Tag Archives: apartment security

For Management Committee Residents

Society Security Guards & Cleaners : An Ode

Apr 22,2020 / By / No Comment

Stay Home, Stay Safe. If this is your mantra for survival through the Covid-19 crisis, then indeed you are blessed. However, that is not the fate of several individuals around us whose services have been deemed essential, either by government order or by the need of this hour. Some of these people cross our paths everyday, namely the society security guards and cleaners. 

Coronavirus or not, our society security guards and cleaners are often the heroes of our communities without the cape. Their importance is only highlighted intensely in this situation. The security guards and cleaners are the residential communities’ frontline workers in this battle against COVID-19. Everyday, in thousands of residential communities across the country, security guards and cleaners are reporting for duty.

How Are Society Security Guards And Cleaners Helping to Contain The Pandemic?

With social distancing and isolation being the norm, a lot about how apartment complexes function has changed. There is a bar on the entrance of visitors, delivery personnel and domestic staff. The security guards are in charge of making sure this barring works. It is no mean feat to ensure this barring is implemented in a community of 200+ or 500+ or 1500+ units. 

Contactless deliveries has become the new law in all housing societies. Correct receipt of all parcels, food or non food items, has become the responsibility of the security guards. It is their efficiency that is contributing to residents safely receiving their packages even at a time like this, without any confusion. Imagine the logistics security guards have to handle now when they take responsibility for implementing contactless deliveries for hundreds of families. It is also these guards, who besides their regular work of manning the gates, are ensuring all packages are received by the residents properly. A 1500+ units community in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is using it’s society security force as internal volunteers to assist senior citizens of the community. The force has risen high beyond their call of duty. 

Another 300+ units apartment complex in Caranzalem, Goa rely on their security force to coordinate the delivery vans coming to the community with essential goods for the residents. They are working 24*7 for our safety, our convenience. 

What About The Cleaners?

Imagine what if your community housekeeping staff decided to not come for work for safety concerns? The strict isolation and no-visitor policy will save you from COVID-19, but the piling garbage and the general lack of cleanliness will only lead to other problems – spread of bacterial or fungal infection, rampant movement of rodents and insects are a few things that come to mind. The cleaners today have become as much part of society security as the guards who patrol our premises.

All communities across the country have equipped security guards and cleaners with proper masks, gloves and aprons for their individual safety. A 3000+ units society in Bangalore has even arranged for the housekeeping staff to go through a complete medicated disinfection process after they are done with their work for the day. 

We, at ADDA, take this opportunity to cheer for the unsung heroes of COVID-19 – our beloved society security guards and cleaners. They have shown us the true spirit of our motto to Rise High. We congratulate them for their sincere service to keep us safe in these unpredictable times. 

Here is the link of a certificate we designed to show our gratitude to the community staff without whom we couldn’t have fought this battle so well. Please feel free to download it, fill up the gaps and present it to our foot soldiers to bring a smile on their face. 

Society Security And Cleaners Appreciation Certificate

Capture Of Appreciation Certificate

 

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For Management Committee Residents

Haste Makes Waste – Redefining Apartment Security with IT

Dec 18,2019 / By / No Comment

Security is no minor necessity with rising crime everywhere. With cities and towns witnessing a massive population influx every single day of the year, all rounded security is the need of the hour. The bulk of the urban population are starting to depend on apartment complexes, housing societies and gated communities for their housing needs. The reason for this shift towards apartment living is twofold – affordable housing and increased security for themselves as well as their family. Apartment security system, therefore, has no scope to compromise on the hundreds and thousands of residents who consider such communities as their home, as their safe space.

Gatekeeper

What Is All Rounded Security?

Before a community decides on investing in security services and devices, an important question to answer is – what exactly do we mean by security? Is security only about protection from untoward events? Or does it also comprise prevention of untoward events? Does it also include proper mitigation protocols in case of an unfortunate incident?

All rounded security has three major steps – Prevention, Protection and Palliation. Apartment security system must remember all three Ps while setting up an efficient security system.

A security solution should be able to prevent any mishaps. Such a solution should also be able to protect in case something goes wrong. The same solution must be capable of mitigating the damage caused if an emergency arises. Achieving such all rounded benefits from a security solution is possible only when humans and technology work together with a single objective in mind – safety of the people they are responsible for.

Prevention

“Prevention is better than cure” – we have all grown up hearing the adage. Apartment security system is no exception to this rule. Gated communities these days have several entry as well as exit points surrounding the premises. In some cases, the residential section of the community has to share space with the commercial section like office complex or malls. As a result, some gates remain open to the public. Securing all these gates, irrespective of their location, are of utmost importance. Multi level visitor verification and check in increases the scope of safety in such cases. This work is made easier and faster with security software.

