The verdict in three sentences
A Dubai security company with 700 guards across 120 sites that runs rosters, attendance and replacements by phone lets billable hours slip away every month and learns about no-shows only when the client complains. A custom scheduling platform with QR code check-in on site, verified patrols and a digital occurrence book sits on the Kolonell grid at 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), delivered in 12 weeks. Payback comes first from recovered overtime and avoided contract penalties.
Phone and logbooks or a platform: what changes day to day
In many guarding firms, the roster lives in a spreadsheet, attendance in a logbook at the post and replacements in the area supervisor's phone. The client sees nothing until an incident happens.
| Process | Current setup | With the platform |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly roster | Spreadsheet per supervisor, 3 days to prepare | Roster by site and shift, 1 day, conflicts flagged |
| Shift start | Logbook signature, checked afterwards | Scan of the site QR code, time and location recorded |
| Absence or late arrival | Client calls or found on a patrol visit | Supervisor alert 15 minutes after the scheduled time |
| Replacement | 5 to 10 calls to find a guard | List of nearby available guards, SMS notification |
| Patrols | Self-declared | QR checkpoints to scan, timestamped report |
| Occurrence book | Paper book per post | Mobile entry with photo, visible to the client |
| Payroll export | Manual re-entry | Actual hours per guard exported to payroll |
Entry-level Android phones, around 400 to 600 AED, are enough for check-in. For sites with no company phone, a shared device fixed at the post works too. SIRA licensing requirements for guards and companies stay with your existing compliance process; the platform stores licence numbers and expiry dates and flags renewals.
Unbilled hours recovered
Across 120 sites, gaps between hours worked and hours billed come from 3 sources: shift extensions requested by the client, one-off reinforcements for events and replacements whose trace is lost. The table below gives a 2026 order of magnitude for a firm of this size.
| Monthly indicator | Before | After the platform |
|---|---|---|
| Hours worked | 210,000 | 210,000 |
| Unbilled overtime hours | 3,200 | 600 |
| Average billed hourly rate | 30 AED | 30 AED |
| Monthly revenue leakage | 96,000 AED | 18,000 AED |
| Client penalties for unmanned posts | 12,000 AED | 3,000 AED |
| Payroll preparation time | 4 days | 1 day |
| Billing disputes per month | 12 | 3 |
The key figure is the leakage: about 78,000 AED recovered per month in this example, simply because every scanned hour becomes a justified invoice line.
What the project includes and how it runs
The standard scope covers four modules. Scheduling: sites, posts, 8 or 12-hour shifts, guard qualifications (licence grade, language, event or residential profile), rest rules. Guard app: QR check-in, patrols, occurrence book with photo, offline mode with sync when signal returns. Client portal: attendance and patrol reports, incidents, billing evidence downloads. Back office: billing on actual hours, payroll export to your WPS-compliant payroll, dashboards by area.
12-week timeline: scoping and mapping of the 120 sites in weeks 1 and 2, development in weeks 3 to 9, pilot on 10 sites in weeks 10 and 11, full rollout in week 12. Notifications go out by SMS and WhatsApp, and the interface is available in English and Arabic.
Mini case study
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Illustrative example: Omar, operations director of a 700-guard security company in Dubai. He takes the cautious assumption of 1,500 recovered hours a month, half the table scenario, at 30 AED an hour, that is 45,000 AED a month. A project around 5,500,000 FCFA (about 8,380 EUR, roughly 34,000 AED), mid-way on the Kolonell grid, pays back in under one month. Add 9,000 AED of avoided penalties and 3 payroll days saved each month, and the business case is clear even if real gains are half the estimate.
FAQ
Can guards cheat with the QR code?
A photographed QR code can be reused, which is why GPS location is recorded at the same time and rotating QR codes can be shown on a device fixed at the post. A shift-start selfie can be required on sensitive sites at almost no extra cost.
What if a site has no internet?
The app records check-ins and patrols offline, with the phone clock locked, then syncs as soon as signal returns. In Dubai, under 5% of sites, typically basements and construction zones, are usually affected.
Can the client see reports in real time?
Yes, each client gets a portal with guard attendance, patrols and incidents. This can be sold as an option, for example 150 to 300 AED per site per month.
What does it cost to run each month?
Hosting and SMS come to roughly 400 to 1,000 AED a month for 700 guards. Kolonell maintenance ranges from 35,000 to 120,000 FCFA a month (50 to 180 EUR) depending on the support level.
Can the platform connect to our existing payroll software?
Yes, through an Excel or CSV export of actual hours per guard, or a direct connector if the software allows it. The connector is validated during the first 2 weeks of scoping.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of guards, sites and shift rules: we quote your scheduling software in the 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA band (6,100 to 10,670 EUR), delivered in 12 weeks. 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.
