What is a security SLA report?
A security SLA report shows the client how the guarding service performed against the targets in the service level agreement. Many companies issue it monthly and discuss it in a review meeting.
It is not a pile of daily reports. It is a short, measured summary that answers one question: did we deliver what the contract says? Where the answer is no, it says why and what is being done.
The figures should come from records made at the time, such as patrol scans, clock-ins and incident reports. Security reporting software that stamps each record with the time, user and location makes those figures much easier to defend.
What should a security SLA report measure?
Measure what the contract promises, and only what you can prove from records. Seven measures cover most guarding contracts.
| Measure | What it counts | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Post cover | Shifts covered by a qualified officer, against shifts contracted | Rosters and clock-in records |
| Punctuality | Officers on post by the agreed time, with the grace period stated | Clock-in times by location |
| Patrol completion | Rounds completed against rounds scheduled, with all checkpoints scanned | Patrol scan records with time and location |
| Incident notification | Incidents reported to the client within the agreed time | OB entries, incident reports and message times |
| Alarm response | Time from alarm to an officer checking the zone | Alarm log and OB entries |
| Supervision | Supervisor visits done, against visits agreed | Signed visit reports with time and location |
| Site issues | Risks reported to the client, and how many are closed | Issue list with photos and dates |
Count checkpoints as well as rounds. A round with half its checkpoints scanned is not a completed round. For what a patrol record should show, see security clocking points explained.
How do you agree SLA measures a client will accept?
Write each measure, its target and its definition into the contract before the service starts. Disputes usually come from vague definitions, not from bad figures.
- Define the edge cases. Is a round that starts 20 minutes late missed or late? Does a relief officer count as cover?
- Agree the exclusions. A round missed because the client locked a gate should be recorded, but not counted against you.
- Use data you already collect. A measure that needs a supervisor to count by hand each month will not last.
- Keep the list short. Five to eight measures are usually enough to show the service is under control.
The PSIRA Code of Conduct backs this up. A security service provider must put the full agreement with the client in writing and give the client a copy (regulation 9(4)). It must render the service according to that contract, with reasonable skill, diligence and care (regulation 9(5)).
The Code also requires sufficient and correct information to be given when a client reasonably needs it. That includes how the service is managed, controlled and supervised (regulation 9(2)(f)). It also covers any matter the client lawfully and reasonably asks about (regulation 9(2)(j)). This is a summary, not legal advice.
How should a monthly SLA report be structured?
Use the same structure every month, so the client can compare one month with the next.
- One-page summary. Each measure with its target, the result and a met or not met status. A busy client reads only this page.
- Exceptions. Every target missed, with the cause, the evidence and the corrective action.
- Incidents. One line per incident: date, time, type, outcome and reference number. Note any trend, such as repeated alarms in one zone.
- Site issues and risks. Problems the client must fix, such as broken lights or damaged fencing, with the date each was first reported.
- Actions from the last meeting. What was agreed, who owned it and whether it is done.
- Appendix. Patrol summaries, attendance records and incident reports that back up the figures.
Send the report on the same working day each month, a few days before the review meeting. The client then arrives with questions instead of reading it for the first time in the room.
What does a monthly SLA summary look like?
The example below is for a fictional distribution centre with a 24-hour gate post and a night patrol officer, over a 30-day month. The targets and figures are illustrative.
| Measure | Target | Actual | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shifts covered | All 90 contracted shifts | 90 of 90 | Met |
| On post by start time | All shifts, 10-minute grace | 88 of 90 | Not met |
| Night patrol rounds | At least 175 of 180 | 176 of 180 | Met |
| Client told of incidents within 15 minutes | All incidents | 3 of 4 | Not met |
| Supervisor visits | 8 a month | 9 | Met |
| Site issues raised to client | Report only | 6 raised, 3 closed | For client action |
The exceptions page then explains each miss in plain terms.
- Two late starts. Both on 12 September, after a taxi strike. Relief officers were on post within 40 minutes, and the clock-in records are attached.
- One late notification. The client was told 35 minutes after a fall at the loading bay. The officer was giving first aid. The site instruction now names a second contact for the control room to call.
- Four missed rounds. All on one night, when the yard gate to the generator was locked. The client has since issued a key, so these are recorded but excluded under the contract.