There is no replacement of the human instinct in sensing danger. However, information technology goes a long mile to support the human instinct and provide faster resolution and greater efficiency. Apartment security system must put an enormous focus on verification of every single visitor who walks in and walks out of its gates. This process must never be hasty. Saving 30 seconds of time on visitor verification makes no sense if the stake is compromising the lives of children, senior citizens, women and men. Having a strong verification procedure at gates discourage foul play.

Manual verification can be tedious. Visitor management software help to screen visitors faster. Their personal details like name, phone number, photographs, vehicle numbers are recorded and a notification instantly shot to the residents they have come to visit. The resident decides whether or not to entertain a visitor without going through irritating phone calls. Not just that! A digital verification process helps the apartment security system to keep a record of the data of visitors in a digital cloud, accessible from anywhere. Therefore, the security personnel can always keep an eye out for individuals who are not welcome in the premises.

Protection

Sometimes, even the most hawk eyed monitoring by an apartment security system might fail to stop or prevent an emergency situation. In such a case, the system must be equipped with protection. One of the most important aspects of protection is to ensure avoiding repetition. This is possible if an instant incident report is made while the events are still unfolding or still fresh in the memory. Security software provide options to instantly click and save picture on spot with the option to record your statement of the event. This helps in investigations which further contribute to ensure unfortunate incidents are not repeated. Apartment security system records access of every individual who walks in the community premise which in turn makes it easy to track someone when necessary.

Such security software also come packed with emergency alerts that can immediately send SoS messages to chosen contacts. The availability of outside help at such high tension moments is one of the best form of protection one can receive. One may question if these software can help in an emergency situation, when panic is the order of the day. The answer is a resounding yes. The user just has to remember they have something within the grasp of their palms that can protect them from adversity.

In addition to this, as a community practice fire escape drills regularly. Organise regular workshops on self defense and spotting signs that might hint at a security breach.

Palliation

An apartment security system is incomplete without the system of palliation in place. An adverse situation gets worse if there are no systems in place to mitigate the effect of untoward incidents. Emergency alert is again helpful to control the impact of an accident or any security breach in the community. A very small example would be the situation of senior citizens residing alone in gated communities – they are vulnerable to sudden sickness or accidents within their own apartment units; the presence of an emergency alert on their smart phone can help them to ask for instant help, thereby mitigating the impact of the mishap.

Apartment security system do not just offer visitor verification or incident investigation and emergency alerts. They also offer services like parcel management which allows the delivery executives to leave the parcels at gate when no one is at home to receive, thereby taking measures to stop home intrusion as much as possible.

An ideal apartment security system is an integrated system of biometric devices, security cameras. There should be eyes in every corner of the community to ensure absolute safety for each and every resident of the community.

If you are interested in opting for an apartment security solution capable of integrating with all security hardware and create an ambience of safety for your community, you have come to the right place. Contact us today to schedule a demo.

You may also like to check GateKeeper: The Journey from a Visitor Management System to a Comprehensive Security Management System

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For Management Committee Residents

GateKeeper in Dubai – Modern City Problems Require Modern Solutions

Dec 18,2019 / By / No Comment

GateKeeper-in-Dubai

Dubai has been witnessing a steady drop in crime rates, making it one of the safest cities in the world. The occurrences are low enough to give a feeling of security. Thefts, burglary, break-ins are not a daily affair in Dubai. The Emirate’s strict laws of the land, well trained and well equipped police force, threat of deportation act as excellent deterrent for crimes. Perhaps, that has led to gated communities in Dubai to rely on traditional methods. They are still maintaining visitor ledgers or Excel sheets, instead of switching over to a transparent, modern, accessible digitized visitor management system. However, the traditional method has glaring security faults. Danger being unpredictable, it is always wise to be safe than sorry.

Manual record keeping has several downsides. It may seem like a good idea during the initial days when an apartment community is just starting to settle down. Setting up a wholly manual record keeping system barely costs anything. Thus, it is the preferred choice among community managers and owners association to keep a track of who or what or when someone has access to the apartment complexes. Nevertheless, as apartments start filling up and townships start witnessing more flow of people through the gates, it requires more than a long ledger and Excel sheets to manage gates smoothly.

The Problem Of Too Many

There is more to visitors’ registers than buying and filling them up. Ledgers have to be maintained and stored. They are after all security documents and might be necessary at any time. So the obvious question arises. Where are these ledgers going to be kept, after they are filled up? In cabinets and cupboards, of course. However, ledgers fill up fast. The bigger the apartment complex, the quicker it fills. Naturally, more and more registers are needed. Soon, storing them becomes an issue. Ledgers need a lot of space and space is never easily available. After a point of time, keeping ledgers become impractical majorly due to storage issue.

