The verdict in three sentences
For a manned guarding company with 180 officers and 40 sites in London, custom scheduling software costs between £30,000 and £60,000. The return comes first from payroll: about 6 % savings on overtime, poorly spread night premiums and duplicate shifts. SIA compliance (valid licences, first aid and door supervisor qualifications, vetting to BS 7858) becomes checked automatically instead of by hand before every client audit.
Where the overtime goes
With 180 officers at the London Living Wage or above plus on-costs, the annual payroll approaches £5.2 million. On a spreadsheet, the scheduler cannot see each officer's hours to date, mandatory rest or qualifications: gaps get filled by whoever is free, often already beyond their contracted hours.
| Metric (180 officers, 40 sites) | Spreadsheet rota | Custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Annual loaded payroll | about £5,200,000 | about £4,890,000 |
| Avoidable overtime | 7 to 9 % of hours | 2 to 3 % |
| Time to build the monthly rota | 5 days | 1.5 days |
| Expired SIA licences caught late | 4 to 6 per year | 0 |
| Unfilled shifts reported by clients | 10 to 15 per month | 1 to 3 |
| Patrols proven by checkpoint scan | 0 % | 100 % (NFC tags) |
| Client invoicing delay after month end | 12 days | 3 days |
The 6 % saving is worth about £310,000 a year at this size (2026 order of magnitude), against a one-off investment.
Off-the-shelf or custom: the comparison
Guarding scheduling platforms cover the basics at £7 to £13 per officer per month. A custom build makes sense when client contracts carry specific rules (retail, construction, events, critical infrastructure), when pay rules must follow your own agreements finely, or when you want a branded client portal.
| Criterion | Off-the-shelf rota platform | Kolonell custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £1,500 to £5,000 | £30,000 to £60,000 |
| Subscription for 180 officers | £1,260 to £2,340 per month, i.e. £15,100 to £28,100 per year | £4,500 to £8,000 per year |
| Pay rules and premiums | standard | configured to your agreements |
| SIA licence and qualification tracking | simple alert | assignment blocked if licence expired |
| Digital occurrence book | often an add-on | native, per site |
| NFC patrols and geolocation | paid module | built in |
| Client portal with reports | rare | included |
Over four years, the subscription costs £62,000 to £117,000. The custom build costs £48,000 to £92,000, with your business rules inside.
The modules that make the difference
The rota is built from each site's requirements (posts, hours, required licence) then filled while respecting hours to date, 11-hour rest periods and qualifications. Officers get their shifts on mobile and clock in on site. The digital occurrence book and NFC patrols prove the service delivered, which cuts invoice disputes.
| Module | Indicative 2026 budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Constraint-based rota (hours, rest, qualifications) | £10,000 to £19,000 | 6 weeks |
| SIA licences, BS 7858 vetting, training | £3,500 to £7,000 | 3 weeks |
| Officer app: rota, clock-in, shift swaps | £6,000 to £12,000 | 5 weeks |
| Digital occurrence book and NFC patrols | £5,000 to £10,000 | 4 weeks |
| Payroll export and client invoicing | £3,500 to £7,000 | 3 weeks |
| Client portal and reports | £2,500 to £6,000 | 3 weeks |
Mini case study
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Rachel, operations director of a guarding company in London (180 officers, 40 sites including two shopping centres in Stratford and Croydon), invests £45,000. Overtime falls from 8 % to 3 % of hours worked. On roughly 324,000 hours a year, that is 16,200 hours avoided, at about £21 loaded per premium hour, or £340,000 a year. Even taking half of that, the software pays back in under four months.
FAQ
How much does security guard scheduling software cost in London?
Budget £30,000 to £60,000 in 2026 for 100 to 400 officers. A version focused on rota and SIA tracking starts around £17,000.
Does it stop us assigning an officer with an expired SIA licence?
Yes: the assignment is blocked and alerts go out 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry. The same check applies to first aid certificates and refresher training.
Does the digital occurrence book hold up as evidence?
It is timestamped, locked after sign-off and tied to an identified officer. It is solid evidence in an incident or a client dispute.
Can we export data to our payroll software?
Yes: nights, Sundays, bank holidays and allowances are exported in your payroll format. This module costs £3,500 to £7,000 depending on format.
How long until we are live?
Allow 4 to 5 months for the full version. The rota can run on a first group of sites from month three.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, sites and rostering rules, and we will price a scope between £30,000 and £60,000 with a pilot on your first ten 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.
