Achieving successful SIA audits that deliver on the bottom line
The SIA’s Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS) helps companies stand out as one of the best providers of private security services in the UK. At SmartTask we have worked with many customers to design our software to support their operations and achieve ACS status.
In this first of a series of blogs where we will be commenting on the various requirements for ACS accreditation, our CEO, Paul Ridden, discusses how using workforce management software can support the ACS self-assessment process - and deliver real efficiencies that reduce costs and help win more business.
A recognised hallmark for the Security Industry
The SIA ‘Security Industry Authority’ ACS or ‘Approved Contractor Scheme’ is a recognised UK certification that shows your company is following industry codes of practice. It demonstrates your competence, training and commitment to deliver the services of your operation to industry standards. While entirely voluntary, there is no doubt that it is becoming a commercial necessity to be SIA ACS approved - and it can help you stand out among your competitors.
Improving performance standards
The scheme requires a rigorous approval procedure, assessing staff and processes to monitor the service delivery against quality standards and improve performance. In fact, its similarity to ISO 9001 requirements means that it can be possible to achieve ISO 9001 at the same time.
At SmartTask we have worked through the SIA’s published ACS Workbook Guide (SAW) to understand these requirements in detail. In this series of blogs, we will be exploring each section of the guide, identifying how workforce management software can help companies to meet the requirements and benefit from more efficient operations.
Counting the benefits
Although an SIA audit can be time-consuming, there are also significant benefits. Following the process can demonstrate:
- a commitment to quality, management and customer service
- assurance that staff and security officers are fit and adequately trained to perform their roles
- that your service has been independently assessed against recognised standards
- company status in the SIA Register of Approved Contractors
- industry standard certification that can be used in marketing.
The SIA also regularly promotes the benefits of using an approved contractor to buyers of private security services including local authorities, government departments, and the commercial sector.
The ACS process – how technology can help
The ACS Workbook Guide explains what is required for each section in the self-assessment process, along with examples and good practice. The first section entitled ‘Strategy’ states that a company must be able to demonstrate that it:
- has a coherent plan and approach to business
- outlines clear mechanisms for improving the standard of service delivery
- handles internal and external communications effectively
- actively manages the impact of its services on society and the environment
- measures and improves on performance against key indicators.
The right software solution can support these requirements, helping manage daily business operations and administration tasks efficiently and provide data to monitor performance against KPIs.
Capturing data gives insights into performance
Criterion 1 in the Strategy section outlines the requirement for a business to communicate clearly its business strategy and approach to business to all employees. It identifies the need to outline critical business success factors and monitor their progress with goals, objectives and targets visible across the organisation (Reference 1.1.1 to 1.2.2 in the SAW).
Experienced service providers know that gathering this data to support these measures and creating meaningful dashboards and/or reports to drive the business towards continual improvement can be challenging and expensive. However, when a security services business has deployed and fully utilises a workforce management system it captures the data to be able to measure these KPIs.
We are collaborating with our UK security customers to build an extensive range of reports and dashboards which help turn the captured data in to meaningful information to measure the performance of the business against its designed success factors. Examples include:
- Check call compliance
- Contract fulfilment
- Reporting performance
- Key holding compliance
- Management visit compliance
- Staff training compliance
- Staff Customer AI (Assignment Instruction) awareness
As well as capturing that all-important data, with a mobile app you can respond quickly to changes - and manage how and what communication takes place with officers out on site, customers and other stakeholders, such as:
- sending assignment instructions directly to security officers, including last minute patrol changes and details for alarm responses
- conducting and documenting risk assessments prior to contract renewals
- recording and managing incident logs on site checks.
Feedback from customers and other parties can also be swiftly actioned and reported. These electronic records are easily stored and searched, providing a full audit trail and
Win new business with efficient operations
- reduced administration costs and time
- improved management of their carbon footprint with better route planning and reduced paper wastage
- new business through operational efficiencies.
We have worked with many organisations that use workforce management software to support the SIA process. As an example, Orion Safeguarding has achieved its successful SIA ACS audit and won new contracts from using SmartTask software. The full case study is available on our website.
If you would like to talk to us about how we can help you with your business, why not give us a call today?