One can argue, registers are being replaced with Excel sheets thereby digitalizing and cutting down the problem of storing them and misusing space. While Excel sheets are a step forward, it also fails to solve a number of issues. The most important being inability to be quick. Manually entering names and purpose of visit in the Excel sheets is not as easy as it sounds. It often creates queues and hectic visitor management system. It fails to resolve the problem of listing daily visitors, avoiding a repeated entry everyday. The format of the Excel sheet, in the long run, gets unwieldy to tackle, defeating the entire purpose of doing away with ledgers.

Apps like the ADDA Gatekeeper makes gate security paperless. Just a smartphone or a tablet or a PC is enough to ensure meticulous tracking of all visitors, staff and delivery personnel, while not producing clutter.

Visitor Registers Need A Fort

Both ledgers and Excel sheets have another basic drawback. This snag has potential to turn into a disaster. Records kept in ledgers and Excel sheets can be easily damaged, misplaced or compromised. At first glance, this does not appear to be a big deal. However, this is a major security breach. Encouraging or ignoring this possibility puts the apartment community members at risk. One never knows when these records might be needed in the event of a mishap. While discussing this point, may we mention, it is laborious to organise and categorise ledgers and sheets properly. As a result, it gets difficult to retrieve them when needed.

Ledgers and Excel sheets are not immutable. They can easily be changed on purpose or accidentally. Security apps to manage gates, visitor management are more compact and safe for a city like Dubai. Designed by teams of dedicated engineers, security apps like ADDA Gatekeeper, are designed to provide safety with practically zero hassle. Information is stored such that their integrity is protected. They are not shared with anybody and everybody. During times of necessity, information can be easily procured from the database without annoyance and irritation. Since the app has been designed by experts in their field, data entry, data collection are not time consuming. They are concise and quick.

Visitor Management System

Managing visitors is crucial. Now that we are busy and our schedules have a degree of unpredictability, it helps to inform about expected visitors. A verbal intimation to the guards at the gates is not enough. It is presumptuous to expect they will remember amidst so many duties. The ADDA Gatekeeper app helps to notify the guards of any visitor the residents are expecting. They can always call to confirm visitors’ entry based on phone numbers set by residents on the app. They can also keep a tab on regular visitors like household and complex staff, nannies, delivery persons who might be visiting the apartment daily.

We are a generation who shops online and depend online for a lot of our needs and desires. Therefore, we receive parcels often. Sometimes, these parcels are scheduled to be delivered during hours when no one is available to receive them in person. ADDA Gatekeeper helps to inform the gate personnel of any parcel that is expected and they can simply keep it with themselves till one can collect it at their convenience.

The Ghost of Multiplying Expenditure

Ledgers and Excel sheets might seem low cost initially. However, their cumulative expense in the long run is high, considering they are majorly flawed. Ledgers and Excel sheets do not help to monitor visitors in real time. Gatekeeper does. It can track if delivery persons, cab drivers, staff members are overstaying or not. It also helps to check pilferaging and might even help to stop petty thefts by issuing gift passes to individuals who walk out with possessions from the apartment. With manual methods, the efficiency depends a lot on the human factor. It is not easy-breezy to trick an app. It takes care of loopholes, can be modified to requirements and helps deliver the kind of security a gated community with state of the art features deserve.

Security is an immense duty. It cannot be left entirely to the judgement of humans prone to fallacies. It demands the extra edge of precision which nothing other than technology can provide. Gatekeeper was not built with the objective to replace humans; it was envisioned with the motivation to empower the security personnel who have taken upon their shoulders to protect the common people on a daily basis.

Also, read Gated Communities – The Future of Affordable Housing.

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For Management Committee

4 Reasons to Gift ADDA The Apartment SuperApp to Your Community in 2020

Dec 18,2019 / By / No Comment

ADDA, The Apartment SuperApp comes fully loaded with awesome-possum features like Communication, Billing & Online Collection, complete Accounting, Helpdesk & Facility Management, and Visitor Management & Security.

Gift-ADDA-apartment-superapp-commiunity-2020

But you already know all that, don’t you?!

So, what the other reasons why one does not simply miss out having ADDA in their Apartment Community?

UPI Payments Gateway Integration

ADDA is India’s only Apartment Management Platform which offers UPI Payments Gateway for collecting Maintenance, Facility Booking, Sinking Fund, and any other dues payable to the Society Association. Thanks to NPCI and our Gateway partners, we were able to implement it and take a step forward to Cashless Communities.

What more is that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is ZERO irrespective of the amount value.

How does it help the residents?

Residents now can pay via the quickest online transfer mode and forget the hassles of OTPs and netbanking credentials. The best part is Residents can now earn Cashback on maintenance and other payments by paying via Apps such as Paytm, PhonePe, GooglePay, and BHIM. There is no additional charge if your Association is absorbing the MDR for payments over Rs.2000.

