The verdict in three sentences
In manned guarding, margin is won or lost on unbilled shift hours, unplanned overtime and client penalties. Specialist vendors at GBP 3 to 6 per officer per month handle rostering and standard occurrence books well. Custom software makes sense once you want rostering, payroll, SIA licence compliance and client billing linked with your own contract rules.
A day in the life of a scheduler across 60 sites
The managing director of a 230-officer guarding company in London covers 60 client sites: shopping centres, logistics warehouses near Heathrow, residential blocks, events in Docklands. The 38,000 monthly hours are rostered in a spreadsheet, cover is arranged by text message at night, and the occurrence book is still paper on a third of sites. Tracking SIA licences and first aid certificates depends on one administrator's memory.
| Indicator | Today | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Shift hours per month | 38,000 | 38,000, 100% clocked |
| Gap between rostered and billed hours | 2.8% | Under 0.8% |
| Unplanned overtime | 1,900 hours per month | 900 hours per month |
| SIA licences and certificates | Spreadsheet, 3 missed expiries in 2025 | Alerts at 90, 60 and 30 days |
| Occurrence book | Paper on 20 sites | Electronic on 60 sites, timestamped photos |
| Patrols | Old clocking wands | QR code or NFC, proof sent to client |
| Scheduling staff | 3 full-time schedulers | 2 schedulers |
Specialist vendor or custom software
The UK market has several guarding-specific vendors. The 2026 ballpark is GBP 3 to 6 per officer per month, so GBP 8,300 to 16,600 a year for 230 officers, often with extra modules (patrols, officer app, payroll interface). They suit a company that accepts their workflow. The limit shows with very different client contracts: specific uplifts, penalties for late post take-up, tailored monthly reports.
| Criterion | Specialist vendor | Kolonell custom software |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cost | Setup GBP 1,500 to 6,000 (2026 ballpark) | Medium app 4,000,000 to 7,000,000 FCFA (EUR 6,100 to 10,670) or complex 7,000,000 to 15,000,000+ FCFA (EUR 10,670 to 22,870+) |
| Recurring cost | GBP 3 to 6 per officer per month | Maintenance 35,000 / 75,000 / 120,000 FCFA per month (EUR 53 / 114 / 183) |
| Working Time Regulations | Standard settings | Your own rules, rest and shift-length checks |
| SIA compliance | Expiry date field | Assignment blocked if licence expired |
| Occurrence book and patrols | Vendor app | Offline officer app, QR code, photos |
| Client billing | Export to accounts | Invoice per site from hours actually worked |
| Client portal | Add-on | Monthly report per site, online |
The interface with your payroll software and hosting are priced in the quote, depending on the payroll tool in place.
Rules to build in from day one
Three rules prevent most disputes. No officer can be assigned to a post without a valid SIA front line licence and the required qualification (door supervision or CCTV, for example). Rest periods and the 48-hour weekly limit under the Working Time Regulations, unless opted out, must be checked before the roster is published. Every post take-up must be timestamped and geolocated, so you bill exactly what was worked and can answer client complaints.
Rollout plan
The safest path starts with a 3-week pilot on 5 representative sites: a shopping centre, a warehouse, a residential block, an event venue and a 24/7 static post. Schedulers keep the spreadsheet in parallel during the pilot, then switch once rostered and clocked hours match within 1%. Officer training takes 30 minutes on the app, scheduler training two half-days. Licence data is imported from the SIA register checks you already run, so alerts work from the first week.
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Sarah, operations director, runs the numbers. Out of 38,000 monthly hours, the gap between rostered and billed hours is 2.8%, or 1,064 hours. Bringing it to 0.8% recovers 760 hours a month. At an average charge rate of GBP 21 per hour, the gain is GBP 15,960 a month, GBP 191,520 a year. Cutting unplanned overtime from 1,900 to 900 hours, at an average premium of GBP 3.50, adds GBP 42,000 a year.
Against that, a complex app at 15,000,000 FCFA (EUR 22,870) at the top of the range, and 120,000 FCFA (EUR 183) monthly maintenance. Even if the gain is a third of the estimate, payback comes in under six months.
FAQ
Does the software satisfy SIA Approved Contractor Scheme audits?
It keeps the records auditors ask for: licences, training, assignments, incident handling. At audit time, the extraction takes minutes rather than half a day.
Do officers need their own smartphone?
An Android app is enough, and a shared site handset can be provided on static sites. Across 60 sites, plan for about 25 shared devices.
How long is the rollout?
Allow 12 to 18 weeks, including a 3-week pilot on 5 sites before full rollout.
Can clients see the occurrence book?
Yes, through a client portal that shows events, patrols and the monthly report for their own site only.
Who owns the software?
The source code and database are handed over to the company, with technical documentation.
Let's scope your project. Tell us about your sites, contract types and payroll tool, and we will scope rostering, occurrence book and billing with a pilot on a few 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.
