What a guard tour system does
A guard tour system answers one question your clients care about: was the guard actually there, and when? Checkpoints are placed around a site, at gates, doors, fences, parking areas and server rooms. On each round the guard records a visit at every checkpoint, and the system keeps the time of each visit.
For decades this was done with a mechanical watchman's clock, then with handheld wands that touch metal buttons on the wall. A guard tour app does the same job with the phone the guard already carries.
QR codes, NFC tags or wands?
| QR labels | NFC tags | Wand and buttons | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware cost | A printed label | A tag per checkpoint | Wands plus buttons |
| Works with any phone | Yes, through the camera | Only phones with NFC | No, needs the wand |
| Setup | Print and stick | Buy, program, mount | Install visit |
| Weak point | A label can be photographed and copied | Tags cost more to replace | Data reaches you only when the wand is docked |
For most small companies, QR labels are the fastest way to start: no hardware to buy and any phone works. To make copied labels less useful, a good app records the scan time on the phone and how each scan was made, and lets you turn off typed codes so only a camera scan counts. Discreet labels that do not name the checkpoint help too.
What to look for in a guard tour app
It must work with no signal
Patrols happen in basements, stairwells, warehouses and parking garages. If the app needs a connection to save a scan or a report, guards will lose data exactly where it matters. Look for an app that saves every scan and photo on the phone first and uploads it later, even after the phone restarts.
It must run on the phones your guards carry
Your guards have iPhones and Android phones, some old, some shared. Check that the app runs on both, and that it keeps the guard signed in so nobody is locked out at 2 a.m.
Alerts during the shift, not after
A missed checkpoint is only useful to know about while you can still do something. The app should alert you while the shift is still running when a round is missed. If guards work alone, look for timed “I’m OK” check-ins that alert you when one is late.
Reports your clients can read
The scans are raw data. What your client wants is a clear daily report: which rounds were done, when, what was missed and why, and any incidents with photos. Check whether the app sends that automatically, with your branding. A read-only link the client can open at any time saves you a lot of “can you resend last Tuesday?” emails. You can see an example of a daily client report.
An edit history on every report
If a client or an insurer questions a report, you want the original record. Edits should never overwrite it. Every change should show who made it, when, and what changed.
Pricing that fits a small company
Enterprise platforms are often priced through a sales call. Small companies are usually better served by published monthly prices per company size, with no setup fee and no long contract.
How a round works in PatrolSheet
- You add a site and its checkpoints, then print the QR labels from your dashboard. Stick them up on site. You can pin each checkpoint on a floor plan too.
- The guard starts the shift in the app on iPhone, Android or the web, confirms the post orders and scans each label on every round. A checkpoint can ask a yes/no question, like “Door locked?”.
- If a checkpoint is not scanned on time, you get an email during the shift.
- Every morning, at the time you set, the client gets a branded daily client report by email.
See the pricing or read about a daily activity report template if you still run patrols on paper.