ADDA Gatekeeper for Apartment Community Desktop version

Tablets and phones always have a way of getting lost, even more with changing hands! Especially if the security personnel in your Apartment Gate keeps changing. Not to mention that the tabs and phones are quite expensive, so losing them incurs a loss for the Apartment Association!

To solve this issue, we have slightly modified our Gatekeeper App to support on Desktop computers and the only one in India to have such a feature. The desktop version not only offers faster access to visitor entry because of ease of operation for Gate Security personnel but also security, as it generally seen that desktop computers don’t have the habit of getting lost easily!

Click here to check out the major features in ADDA Gatekeeper

Global Best Practices in Apartment Community Management

ADDA is fully compliant with Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) across multiple countries.

What is RERA?

RERA is a regulatory body that enforces a set of guidelines bought by the government to prohibit discrepancies in the real estate industry. Therefore making it more transparent and accountable in favor of home buyers. Read more about RERA here.

ADDA’s Accounting module also fully compatible with account and audit patterns for multiple countries. It offers End to end Accounting from defining a chart of accounts to the generation of final balance sheet and audit. No matter how complicated your accounting is, our module it foolproof.

Battle-hardened Track Record of 10 Years in Community Management

Been there, done that!

ADDA has come a long, long way from starting in 2008. With Research and Development for over 5 years and evolving, ADDA is the most advanced and only Apartment Management System in the world which covers all the aspects for Residents, for Owners’s Associations, and also for Builders/Property Managers.

ADDA, used by 1.2 million users and 20,000+ associations managed worldwide offers full 360 degrees of service including ERP and Security Solutions. We are proud to say that, it’s the only platform you’ll ever need to manage your community/property, hassle-free and seamlessly from anywhere on earth.

The new year also means new resolutions, so strap in and contact us for the smoothest ride in Society Management and Gift ADDA to your Apartment Community today!

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For Management Committee

Conventional Security Systems v/s Modern Security Systems in Apartment Complexes

Dec 18,2019 / By / No Comment
GateKeeper

What comes to your mind when you think of a gated community by a prominent builder? Acres of manicured lawns, gardens, happy families, state of the art amenities, pools, people leisurely strolling around and job opportunities for maids and the likes. Pretty much sums it up, right? Ever wondered what comes to the mind of someone with a sinister agenda at the mention of apartment complexes – cars, personal belongings, valuables, countless gadgets, many opportunities for crime and petty theft and much worse.

Pardon us for opening the article on a scary note. But if you give thought to just how much can be stolen or how much damage can be caused inside an apartment complex by one guy with a bad agenda, you’ll realise the need for tight security. Thankfully, for residents’ associations are strict about having security protocols and personnel in place. But unfortunately, in some residents, the system is just not strong enough to hold up against some perpetrators. And some housing societies have guards and CCTVs are just there because it is customary of all gated communities to have them. Such systems sometimes are merely functioning and until it is too late, associations do not realise just how incompetent their security was.

Conventional Security Systems Are Obsolete & Outdated

Let’s discuss about security measures inside apartment complexes. Here’s what they are comprised of –

  • A band of security guards distributed around the premises, exit/entry gates, clubhouses and other active spots
  • A CCTV circuit with cameras in every block, clubhouse, kids park and lanes
  • A record keeping system which is usually a ledger or similar physical entity typically used at the gate.

And that’s pretty much it! Do you realize that all of this cannot do much at preventing crimes? They may discourage crimes to a certain extent but once a crime is happening, not much can be done about it other than merely documenting it.

Here’s why –

  • Security guards are, at the end of the day, humans. They are prone to error. At the gates, some days have a surge of guests. Entering the details, verifying their identities, allotting parking spots for them etc are time-consuming. This could overwhelm them and they will start speeding up everything increasing chances of sloppy records.
  • Manually entering each visitors details is not just time-consuming. It also creates a rather long queue at the gate which could extend well into the main road disrupting traffic there. And this is something that annoys the visitors easily. Nobody wants to spend several minutes waiting for their turn.
  • While CCTVs are vital in any security system, they also need someone to constantly analyse the visuals they are broadcasting. Until there is human intelligence to decipher the visuals and act upon them if needed, CCTVs will merely capture videos of crimes and hazards. They deter crime, but rarely ever stop or even intercept them.
  • Physical ledgers, books etc kept at the gates can be really bad materials to aid in any investigation if the occasion calls for it. Guards may not have legible handwriting, they could accidentally enter incorrect details, the visitor could provide them details that are false. And such records are easily destroyed within seconds. Water could spill on them, someone could intentionally steal them, burn them or even tear pages out to cover their tracks.
  • Maintaining staff attendance is another big part of running a society. But such attendance books are so easy to fool, Maid 1 could sign for maid 2 because they are friends. When someone goes back to the records to calculate pay based on days worked, this could be bad. Such records play a big role in identifying the culprits behind crimes. And if they are easy to manipulate, they will be of no help during an investigation.
  • If a worker was previously removed from the premises for bad conduct, physical measures will do nothing at preventing his return a few years later. The security guards present at the time of him being expelled could no longer be working in the compound. People may fail at identifying that he was the blacklisted employee from a few years back. We’re sure we don’t have to elaborate on what entails if such a person returns.
  • Visitors who checked in could stay hidden inside the premises and wreak havoc later. If physical ledgers are your only means of recording visitors, they could enter their sign in the timeout column as well while checking in. At the end of the day, when the guard checks the register, he’ll think that everyone has indeed checked out.

