When an officer cancels at 3am, HeyTeam contacts your available, licensed officers by app and SMS. The first to confirm is on post — without anyone picking up a phone. UK-owned, App & SMS first, SIA integrated, and built exclusively for manned guarding.
See the 3am Cancellation Solved
2-minute product demo
Running 24/7 shift coverage across multiple sites on WhatsApp and phone calls isn't a workflow. It's a liability.
An officer calls in sick. You spend 45 minutes ringing through your available list one by one, waking people up, waiting for callbacks. The post stays uncovered. The client notices.
Group messages get lost. Officers ignore notifications. Someone misses a shift because they 'didn't see it'. You can't prove who was notified and when. One missed post is a contractual breach.
You mandate SmartTask or Timegate. Officers refuse to install it, it crashes, or there's no signal on site. You're back on WhatsApp within a week. HeyTeam's app is backed by SMS alerts so notifications always get through.
A non-compliant officer is deployed because no one checked their licence expiry. The client finds out. You face an ACS audit. The reputational and financial damage is severe.
Without HeyTeam: 45 minutes of calls, potentially uncovered posts, one very tired coordinator. With HeyTeam:
03:47am
Officer texts: 'Can't make my 6am shift, car trouble'
03:47am
HeyTeam detects the cancellation automatically
03:48am
SMS sent to 5 available, licensed officers in order of priority
03:51am
First officer replies YES, confirmed on post
03:51am
You receive confirmation. Client portal updated. Audit trail complete.
Total time: 4 minutes. Coordinator involvement: Zero.
Full audit trail logged. Client portal updated automatically.
Start FreeWhen a guard cancels, HeyTeam automatically broadcasts to available officers and confirms the first to respond. No coordinator required. Even at 3am.
Guards use the HeyTeam app for shift management. Firms can also enable SMS backup alerts, critical when signal is poor, guards are on a remote site, or haven't opened the app. No other platform offers this fallback.
Every deployment comes with a unique security PIN the client uses to verify the officer on arrival. Instant trust, documented verification.
Officers complete digital sign-off checklists via SMS link or app. Incidents, photos, and notes captured automatically. Full audit trail for every shift.
Real-time location visibility for officers using the app. Know who's booked on, who's en route, and who hasn't confirmed, at a glance.
HeyTeam is built with UK SIA compliance at its core. Track officer SIA licence numbers, expiry dates, and deployment eligibility, and ensure only compliant officers are assigned to posts.
SmartTask: 2-3 stars. Timegate: 2.1 stars on Google Play (1,100+ reviews). Guardhouse: 3.3 stars. None can automatically fill a cancelled shift without a human.
The operator’s comparison
See what changes when your rota, proof and worker communication are built for field operations.
Comparison statements are based on publicly available product information, May 2026. See the full matrix.
"Timegate's guard app is rated 2.1 stars from 1,100+ reviews on Google Play. Guards report GPS errors preventing clock-in while physically on site."
Google Play Store, March 2026
"Guardhouse guard app crashes during shifts. NFC scanning unreliable. One officer reported it had cost them many missed shifts."
Google Play Store, March 2026
"SmartTask's own case studies show ad-hoc staff refused to use the app, they added WhatsApp as a workaround. That's not a solution."
SmartTask published case study
"We used to spend an hour finding cover every time someone called in sick. Now it handles itself. We got our weekends back."
Operations Director
50-officer manned guarding firm
"We tried SmartTask. Half our officers refused to install it. With HeyTeam, the app works great and SMS kicks in as backup when signal is poor. Adoption was near instant."
Control Room Manager
Regional security contractor
"The audit trail alone is worth it. Every cancellation, every replacement, every confirmation, documented automatically."
Compliance Manager
ACS-accredited security firm
Frontline officers do not need paid licences. Choose the workforce capacity you need, then pay for the admins who manage the operation.
Frontline officers £0 per seat · Admin seats on Growth & Pro
Starter free · Growth £29/seat/month · Pro £49/seat/month
Start FreeA 100-officer firm typically uses 6,000–10,000 SMS/month. Purchase bundles to match your volume. Unused credits roll over for one month.
Most security firms are live within 24 hours. Guards need no training. Start free — no card needed. Upgrade when you're ready.
Free forever on Starter · No card needed · Cancel anytime