Looking to manage security operations processes in a digital platform? Then, you’re looking for security management software, which covers a variety of use cases from physical, cyber, and operational security.
But what are the benefits of security management software to the firms that procure it? This article lays out the six key benefits.
What is security management software?
But first, what is security management software, exactly?
Security management software consists of digital tools to document security operations as well as capture detailed procedures to ensure preparedness and centrally manage critical security threat responses.
Security management software also helps to monitor threat intelligence, track risks to the organization, and create and implement plans for coordinated responses.
Given security management covers all aspects of protecting an organization’s assets, including its computers, people, and facilities, procuring security management software has become a no-brainer. This is particularly the case for businesses who handled security operations manually only to learn firsthand how inefficient fragmented, paper-based processes are.
What’s more, the increase in risk to corporate assets makes the investment in security management software sound – these are benefits of crisis management software and of safety management software, as well, two solution areas that have also seen sharp increases in risk.
And as this article explains, strategies for identifying assets, developing, and implementing policies and procedures for protecting them, as well as maintaining and maturing security management programs can only be efficiently operationalized via digital means, with integrated platforms.
Key features of security management software
Security management software platforms tend to boast the following features:
Asset and resource management
Security personnel is often tasked to secure hard assets, such as vehicles and facilities. Asset management capabilities ensure that those assets are properly tracked. Real-time analytics can also help maintain the security of these assets while better optimizing the resources used to protect them (resource management).
Audits and Inspections
Another set of core tasks in security management, audits and inspections can be digitized for greater efficiency and visibility.
Critical Infrastructure Protection
Critical infrastructure are key assets to a nation’s wellbeing. Digital capabilities such as risk and threat management, security control inspections, and crowded place and impact assessments help to keep those assets secure.
Planned Events
These are digital tools that help teams understand their security resourcing requirements ahead of time by capturing planned event details from organizers.
How does security management software actually benefit your business?
Features alone don’t explain the full value of security management software, though.
So, what exactly are the key benefits of security management software?
Provides a single source of truth for all security data
Security management software offers to cover all security operations in one platform. This is vastly preferable to multiple point solutions and/or manual processes covering distinct aspects of security operations, including patrols, people of interest, and logging.
Not only is there a cost savings advantage over having duplicative systems, but continuity can be better established, particularly between shifts.
An audit trail can also be more easily established, with relevant data available to those who need it when it matters most. This is also a benefit of emergency management software for entities with reporting obligations.
Improves situational awareness.
Of course, one of the added benefits of having all relevant security data in a single source of truth is that it improves situational awareness – a benefit of business continuity management software, as well.
Users and decision makers with access to the system can have line of sight into all aspects of security operations, including incidents, shifts, logs, patrols, assets, visitor, contractor, and event management.
Accelerates incident response
By improving the quality of dispatch management, security management software helps teams act more swiftly on the latest intel. Not just dispatching personnel, either, but also tracking their findings in real time when a security incident happens.
Increases collaboration
Security operations should be collaborative. However, manual processes have long stymied meaningful collaboration.
Not so with digital security management software, which promotes collaboration with flexible forms, dashboards, and workflow designers.
The platforms also serve to make user interactions easier, which facilitates better self-reporting to take the load off security teams.
Simplifies reporting
Reporting has traditionally been a bugbear of the industry. Armed only with notebooks, teams in the field have struggled to collate what information they’ve sussed out into forms fitting departmental or organizational criteria.
With security management software, however, the process is streamlined and digitized.
How so? Information gets input on any device. And the platform itself turns that information into meaningful reports, available to stakeholders – whether higher ups, regulators, insurers, or the public.
Enhances stakeholder engagement
Security management software solutions enable information to go out via push, email, SMS, and voice notifications with messaging templates.
However, they also allow critical intelligence to come in expeditiously, via public forms. This not only helps keep stakeholders up to date, but also greatly increases stakeholder engagement.
Indeed, the platform makes anyone who has something worthwhile to contribute a valuable partner in security operations.
This is particularly important when it comes to large-scale events where the public can serve as users providing tip offs, observations, and other valuable information via easy-to-use digital forms.
Practical uses of security software
But how do organizations use security software in furtherance of their business goals? One such entity, a prominent Australian retailer, uses security management software in support of security incident management.
That retailer went to market in search of a software platform that could provide automated security incident notifications and updates for loss prevention, crisis communications to employees, via geospatially-targeted SMS messages, as well as support its Crisis Management operations during major exercises.
The solution procured now serves as the key system supporting its Incident Management Center, which manages all reportable incidents and monitors all intruder alarms.
What have been some of the other business benefits accrued from digital security management software? The retailer reports gains in situational awareness, operational efficiency, staff safety, as well as closer coordination with suppliers, emergency services, transport, and contractors.
So, how do you get these benefits of security management software for your own firm? Well, with Noggin’s platform for security operations, you can proactively manage all aspects of your security operations from anywhere, on any device. Request a demonstration to see Noggin in action.
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