We could go on all day about why conventional systems are no longer strong enough to hold fort against anyone with a mind to sneak in and cause harm. Despite this, many apartment complexes continue to stick to outdated measures such as the ones mentioned above.

Associations often hire a band of guards from agencies that provide security personnel. The MCs expect them to have all the training required for the job and rarely provide any training related to their apartment specific needs. Needless to say, this leaves the guards on their own to use whatever limited training they have to guard an entire community with thousands of residents.

Why does this happen? Why do communities get lax about something as vital as security? Simple – it is convenient. It is convenient to pretend that you’ve done everything right until a mishap takes place. But the price you pay for convenience is quite high. Which is why those who are serious about security use a combination of human intelligence and software solutions to put up a near next to unbreachable security.

ADDA GateKeeper: Keeping Crime At Bay, One Apartment At A Time

Software solutions have numerous benefits over conventional manual security measures. They are less prone to error, they work round the clock, are easy to update/upgrade and are tougher to tamper with. Here are some of the features that the Gatekeeper app offers.

  • ADDA Gatekeeper subscription includes two tablets that the guards would be trained to use. Using this, visitor details, photo capture, attendance records etc can be digitally saved and stored for future use.
  • Gatekeeper alerts you when a visitor has checked in and has not exited premises even after a considerable length of time. Helps immensely in locating any visitor who is still lurking around.
  • Biometric parameters will be used to capture staff attendance. That would be very difficult to fake or impersonate. Fingerprints of staff and domestic helpers can be recorded so even if someone gets blacklisted, saved biometric parameters can help the security guards identify them should they try to enter the premises once again.
  • Digitally stored records are difficult to tamper with. Such records can be accessed by guards and MCs everyday to check for activity within the society.
  • The ADDA Gatekeeper app comes with an in-built panic alert button for medical and non-medical emergencies. The button can be used to alert personnel at the gates and a safety contact of your choice to come rushing to you. In your situation allows it, you can even enter nature of emergency so that first responders can come prepared to handle your emergency.
  • The Gatekeeper app can be used to keep track of move in/move out of tenants. Otherwise, you might be clueless about people who move out and still access amenities.
  • The app will also help you make sure that drinking water tankers are actually emptied by checking tank parameters.
  • Gatekeeper allows residents to create digital invites that can be shared with guests they are expecting. The guests can then show this at the gate to avoid long queues and procedures to check into the society.

Talk to our Product Specialist

The app packs a very powerful punch and is used by hundreds of apartment complexes within the nation. At ADDA, we understand the dangers of having an incompetent security system which is why we work around the clock to ensure that the Gatekeeper app does everything required to deter, prevent and stop crimes.

Remember, the price you pay for choosing what is convenient over what is effective is way too high. This is a matter that concerns the safety of hundreds of residents who pay you maintenance dues for security and other features. So be wise about your decisions.

Want to check us out? Click here to schedule a demo. We would love to help you out.

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For Management Committee

New feature “SHIFTING” on the GateKeeper Tablet

Mar 12,2018 / By / No Comment
move-in-out-ADDA_Security

Most residential communities face the below issues:

1) We don’t know when a new Owner or Tenant Moves In.

We want to know and add them to our Central Database on ADDA.

2) We don’t know when an Owner or Tenant Moves out.

We wish to ensure they have paid all their Dues, completed other Move-Out processes, de-activate them from ADDA.

These Issues are now SOLVED!

Announcing the launch of the new feature “SHIFTING” on the GateKeeper tablet, in hands of the Security Guard!

Whenever a Movers Truck comes in, they can capture minimum data of the new Owner/Tenant.

This shows up in your ADDA Admin view instantly, and your Manager can complete the verification and add the New Resident to your central ADDA database.

The Move-In charges can get posted instantly as well!


In case the Movers Truck is for a Move-Out, the Guard marks this Flat as being Moved Out, which sends instant notification to the Manager who can then ensure that Move-Out processes have been followed!

No-Dues-Move-Out

 

 

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For Management Committee

Why Biometric Devices Are The Best Way To Capture Staff Attendance

Feb 27,2018 / By / No Comment
Biometric Devices-ADDA Security

For an apartment complex, a major expense is staff salaries. And for making sure that they are paid neither more nor less, it is vital to have their attendance tracked well.

