Comparison of smart vs wand-based vs paper-based security systems

A comprehensive comparison of Security Management Solutions

Managing the security operations of your organisation is a juggling act. On the one hand, you try to mitigate possible risks by providing full protection to customers, clients, employees and all the other stakeholders. On the other hand, you design and implement processes that improve operational efficiency and provide long-term cost savings.

The good news is, a smart security management solution does both.

However, we are living in a world, where 70% of the companies still rely on traditional means, such as the pen-paper method. Also, organisations that want to switch to Smart Security Management Solution still struggle to make the right choice. We get it. Choosing the right security solution is not easy and it requires careful consideration of costs, installation, adaptation, and training.

In this blog, we will be highlighting a few essential factors to take into consideration when switching from a traditional security system (Pen and Paper and Wand-Based) to an automated security solution (Smart).

Keep reading to get insights on how to choose a security management system that is best suited for your company.

Convenience

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
Readily available but unreliable	Hard to implement but reliable	Easy installation & set-up and simple training required
Heavy paper-load	Incurs less paper-load	Eliminates paper-load
No overview of data	Tedious and not insightful	Real-time updates on incidents and reporting
Limited communication	Meaningless communication	Fast and meaningful communication

Accountability

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
Inaccurate view of daily operations, emergency incidents and security situations	Lacks full overview of operations and protection	Stores verifiable digital footprints of all activities in a secure database

History log and data analysis

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
Manual data entry	Limited context to data and history log	Automated data entry with full history of activities and incident reports
Error-prone and time-consuming	Inaccessible insight and information	Meaningful insights and information

Reliability and real-time tracking

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
Easily manipulated	Can be hacked	Safe and reliable
No real-time tracking	Manual tracking of operations and incidents	Provides real-time visibility and tracking of cross-functional operation

Cost-efficiency

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
Inefficiencies of operations may incur high cost over time	Replacement of equipment may cost the organisation unnecessary expenditure	One-time cost with high return-on-investment (ROI) due to scalibility

Communication and Safety

Paper-based	Wand-based	Smart Solutions
No communication loop defined	Communication loop involves hiccups and red tapes	Fast and effective communication loop between teams
Slow relay of information to relevant personnel	Slow relay of information to relevant personnel	Relevant personnel informed immediately in distress situations

In conclusion, it is evident that a Smart Security Management System is your best bet to provide full-protection to you and your company. The cost efficiency, reliability and reduction in error makes it a more educated choice as compared to the others.

If you are looking for insights into transitioning from manual to automated security, then check out our other article Transitioning to Software: 9 Things You Must Take Care Of. It will help you understand how to make a smooth transition and provides insight on what to look out for when making the choice.

Bonus Tip: To make things ‘even’ easier, be sure to check out Security Risk’s Security Management Software. The software is built to be cost-efficient, reliable, easy to install and setup. The Security Risk Manager (SRM) platform suite of products are available for a free trial. Register for a free trial to see if it is suitable for you and your business.