FAQs about the GuardTrax Solution
A Global Leader in Guard Tour Reporting, Accountability and Management Technology
There is an operational and competitive answer to this FAQ.
- Operationally, you need the GuardTrax solution because:
- You need to know that your officers are performing their duties at any given moment 24/7/365 both for performance and liabilty reasons.
- Your officers and supervisors need a technology tool that features a phone and text capability; geo-fencing, real-time reporting among many other features
- Your company needs to invest in technology solutions that will lower hard and soft operating costs. The GuardTrax solution is proven to lower and eliminate hard and soft costs traditionally associated with guarding. Ask your GuardTrax sales professional for a detailed analysis of these cost offsets.
- Competitively, you need the GuardTrax solution because:
- If your officer isn't becoming better, more effective and more efficient, for sure your competitors' officers are and you will lose existing contracts.
- More and more RFPs are demanding that your officers have a real-time and online accessible guard tour reporting, accountability and management tool. If you can't respond completely to the RFP, you will be disqualified from consideration and you will lose new business opportunities.
- After you've won a contract. you will still want to reinforce with the customer why they selected you as the contract guard vendor. What will you be able to share with them about your officers performance if you don't have real-time, online accessible reports showing exemplary officer performance? Your customers want visual and contextual evidence. The GuardTrax solution provides evidence of exemplary officer performance that your sales team can consistently share with your customer. (And if your officers are not performing as directed, you will know about it BEFORE your customer takes notice avoiding an event that is embarrassing or threatens your contract.)
In some situations, we see companies using what are typically referred to as "legacy" systems. In technology speak, a legacy system is a system waiting to be replaced by a more modern and effective solution. The decision makers who have invested in these legacy systems are NOT to blame because at one time, these now legacy systems were the modern and most effective solution. But some decision makers do indeed fail to adapt and make decisions based upon what they know to be true today and stay with the legacy system to protect as they say their "sunk costs". Just the sound of a sunk anything says what needs to be said. It's time to rise up and make new decisions.
A common legacy system is compared with the GuardTrax solution.
| Features: | GuardTrax | Wand |
|---|---|---|
| Real Time GPS | No | |
| Real Time RFID | No | |
| Phone Capability | No | |
| Real TIme Tour Alerts | No | |
| Tour Confirmation | No | |
| Text Messaging | No | |
| Geo-fence | No | |
| Guard Tour Instant Replay | No | |
| No motion alert | No | |
| No movement reporting | No | |
| Event Codes | Limited | |
| Real Time Incident Alerts | No | |
| On Charger/Off Charger | No | |
| User Login Reporting | No | |
| Ring/Vibrate | No | |
| Fraud Protection | Maybe | |
| Real Time Incident Reporting | No | |
| Web Based Reporting | No | |
| Local Computer Reporting | No | |
| Mapping and Imaging | No | |
| Cold weather functionality | Maybe | |
| Easier Programming of Tags | No | |
| Easier Installation of Tags | No |
The GuardTrax solution is, in fact, more cost effective and less costly than the legacy type wand product. Contact your GuardTrax sales representative to see the written price comparison.
But then why do some decision makers stay with the legacy system?
Often times, a decision maker says, "We won't choose now to upgrade to a better solution because we have sunk costs into the legacy system". As if this still makes economic sense. It doesn't! These legacy systems are not only in many cases more expensive (and as noted above inferior to the GuardTrax solution) BUT they are also costing you more money right now as follows:
1. Since the data isn’t transmitted real time for the wands it has to be uploaded to a computer either manually or over the web. A supervisor then has to travel to the computer to access the information. This costs big $ both in terms of the salary of the supervisor, travel time and wear and tear on the vehicle. Also, you have to have a computer at each location.
2. By settling for data that is not real time and without alerts, you are exposing yourselves to additional costs through poor customer service. Do you want to hear from your customer that the guard didn’t show up or do you want to receive an alert instantaneously? What is the cost of an unhappy customer?
3. Service, service, service. By accepting an antiquated solution, you are exposing yourselves to higher customer turnover. A competitor is currently calling your customer now and they have the new technology. New customers are tough enough to get, don’t lose them to a competitor with a better solution.