Traditionally, attendance was maintained in physical ledgers, where each individual would manually sign their name and time of entering the premises and repeat the same at the time of exit as well.

Unfortunately, this system has many flaws. Not only would such a flaw upset the finances because salaries could get incorrectly calculated, it could also compromise security and safety of residents.

Why Conventional Attendance Systems Are Inefficient

Here are some of the major drawbacks of old ways of maintaining staff attendance.

Forgery Is Common

Suppose there’s Maid A, who wants to help Maid B, who secretly went away on vacation, but is still wanting to receive payment for days taken off. On these days, it is easy for Maid A to give proxy for Maid B, by signing for her in the staff attendance register.

No foolproof mechanism to keep out Miscreant Staffs

In reality, staff inside an apartment complex are constantly replaced and everyone cannot be familiarised with each other’s faces. People who were banned from the premises, for either criminal activity or indecent behavior, could re-enter as blacklisting in the ledger isn’t really an option.

Difficult to Search Records, do Incident Investigation

Physical ledgers are easy to destroy. Mere negligence is enough to have them rendered useless. Many apartment complexes that depended on ledgers for staff attendance have complained that not only is the writing in it illegible, the very condition of the book is often near next to dilapidated. How good is such a book when it comes to tracking somebody’s attendance? And how easy is it for someone to intentionally damage that ledger to cover his/her tracks? 

The Solution – Biometric Attendance Systems

If there is anything that is difficult to forge, it is one’s fingerprint.

All over the world, educational and corporate institutions, hospitals and all kinds of organizations have started using biometric attendance systems and the impact is hugely positive. Such systems not only eliminate drawbacks of conventional attendance systems, they will also add some perks that are difficult to override.

Keep in mind that your association will have to make the necessary privacy policy documents which state that you won’t misuse collected biometrics. As long as the staff has been briefed about the process and as long as their permission has been acquired for collecting their fingerprints, you won’t be violating any laws.

Here are the major benefits of a biometric-based attendance system

No more proxies. 

One of the biggest advantages of this system is that it prevents employees from clocking for each other.

There may be some exceptional cases, where biometric systems are not able to read a fingerprint, because of injury to the finger or fingerprint being slightly eroded. First off, multiple fingerprints of the same person (prints of at least three fingers) are commonly recorded. And in the highly unlikely event that the staff managed to injure both their hands, superiors can step in and personally verify their attendance from an App based staff attendance tracking system like ADDA GateKeeper.

Some App based staff attendance tracking systems, use numerical staff ids to authenticate staff check-ins. It’s easy for a staff to give someone else their staff id and hence give proxies. Manual audit of such staff check-ins using their photos is not a practical solution for busy Society Managers and Admins.

You can save on a lot of public money for the Association with proper tracking of staff attendance through Biometric Devices.

Foolproof system to keep out Blacklisted or Retired Staff

Through integration with systems like ADDA GateKeeper, you can program biometric devices to recognize blacklisted/retired staff, who are trying to enter and sound alarms for Security to take action.

For App based staff attendance systems who give out numerical IDs, to authenticate staff entering a complex; Miscreants who want to enter a complex can easily get their hands on such a staff ID number, and enter the complex impersonating a different staff.

Biometrics Are Solid Evidence

Handwritten entries barely qualify as evidence of a person’s presence in a given spot. Biometrics, on the other hand, is irrefutable. If an employee claims to be absent on the day of a crime and the machine has recorded his biometric, that could boost the investigation in the right direction. 

Increased Productivity & Accountability

With an attendance tracker in place, staff would probably avoid arriving late as they can no longer fake entry time. And this, in turn, increases their productivity and accountability, and will also provide the payroll department precise and accurate data for calculating payment.

Difficult To Tamper

It is not easy to tamper with a biometric attendance system. It is very difficult to hack into such a system and change its records. And that is not all, physically damaging the system too can be difficult because a) manufacturers foresee this kind of contingency so the system is built accordingly b) there is typically a guard and a CCTV with eyes on the machine. Any attempts to damage it will be caught.

Upgrade Your Apartment Complex With ADDA

ADDA is specifically designed for apartment complexes and the members within. In fact, the GateKeeper by ADDA is one of the most practical security systems you can ever get your hands on to ensure security inside your society.

Talk to our Product Specialist

That’s not all, if you have a combination of the ADDA ERP and the GateKeeper, MCs, residents and everyone else will not only be connected but will also have features at their disposal to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the entire apartment complex.

Why don’t you get in touch with us so we can schedule a demo for you if you are not a customer already.