What evidence should back each figure in the report?
Every number in the summary should trace back to a record made at the time. If the client asks "show me", you should be able to do it in minutes.
- Patrol scans with the time and location of each checkpoint.
- Clock-in and clock-out records, by site.
- Occurrence book entries and incident reports, with photos where taken.
- Signed supervisor visit reports.
- The time each incident message was sent to the client.
Officers' daily reports feed straight into this. Our guide to the security daily activity report sets out the fields that make them usable.
Take care with what goes into the report. The Code of Conduct requires you to protect confidential information about the client (regulation 9(12) and 9(14)). Send the report only to the named client contacts.
Reports also hold personal information about officers and visitors. Under POPIA, it must be adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose (section 10). It must also be protected by appropriate, reasonable technical and organisational measures (section 19). An SLA report rarely needs ID numbers or home addresses. This is a summary, not legal advice.
How should the monthly SLA review meeting run?
Keep the meeting to the report and the actions. A standing agenda helps.
- Actions from the last meeting: done, late or dropped.
- The summary page, measure by measure.
- Each exception: cause, evidence and the fix.
- Incidents and trends, and whether site instructions need to change.
- Site issues the client owns, with dates.
- New actions, each with one owner and a due date.
- Any change to the SLA, posts or patrol schedule, confirmed in writing.
Minute the meeting and send the action list within a day or two. Next month's report opens with those actions, which closes the loop.
What mistakes make an SLA report lose the client's trust?
- Reporting only what went well. Clients usually hear about misses from their own staff. Report them first.
- Changing definitions mid-contract. If "late" meant 10 minutes in March, it means 10 minutes in September.
- Figures with no records behind them. A typed-up patrol count is an opinion, not evidence.
- Arriving late. A report that turns up after the meeting tells the client the service is not being watched.
- Blaming without proof. If the client caused a miss, show the record. If you cannot, own it.
How does Worxit help with SLA reporting?
Worxit does not replace your judgement on what the client needs to see. It records the underlying data with the time, user and location, so the figures can be checked.
- Patrols. Guard Patrol Solutions counts patrols per shift and flags missed, failed or incomplete patrols during the shift. Patrol reports export with counts and graphs.
- Attendance. Time & Attendance records clock-ins by location, with reports of time worked and a live on-duty view.
- Incidents. Occurrence Logs tags each entry with GPS, time and shift, tracks follow-up from open to closed, and exports to Excel or PDF.
- Supervisor visits and site checks. Custom Reports captures structured forms with photos, signatures and GPS, filtered and exported by site.
The dashboard licence is R600 per month, including one admin user. Additional dashboard users are R75 per user per month. Each phone, tablet or radio running the app needs a R350 monthly device licence. All prices exclude VAT.
Frequently asked questions
What is a security SLA report?
A security SLA report is a regular report, usually monthly, that measures a guarding service against the targets in the client's service level agreement. It shows post cover, patrol completion, incidents and response, open actions and any exceptions, with the evidence behind each figure.
How often should a security company report to its client?
Many contracts call for a monthly SLA report and a review meeting, with serious incidents reported straight away. Daily activity reports and incident reports go out as they happen. The contract should state the reporting frequency, the date the report is due and who receives it.
What KPIs should a guarding contract measure?
Common measures are shifts covered against shifts contracted, officers on post on time, patrol rounds completed, time taken to notify the client of an incident, response to alarms, supervisor visits and site issues closed. Choose measures you can prove from records, and define each one in the contract.
What happens if a security company misses an SLA target?
That depends on the contract, which may set service credits, penalties or a correction plan. In the report, show the miss plainly, explain the cause with evidence and state the corrective action, the owner and the date. Hiding a miss does more damage than the miss itself.
Should the client see the raw patrol and incident data?
Yes, on request. Summary figures are easier to trust when the client can check the underlying patrol scans, clock-in records and incident reports. Agree up front which detail goes in the report, which sits in an appendix and which is available when asked.
Sources
- Code of Conduct for Security Service Providers, 2003. PSIRA. Regulation 9: obligations towards clients, including 9(2), 9(4), 9(5), 9(12) and 9(14).
- Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013. gov.za. Sections 10 and 19.