GuardTrax pays for itself! GuardTrax cost per billable hour is offset by mobile phone cost savings and supervisor cost savings. No need for extra cell phones as the GuardTrax covers that functionality. Supervisors can monitor multiple locations via the website and alerts creating payroll and travel savings. GuardTrax service can be “marked up” to the end user creating an additional profit center. In addition, there are “soft” cost savings of client retention, new business, and post-sale value that make GuardTrax a huge plus to the bottom line.
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New Business/Sales:
New Business/Sales: Guard companies can expect to realize new business growth from prospect accounts presently contracted with other guard services vendors or accounts staffing in-house.
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Decreased Liability Exposure
The use of GuardTrax devices will provide Guard companies regularly scheduled reports and alerts that have been proven to reduce exposure to liabilities relating to missed tours, unreported events etc.
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Easy to implement:
GuardTrax is a turnkey solution that implements quickly and delivers valuable information immediately. GuardTrax can be deployed in the field within 48 hours of ordering with minimal set up required by the user. GuardTrax customer support is available to assist the users in deploying the devices. GuardTrax has successfully deployed 1000s of devices in the field.
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Growth Business/Sales:
Guard companies can expect to realize the potential for “plus” business with existing accounts thus deepening the customers’ commitment to you making it less likely that the customer will disengage at renewal time.
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Low Price Point:
GuardTrax is priced to only add (transparently) as little as $0.15 per hour to the bill rate. The introduction of any asset, tool or equipment will inevitably add to the bill rate. Read+
GuardTrax minimally adds to cost while visibly and demonstrably enhancing the customer service delivery. -
Decreased Staff and Costs:
Guard companies will realize significant savings in the cost of delivering service to clients including: reduced supervisory expense through remote monitoring /virtual supervision, reduced mobile phone expense, reduced Read+
liability expense, elimination of “wand” devices, and reduced selling costs through more effective solution selling. We expect that these benefits will more than offset the cost of the GuardTrax device.
Please refer to the GuardTrax User Guide. or the GuardTrax Android User Guide. to ensure that you have followed the set up instructions. If you still believe that the device is still not functioning, please email gtsupport@guardtrax.com for trouble shooting assistance. If we cannot correct the situation over the phone, we will send an RMA device and have you return the non-working device. If we determine that the device is not working because it was mishandled or otherwise used outside of its intended purpose or it is outside of its warranty period, you will be charged for a replacement device.
Please note the device time is changed on the device through the Menu key:
Hit the MENU key (display will read OPTIONS)
Hit ENTER
Use arrow keys to find TIME ZONE
Hit ENTER
Hit the UP ARROW to move the time one hour ahead
Hit ENTER
Just as with any electronic device, the GT Android guard tour solution is contingent first and foremost on usage patterns. Internal GT tests revealed that for typical use defined as 120-150 QR scans per 8 hour shift; about 10 minutes of calls per 8 hour shift and minimal texting; shift related reporting (DAR and/or IR) and periodic photo and video capture/sharing, etc. that the device should last for 8 hours without a charge. We also have available for more aggressive users of the solution a swappable extra battery available and highly recommended for purchase and use at the time of deployment.
First and foremost, the hiring of capable and professional officers is a must. During an 8 hour shift, certainly the officer should be able to make brief contact with family members as is to be expected, but they must respect their position and the device and limit usage for professional use with a small dose of non-professional engagement. Second, training must reinforce your company policy and technology use guidelines. Third is that our GPS, QR scanning and device diagnostics can verify if an officer has been inactive (possibly watching movies on the phone) for an extended period of time. We leave the management and supervision of your officers to you, however if there is a need, we can sell you the GuardTrax Basic phone and plan where effectively we lock the phone down for a very specific and short list of features and user scenarios.
GuardTrax offers 4 different options for purchase and use:
1. GuardTrax Classic is our OEM device and solution that the market has come to know and love since 2007. This OEM device is a cost effective set of features all shown on the brochure found here (attach link). This solution does not provide photo or video capture nor does it provide two-way texting capability. The phone feature is limited to 5 professional use numbers.
2. GuardTrax Android Standard is a solution where we provide you with the phone, the voice and data plan and the GuardTrax application pre-loaded and usable right out of the box. Our offering provides for unlimited voice and data and of course the solution has photo, video, text and phone functionality.