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For Management Committee Residents

7 Ways How Gate Management System, ADDA Can Help You Celebrate This New Year

Dec 28,2017 / By / No Comment

New Year is around the corner and it’s almost time to bid adieu to 2017. New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the past and revel in the great big beautiful tomorrow.  Residents are busy planning on making  the new year eve celebrations a Delightful experience in their home & community

Make this New Year’s eve a fantastic night for you and your neighbours. We’re here to help you plan and execute your New Year Celebrations.

So for all aspiring party hosts of this year, here’s how Gate Management System ADDA can help you throw the best new year bash ever!

Expected visitors

Do you have a long list of expected visitors this festive season? And those many annoying calls from your security guard, asking to verify your Guests?

That’s all old stories now!

ADDA GateKeeper - Expected Visitors

Add your guests as Expected Visitors using your ADDA GateKeeper App and make them feel special. Security Guards will let your Guests through without making them stand in the long queue at the gate trying to make entries. Welcome your Guests this season, to your Home with this smart technology.

Talk to our Product Specialist

Gift-Pass

Are you planning to gift something special to your Domestic Help (Maid, Cook, Driver, etc.) this festive season?

gift pass ADDA

You can add it as a Gift-Pass in your Gate Management System, ADDA GateKeeper and your staff can walk out of the Security Gate, without being asked Gratuitous questions by the Security.

Panic Alert in Gate Management System

Well, what if things do not go the way you planned, do not PANIC. Raise a Panic Alert. With your house, all arrayed up for the celebrations and with guests in your house, you do not want to take a chance.

ADDA App - Panic Alert

Security Guards are immediately notified on raising a Panic Alert and they can hurry to your help. On the other hand, a few of your neighbours also get notified. This assures you get immediate help in case of an emergency.

HelpDesk

You want to start the new year with a glowing new-like home, Don’t you?

And you been neglecting that ever blinking light in your balcony or that leaking tap in the kitchen? What you can do is raise a ticket through HelpDesk in the ADDA App, and your society help (plumber/electrician) would come and get them fixed.

Facility Booking

Planning to host a new year’s party this time?and not able to find a place to host it, then why not book a facility from your community. All you have to do is open Facility Booking in the App, check for availability and confirm your booking by making a payment right from the App.

Notices

This feature is mainly for the Management Committee members. If at all you want to announce any specific Guidelines or want to announce the specifics of your community event. All you have to do is post a Notice in ADDA Admin App and your message goes right to the phone of all residents.

Conversations

Our all-seeing Discussion Forum can be used for coming together as a community.  A lot of good things start happening when neighbours come together to work towards solving common issues. Our discussion forum brings together the collective knowledge of the community to your disposal.

So, wait no more! Hurry! download the App if you have not done it already and gear up for your New Year preparations!

Let the festivities begin!  Gather, socialize and forge friendships that will last a lifetime. Welcome the new year with joy and peace. Happy New Year everyone from all of us here at ADDA, May the year ahead bring you nothing but joy and prosperity!

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Residents

Why CCTVs Are Not Enough for Apartment Security?

Sep 8,2017 / By / No Comment

Each time the phrase “ apartment security system” is mentioned, what comes to most people’s heads is a series of TV screens that show live feed from different parts of a building. We’re sure you just imagined it in your head too!

CCTVs have become a staple in most offices, commercial buildings and residential societies. However, how many of us are aware that CCTVs alone are incompetent to provide security?

Ideally, a security system should be composed of equipment and manpower that can collectively detect and prevent crime, while also creating a record of the incidents that occurred.

Here’s Why CCTVs Alone Are Inefficient

We’re sure you already understand this fact, but make sure that the point sinks through, here’s detailing why we say so.

1. Can’t stop a crime in progress

CCTVs simply provide you with live video feed. Unless the cameras can sprout hands and legs to jump into immediate action, a crime in progress cannot be prevented. Or, there should be someone sitting glued to the numerous TV screens at all times.

2. It can be easily cheated

Someone in a Burqa or even a cap or hooded T-shirt can get away with sneaking around. CCTVs do not have X-ray vision to see through clothing or helmets.

3. They are easy to break

Many crimes have been recorded where the CCTV cameras at the site were broken badly. For criminals, it would be an added shroud of anonymity if along with wearing protective clothing they also broke the cameras. That way, no video recording of the crime would be available.

4. They don’t raise alarms

Most CCTV systems do not alert officials or even people when suspicious activities are spotted. They will simply continue to record and/or live stream. Not very effective, especially when there are fires or similar hazards breaking out.

5. They are not pocket-friendly either

The kinds that simply record are fairly inexpensive, but the ones that use Wi-Fi to broadcast are not exactly budget friendly. They also use up a lot of Internet which could be an added expense. And then there’s the fact that they become totally useless if the internet fails.

So What’s The Alternative?

CCTVs are not entirely useless. They are a vital part of apartment security systems. It is just that such systems should include a few other elements too. CCTVs are effective crime deterrents in some cases because their very presence makes people reconsider the idea of committing a crime. Of course, that isn’t always the case. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and so are the criminals using it. These days we even have network jammers that can block EM signals in a certain range.

