Security Guard Scheduling and Compliance Software in Dublin: 2026 Cost

The verdict in three sentences

A Dublin security company running 180 guards across 30 client sites on spreadsheets is leaking overtime and carrying real exposure on expired PSA licences. Off-the-shelf guard scheduling software costs roughly 5 to 10 EUR per guard per month in 2026, while a custom platform lands between 35,000 and 75,000 EUR (2026 market ballpark). The deciding question is simple: do your client contracts demand rostering rules and reports that a packaged tool cannot reproduce?

What guard scheduling software must handle in Dublin

Take an illustrative operator covering retail units on Grafton Street, data centres in west Dublin, tech campuses in the Docklands and a few events at the 3Arena. A spreadsheet roster survives until someone calls in sick at 5 a.m. Then the control room phones down a list without knowing who has already worked too many hours, who holds the right licence sector or whose licence is about to lapse.

A serious platform covers at least:

• Shift rostering by site, with required competencies (door supervision, static guarding, keyholding) and the rest and maximum average weekly hours set by the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997. Check the exact limits on the Workplace Relations Commission website rather than hard-coding a number from memory.
• Licence compliance checks: the Private Security Authority (PSA) licenses individual contractors and employees by sector. The software stores each licence expiry date, alerts in advance and blocks assignment once a licence has lapsed.
• Electronic patrol logs on mobile: NFC or QR checkpoints, timestamped incidents with photos, end-of-shift reports sent to the client.
• Payroll export: night premiums, Sunday premiums and public holiday entitlements calculated without re-keying.

What guard scheduling software costs in 2026

Figures below are a 2026 market ballpark, to be checked against real quotes. For 180 guards, a subscription at 5 to 10 EUR per guard per month means 10,800 to 21,600 EUR a year, often plus onboarding fees and paid modules.

Kolonell's prices come from its custom application grid. A rostering module with patrol logs and licence checks usually sits at mid-size level; adding a client portal and multi-agreement payroll export pushes it to complex.

Over five years, the subscription reaches 54,000 to 108,000 EUR, and more as headcount grows. Custom becomes the better deal once you pass about 150 guards or your clients require reporting the vendor will not build.

Where the payback comes from

The most visible saving is avoided overtime. A roster that offers shifts first to guards who are still under their hours ceiling cuts premium hours; this example assumes 7% of overtime avoided. The second gain is regulatory and commercial: putting an unlicensed guard on site exposes the company to PSA enforcement and, more often, to losing the contract.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Sinéad, managing director of a 180-guard security firm in Dublin. Guards average 160 hours a month, about 6% of it paid at overtime rates, so 1,728 overtime hours per month. Cutting that by 7% saves 121 hours a month. At a loaded overtime cost of 28 EUR an hour, that is 3,390 EUR a month, or 40,680 EUR a year. Add one scheduler freed for two days a week (around 16,000 EUR a year) and a 55,000 EUR custom build pays back in under 12 months.

FAQ

Can the software stop a guard with an expired PSA licence from being rostered?

Yes, it is the most requested feature. The tool stores each expiry date, alerts 90 days ahead and refuses the assignment after the deadline, protecting all 30 client sites in the example.

How long does it take to move off spreadsheets?

Allow 4 to 8 weeks for SaaS and 4 to 7 months for custom. Migrating 180 guard records and 30 site instructions alone takes 2 to 3 weeks.

Do electronic patrol logs work without signal?

A good app records patrols offline and syncs when the connection returns, which matters in car parks and data halls. Budget one handset per post, roughly 150 to 300 EUR each.

Where should guard data be hosted?

Guard records are personal data under the GDPR, enforced in Ireland by the Data Protection Commission. EU hosting with a data processing agreement is standard practice and usually adds only 50 to 200 EUR a month.

Can the roster feed our existing payroll?

Yes, via file export or API depending on your payroll vendor. That connector typically takes 5 to 10 development days in a custom project.

Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, number of sites and payroll system, and we will price a rostering module with licence checks and patrol logs, with an indicative budget and timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.