3. GuardTrax Android Basic is a solution where we provide you with the phone, the voice and data plan and the GuardTrax application pre-loaded and usable right out of the box AND we effectively "lock down" the device for professional use purpose only. We offer this option if you are concerned that the user/officer might be tempted to spend time searching the internet, phoning friends, listening to music or watching their favorite TV shows on Hulu. If you want extra assurances that the user/officer is limiting the use of the solution for professional purposes only, then this might be a viable option.
4. GuardTrax Android Application Only: You provide the phone and the data and voice plan and purchase just the GuardTrax app.
All 4 of these options include the back-end reporting and forensic package.
GuardTrax Classic, our OEM device operates on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks. GuardTrax Android, depending on the package purchase plan, will be available on T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T.
There is a lot of debate on this subject in the leading trade press. The issue cuts across legal, operational and security issues. Some considerations: Can you trust that each officer will bring a fully functional phone to the assignment? Phone contracts are owned by the entity that purchased the phone and voice/data plan. In the event of a hostile termination of or exit by an officer, can you afford to not be in control of the phone and any data resident in that phone? Most security companies choose to put forward a standard of delivery and officer excellence. If you allow each of your officers to come with their own phone, you will have countless different levels of phone quality and functionality among your officer force. Is that what you want? A company provided phone and ownership of the plan allows you the privilege to manage and monitor phone usage to ensure that officers are not spending too much time on non-professional calls of perhaps watching their favorite shows on Hulu. This is not the case if you allow each officer to come with their own phone. While the issue is complex, all indications are for you to provide a professional use phone to your officer. GuardTrax can package a phone, officer application and voice/data plan all in one for you!
GuardTrax Classic, our OEM device operates on the T-Mobile and AT&T networks. GuardTrax Android, depending on the package purchase plan, will be available on T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T.
There is a lot of debate on this subject in the leading trade press. The issue cuts across legal, operational and security issues. Some considerations: Can you trust that each officer will bring a fully functional phone to the assignment? Phone contracts are owned by the entity that purchased the phone and voice/data plan. In the event of a hostile termination of or exit by an officer, can you afford to not be in control of the phone and any data resident in that phone? Most security companies choose to put forward a standard of delivery and officer excellence. If you allow each of your officers to come with their own phone, you will have countless different levels of phone quality and functionality among your officer force. Is that what you want? A company provided phone and ownership of the plan allows you the privilege to manage and monitor phone usage to ensure that officers are not spending too much time on non-professional calls of perhaps watching their favorite shows on Hulu. This is not the case if you allow each officer to come with their own phone. While the issue is complex, all indications are for you to provide a professional use phone to your officer. GuardTrax can package a phone, officer application and voice/data plan all in one for you!
For many years now, the need for officer reporting, accountability and management has been a top priority for guarding companies. (GuardTrax was the first mover in providing a real time, online solution with our GuardTrax Classic device.) More recently, RFPs have demanded that you have such technology just to be included in the bid and competitive process. This remains true today and into the future. But now the imperative is that much greater and GuardTrax has responded with our new GuardTrax Phone Application.
In today's world every civilian citizen and every office worker is a photographer and videographer.
Could you imagine a security scenario involving your officers failing to capture critical photographic or video evidence because they don't have a professional use phone featuring the GuardTrax Phone App?
Could you imagine a discussion with the executive leaders of your customer companies where they ask you why one of their staffers captured photos and video of an event and your officer didn't? Or worse, could you imagine that conversation involving a civilian bystander capturing photos and video that your officer failed to capture? The operational, security and legal ramifications of this are staggering. And you're still wondering if you need your officers to be able to take photos and video?
Sending an officer to an assignment without a phone and officer tour app is like sending the officer to an assignment without a uniform or sending a mobile patrol officer to an assignment on a donkey. There is a level of professional expectation that the modern customer demands and at or near the top of the list comes the requirement to have a professional use only, working phone that can capture photos and video and that provides officer reporting, accountability and management.
If you're with this concept so far, read on.
Not only are properties being potentially photographed and videoed as per the above by civilians and office staff but in today's security space, fixed and PTZ cameras are becoming more standard. For years, the "cry" from the camera vendors was "you don't need officers, just cameras". Well we know that this is not correct. The modern guarding solution requires officers with tour technology and cameras and monitoring centers (security NOCs) and in some instances analytics.
Here again...Are you going to allow your officers to be non-competitive in the capture of photos and video? Are you going to concede a position of strength? What is that position of strength?