CCTVs can never be replaced neither can they be ignored. What we can do is to create a system that is more comprehensive of today’s security needs.

A More Efficient Apartment Security Solution

What we really need is a video monitoring system that is combined with a feature to raise alarms and has manual guards to take immediate action while being solidly backed by technology.

The ADDA GateKeeper is a groundbreaking tablet-based society security system that behaves like the security nerve center of your entire apartment complex. Here are the benefits of this system.

  • The security guards at the gate get to track every visitor, every vehicle and every staff that enters the compound.
  • Residents receive notifications of each visitor checking into the compound with the intention of paying them a visit.
  • Guards capture photographs and verify ID cards submitted by visitors.
  • If a staff is caught doing something unusual or criminal, he/she can be blacklisted and prevented from ever entering the gates of the society.
  • To top it off, the ADDA GateKeeper comes with a panic alert button which sounds a loud alarm alerting the security guard and also two safety contacts of the resident’s choice.

Talk to our Product Specialist

Many complexes from across the country depend on the ADDA GateKeeper for all their apartment security needs.

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Residents

5 Tips For Gated Community Security

Aug 26,2017 / By / 1 Comment

We have covered the topic of gated community security multiple times, but since the world around us keeps changing every minute, it is kind of essential to stay updated about apartment safety on a regular basis. Burglars are coming up with more and more innovative ways to rob a house & dropping your guard could be dangerous.

So here are some things that you can do to make sure that your apartment stays safe at all times.

1. Strengthen overall gated community security

Individually securing your apartment sometimes isn’t enough. The entire compound needs to be better equipped to withstand every possible emergency.

Join hands with your fellow residents and discuss setting up a system that is hard to breach. CCTVs and security guards alone are obsolete these days. An app based gated community security system like ADDA GateKeeper is vital for overall management & security monitoring of residential complexes.

If you do not have one already, get one installed. The benefits that the ADDA Gatekeeper brings to your apartment complex are abundant. It offers the following –

  • As it is an App based Gated Community Security management system, it negates all the manual errors guards may commit.
  • Solid visitor management system that digitally records details of every visitor.
  • Alerts guards should a visitor overstay his/her welcome.
  • Sends instant notifications to residents about visitors which means even while away, residents will know who is dropping by.
  • Comes with an inbuilt panic alert system. If a resident is in danger, simply pressing a button sounds an alarm at the main gates and a safety contact of your choice.

2. Install a surveillance system

Even if you don’t have kids that you leave in the care of maids or too many valuables to speak of, a CCTV is recommended. The very presence of a CCTV will discourage maids and other potential criminals from committing a crime.

The ones that broadcast probably cost a little more than the ones that simply record. So you can opt of the latter, but it doesn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes.

3. Better Locks

If the apartment you live in is rented, this is all the more applicable. It makes sense to have the old lock changed to a fresh and solid one. We never know if the previous tenant has a key or not. Even otherwise, if the home is your own, having a high-end, hard to break locking system for your door is strongly recommended.

The general understanding is that units on the lower floors are more prone to burglary and crimes as opposed to higher floor units. So if your flat it is on the lower floors, make it a point to change or strengthen your locks every few years. In plenty of cases, a simple screw driver or even hair clips can be bent to form tools to pick a lock with.

4. Secure your balcony

Again, more applicable for the units in the lower floors. It does make sense to install grills or other forms of protection in your balcony to deter criminals or sometimes even animals. The doors that lead inside from the balcony too must be strengthened so that they won’t be easily picked.

5. Never drop your guard

This involves a series of things that you must do to keep yourselves and your family safe. This is just a basic set of pointers, we recommend that you get to know your neighborhood and premises better so that you know what to look out for.

  • Beware of deception crimes. Burglars often pose as utility workers to gain access to your house. Having a system like ADDA Gatekeeper can do wonders in preventing such imposters.
  • Keep copies of the ID cards your domestic staff provide. If you are not around when they come for duty, having a CCTV helps keep an eye on them.
  • Make your valuables hard to find. Don’t go for the conventional key under the pillow system. Install wall safes or lockers that are pretty hard to break.
  • Connect with your neighbors. Know who lives around you.
  • Strongly urge your residents association to install a system like ADDA Gatekeeper which not only monitors visitors and other gate-related activities, but also gives you perks like pre-checking in visitors and lots more.

The Final Word

In today’s times when security is starting to be considered a myth, being on your guard is vital to ensure that you and family stay safe. We cannot stress enough on the importance of having a software based solution at the gates and within to not just secure your apartment but also to bring together the residents and make for better a quality life.

We hope you found the article useful and do let us know if you have any concerns or safety tips that you would like to share. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends. Cheers!

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