Challenges

Covey Security, a prominent guard services provider in Arizona, encountered major operational challenges despite using top security software like TrackTik and WinTeam. Key issues included:

• High Overtime Costs: Overtime made up 13% of total hours, impacting margins and finances.
• Operational Headaches: Manual tracking of clock-ins and exceptions was inefficient, burdening the back office.
• Software Fragmentation: Multiple platforms led to information silos, obscuring critical metrics like overtime and unbilled hours.
• Staffing Complexity: The 24/7 nature of the business led to constant churn, worsening overtime and visibility issues.

Founder Tucker Quayle said:

"When we first started with Belfry, I would say we were consistently 10 to 13 percent overtime weekly. That was killing us.”

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Solutions

Partnering with Belfry, Covey Security moved to a single, integrated suite. Belfry provided:

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Real-Time Profitability Forecasting

Covey Security’s scheduling team can now see the true cost of every shift before publishing the schedule, especially overtime impacts. This allows them to rebalance shifts proactively and protect margins.

“Schedulers can see it immediately as soon as they assign somebody—‘my overtime went up’—it’s like, ‘crap, I don’t want to do that.’ So you’re really giving people tools to have immediate answers."

“It’s the biggest selling point. Every week, we get a top-line view of our overtime and any missing shifts: site by site and overall. Those are the two biggest factors that kill our margins: a missed shift means we’re not billing, and overtime eats up profits. And you might think, ‘okay, what’s my weekly overtime?’—but even better is knowing before the week starts what your potential overtime is." Quayle said.

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Actionable Notifications

Belfry’s alerts and real-time visibility have allowed Covey’s Command Center to catch and address issues before they become bigger problems. Every notification is reviewed, followed up on, and documented to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

“Our supervisors and account managers review every notification that comes in. If it’s nothing—like a glitch—we still check it. But if it’s an incident, we escalate it, document it, and let the client know so they feel confident we’re following the right procedures,” Quayle explained.

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User-Friendly Mobile Tools

Belfry’s simple, intuitive design has made it easier for Covey’s officers to handle their daily tasks - even for those less comfortable with technology.

“What really sold us was just how easy it is for the officers to use,” Quayle said. “Having a system that’s simple, familiar, and intuitive has been huge. It eliminates a lot of issues right there.”

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Results

Here’s how Covey Security has seen measurable improvements with Belfry:

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Overtime Reduced from 13% to 5%

Belfry’s real-time scheduling insights and automated overtime forecasting have helped Covey Security dramatically reduce overtime. Before Belfry, they were always playing catch-up, reacting to overtime after it happened. With Belfry, overtime data is updated live, allowing the team to make smarter, faster decisions.

“Before, I was always telling my team, ‘stop the overtime, stop the overtime,’ but nothing would change. When they can get real-time visibility, it’s like real time versus a week later. Before, they’d just fill the shift with whoever was available—like Jane, who’ll gladly work 60-80 hours—and that drove our overtime up. We’ve seen a big swing: from 10-13% overtime weekly down to 5%. Belfry has been a huge part of it," Quayle said.

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5-Point Profit Margin Improvement

Better oversight and fewer errors have translated directly into healthier profit margins: a 5-point profit margin increase.

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Days Saved Running Payroll and Fewer Errors

Reducing overtime and consolidating scheduling data into one platform has made payroll much simpler. What used to be a 3-day headache now takes just 1-2 days, freeing up time for the operations team to focus on more strategic work.

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Client Confidence Strengthened

Real-time reporting tools with accurate data enhanced client relationships.

Quayle explained, “Clients are always toying with the idea of downsizing security because they don’t see anything happening. Now we can pull up everything we have done in the last month: daily trespasses, incidents, everything we have prevented. So when a client asks, ‘Why do we need security if nothing’s happening?’ we can show them exactly what we have stopped. They see that and they appreciate it. It’s good to have that visibility because it is proof that we are not just standing there; we are actually preventing problems and adding value.”

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Interested in how Belfry can enhance your security business? Schedule a free demo today.