Can a fixed camera see every spot on a property? No, but your officer can likely get to every spot on a property.
Can a fixed camera interview involved persons immediately and tie that commentary to native video? No, but your officer can.
Can a fixed camera apprehend a wrongdoer? While some cameras can use remote voice broadcasting, no, the camera cannot apprehend a wrongdoer, but your officer can.
Can a fixed or PTX camera bring the photo "shot" within inches of the camera lens for delicate and/or near in requirements? Not in most cases but your officer can.
Ok...you get it by now but there is more!
The photos and video that your officers take can be shared in real time to the security NOC or monitoring center. So let's say that your customer is invested in a camera solution that ties to a security NOC or monitoring center. If your officer does not have a phone and GuardTrax app, how are they going to partner with your customer's investment in cameras and a NOC? Simply stated...you won't be able to partner with that other part of the guarding equation all because you chose to not equip your officer with a phone and GuardTrax application.
GuardTrax can tie your officer's photos and video directly to the NOC. And we can tie all of the GuardTrax officer reporting directly to the NOC. So now, you are not competing with cameras but rather you are partners in providing a platinum solution.
You think this is window dressing? Consider this: At the heart of security is the need for immediate situational awareness and communication. If your officer does not have a technology tool on them, you are cooked. Ok...you have guards that come with their own phone. Let's hope the phone works. But now, the security situation required that the security agent at the video monitoring center needed to push out video to your officer. Or your officer took a photo of a suspected wrongdoer and wanted to share this with the center and supervisory team...but they can't because it's not all tied together. Yup...you are cooked again.
With the GuardTrax application, your officer is completely integrated with the supervisory team and the video monitoring center team. Under what circumstances would you feel comfortable NOT having your officer connected in this fashion?
The GuardTrax Phone Application provides you and your officer with the #1 officer tour reporting, accountability and management platform plus a phone and plus the ability to take, store and share photos and video.
Can you really afford to not have this tool on your officer? Are you prepared to send officers to assignments without this tool while your competitors, large and small, all equip their officers with modern technology?
And most so, are you prepared to concede the taking and sharing of security photos and video to civilians, officer workers and the camera companies?
GuardTrax puts your officer right in the essential middle of this security requirement.
You can purchase the app and use license in 2 ways with an additional option:
1. The app and use license can be purchased from the GuardTrax web site and installed on a phone that you or your officer provide. In this model, you are responsible for the voice and data plan as well as the phone.
2. After you purchase the app and use license available from the GuardTrax web site and remit payment for a phone and voice/data plan, we can send you a phone with the app installed. You have the option of having the phone sent to you open or locked. A locked version significantly limits the officer to only the apps allowed. This can be a strong deterrent if you have concerns that the officer might use an "open" phone for non-business specific use (searching the web; watching TV programs; etc.)
You will receive within 24 business hours an electronic response confirming receipt of your electronically submitted RMA and a request for further action or instruction. Such a request might indicate your need to send the device in for service or an instruction on fix steps that can be done with you in possession of the device. Emails and phone calls do not qualify as formal RMA requests.
If you are asked to send the device to GuardTrax, you will receive within 72 business hours FROM THE TIME WE RECEIVE YOUR DEVICE AT OUR LAB an electronic (email) response on the status of the analysis and the comments from our technology lab.
GuardTrax RMA policy:
If you are experiencing a technical issue with your GuardTrax unit, you should do the following:
Look over the FAQ and Training Videos to see if there is a solution already given for the issue.
If the issues persist:
Contact GuardTrax Customer Service for assistance by sending an email to gtsupport@guardtrax.com .
Include the following in the e-mail:
- Subject of e-mail should read: [Company Name]
- Contact Name
- Company Name
- Contact Number and email address
- GuardTrax IMEI/Serial Number (IMEI # can be found on the website in the group where the unit resides or underneath the battery)
- Group Name on the website where the device is located
- Specific details about the issue (i.e. my GuardTrax won't scan RFID tags, won't hold a charge, etc...) The more detail you provide the quicker we can resolve your issue
You will receive a response to your email from GuardTrax Tier 1 support within 24 hours.
Be prepared to do some troubleshooting with the device and if necessary plan to have the device in hand at the time of the troubleshooting if GuardTrax decides to escalate the issue to Tier 2 support.
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