London agencies typically quote GBP 40,000 to 120,000 for the same scope. It replaces shift logbooks, unverifiable patrols and supervisor phone calls with digital shift scheduling, QR code patrols, a time-stamped mobile occurrence book and automatic payroll preparation. The realistic timeline is 3 to 5 months, and the most visible gain is proof of service for clients, which secures contract renewals.
What each module costs
Guarding markets, in Dakar as in London, have professionalized: banks, embassies, industrial sites, residential estates and shopping centres now require patrol reports and proof of presence. A company still providing handwritten logbooks loses tenders to equipped competitors.
| Module | 2026 budget (FCFA) | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Shift scheduling (day, night, 12 h, 24 h) | 2,000,000 to 5,500,000 | Assignment by site, cover, gap alerts |
| Officer check-in (QR, geolocation, photo) | 1,500,000 to 4,000,000 | Verified start and end of shift |
| QR code or NFC patrols | 1,500,000 to 4,500,000 | Checkpoints scanned, missed patrols flagged |
| Mobile occurrence book and incidents | 1,500,000 to 4,500,000 | Time-stamped events, photos, client report |
| Payroll preparation (hours, night premiums) | 2,000,000 to 6,000,000 | Export to payroll software |
| Client portal and reports | 1,500,000 to 5,500,000 | Automatic monthly report per site |
| Total | 10,000,000 to 30,000,000 | About EUR 15,000 to 46,000 |
Tamper-proof QR tags cost about 1,500 to 3,000 FCFA each (EUR 2 to 5), versus 5,000 to 8,000 FCFA for NFC chips. Hosting and maintenance run between 200,000 and 600,000 FCFA a month (EUR 300 to 900). Officers use an entry-level Android smartphone (60,000 to 90,000 FCFA, around EUR 90 to 140) provided per post or their own phone.
Paper versus software: the measurable gaps
| Indicator | Paper | With software (2026 order of magnitude) |
|---|---|---|
| Time to build the monthly roster | 3 to 5 days | 4 to 6 hours |
| Unmanned posts detected in real time | Rarely | Alert within 15 min |
| Patrols actually completed | Unverifiable | 92 to 98% traced |
| Payroll hour errors | 3 to 6% of payroll | Under 1% |
| Incident report time to client | 24 to 48 h | Under 1 h |
| Billing disputes with clients | Frequent | Rare, with evidence |
Payroll preparation is often the strongest financial lever: night hours, 24-hour shifts, cover and public holidays create systematic errors, for or against officers, and fuel labour disputes. The software computes hours from actual check-ins and applies the premiums set by the collective agreement.
Mini case study
Modou, operations director of a guarding company in Dakar, manages 620 officers across 85 sites, with a monthly payroll of about 124 million FCFA (EUR 189,000). Payroll errors reach 4%, nearly 5 million FCFA a month in overpayments or back pay. Bringing them down to 1% saves about 3.7 million FCFA a month (EUR 5,600). The two full-time schedulers are reassigned to field supervision. With software at 19 million FCFA and 4.8 million annual maintenance, payback arrives in about 6 months, before counting bank contracts won thanks to automatic patrol reports. A London firm of similar size, with a much higher payroll, reaches payback even faster.
FAQ
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What if the officer has no signal on site?
The app records check-ins, patrols and events offline with the phone clock locked, then syncs when signal returns. Data use stays under 3 MB per shift.
How do you prevent check-in fraud?
Check-in combines a fixed on-site QR code, geolocation with a 100-metre radius and an officer photo. Discrepancies are flagged to the supervisor within 15 minutes.
Does the software integrate with our current payroll?
Yes, through an export of hours and premiums in your payroll software's format (IPRES and CSS contributions in Senegal, PAYE and pension in the UK computed downstream). Integration costs 1 to 3 million FCFA depending on the tool.
Is the data handling compliant?
Officer data and geolocation fall under Law 2008-12 and a CDP declaration in Senegal, and under UK GDPR in London. Geolocation must be limited to working hours.
Can we start with a few pilot sites?
It is recommended: 10 to 15 sites for 4 to 6 weeks, then rollout. The pilot lets you adjust patrol points and train site leads.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of officers, sites and payroll software, and we will price a scope between 10 and 30 million FCFA delivered in 3 to 5 months with a pilot on your key sites. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
