The verdict in three sentences
A London security company with 1,200 officers across 160 sites usually leaves 5 to 8 % of hours worked unbilled, through ad hoc cover, replacements and untracked overruns. A custom platform at 90,000 to 180,000 GBP (2026 ballpark) connects shift scheduling, QR code patrol verification, a digital occurrence book and payroll hours, in 4 to 6 months. Payback is counted in months, provided the officer app works offline and site supervisors actually adopt it.
Why hours leak between the rota and the invoice
Rotas often live in spreadsheets, patrols in paper logs, cover requests in WhatsApp groups. At billing time, the back office rebuilds the month from those three sources and whatever was not written down disappears: the Saturday extra officer at a Park Royal warehouse, the guard who stayed two hours late in Canary Wharf, the doubled night shift for a client event.
| Leakage source | Estimated share of unbilled hours | Software control |
|---|---|---|
| Ad hoc cover requested by phone | 30 to 35 % | Logged client request, work order |
| Shift overruns | 20 to 25 % | QR check-in and check-out |
| Replacements not reflected | 15 to 20 % | Rota updated from the app |
| Bank holiday rates misapplied | 10 to 15 % | Configured premium calendar |
| Manual entry errors | 10 % | Hours computed from check-ins |
The same check-ins feed payroll: standard hours, nights, bank holidays, London Living Wage compliance. Disputes with officers drop sharply when everyone sees their hours in the app, and SIA licence tracking plus Working Time Regulations compliance become easy to demonstrate.
Custom platform or off-the-shelf guard tour app
Guard tour and workforce apps exist, priced per officer per month. They handle QR or NFC patrols and occurrence logs well, but rarely client contracts, invoicing and payroll exports in one place.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf guard app | Custom platform |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | 0 to 6,000 GBP | 90,000 to 180,000 GBP |
| Recurring cost, 1,200 officers | 4 to 10 GBP per officer per month, so 57,600 to 144,000 GBP per year | Hosting and maintenance quoted |
| Timeline | 2 to 6 weeks | 4 to 6 months |
| Shift scheduling | Basic to good | Contracts, SIA licences, rest rules |
| Offline mode | Varies | Designed in from day one |
| Client invoicing | Often absent | Automatic from check-ins |
| Payroll export | Limited | Standard, night, bank holiday, pension |
Over three years the off-the-shelf app costs 170,000 to 430,000 GBP for 1,200 officers, often without invoicing. Custom quickly becomes the cheaper option at this size.
Modules for version one
Shift scheduling per site, with required credentials (SIA door supervisor, CCTV, key holding), rest periods and understaffing alerts. An offline Android officer app with QR check-in, checkpoint patrols and geotagged photos. A digital occurrence book the client can view. Automatic client reports, weekly or after each incident. Hours calculation and payroll export. Monthly invoicing per contract, ad hoc cover included.
Officer personal data and photos fall under UK GDPR: lawful basis, limited purpose, restricted access, and a clear retention policy. Budget one company smartphone per site, around 200 GBP each, rather than relying on personal phones.
Adoption is the real risk, more than technology. Train site supervisors first, keep check-in to two taps, and publish a weekly league table of patrol completion by site: most companies move from around 70 % to above 95 % completed patrols within the first two months.
Mini case study
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Daniel, operations director of a security company in London, manages 1,200 officers working about 240,000 hours per month. A three-month audit shows that 8 % of hours worked, or 19,200 hours, never get invoiced. The average billed rate is 22 GBP per hour.
Prudent target: bill a quarter of those hours thanks to check-ins and cover work orders, that is 4,800 hours per month. Gain: 105,600 GBP per month, about 1,270,000 GBP per year. Investment: 140,000 GBP of development and 32,000 GBP of smartphones for 160 sites, so 172,000 GBP. Payback in under 2 months, before counting the admin hours saved on payroll.
FAQ
How much does security company management software cost in London in 2026?
A custom platform covering scheduling, patrols, occurrence book, invoicing and payroll sits in the 90,000 to 180,000 GBP range. A guard tour app alone costs 4 to 10 GBP per officer per month.
Does the app work without signal?
Yes, an offline app stores check-ins, patrols and photos and syncs when the network returns. That is essential in basements, car parks and industrial estates, where 10 to 20 % of sites have poor coverage.
How do we prevent check-in fraud?
QR codes are fixed at precise points, timestamped and paired with geolocation and a photo. Missed patrols alert the supervisor within 15 minutes.
How long to roll out across 160 sites?
Allow 4 to 6 months, including a 4-week pilot on 10 to 15 sites. Rollout then proceeds in waves of 30 to 40 sites.
Can clients see the reports?
A client portal gives access to the occurrence book and patrols for their sites, with an automatic weekly report. That transparency often supports renewals and a 3 to 5 % rate increase.
Let's scope your project. We map your sites, rota rules, patrols and payroll, then run a pilot on a handful of sites before full rollout. 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.
