How to Set Up a Complete Guard Tour System — Step-by-Step Guide (2025, USA)

1. Add your first site (object)

In Digital Guard Tour, everything begins with a site (object) — the place you protect. A site contains the map location, checkpoints, guards, shifts and patrol tasks that belong together.

To add a site:

• Open the web dashboard.
• Go to Objects and click Add object.
• Enter the object name and coordinates.
• Optionally add size or notes that help identify the site.
• Save the object.

If you don’t know the coordinates, open Google Maps, right-click the location, copy the coordinates and paste them into Digital Guard Tour.

2. Add checkpoints on the map

Once the site is created, place the checkpoints your guards must reach during their patrols. These define the “skeleton” of every route.

Typical U.S. examples include:

• Back gates and fence corners.
• Loading docks and trailer rows.
• Isolated parking areas and rear entrances.
• Fire exits, roof access points and utility rooms.

To add checkpoints:

• Go to Checkpoints and click Add checkpoint.
• Name each point clearly (e.g. “North fence corner”, “Dock 3 door”).
• Scroll to the map and click to place the checkpoint at the exact location.
• Save the checkpoint template.

You can start with as few as 2–4 checkpoints per site for testing, then expand once you see the system working in real time.

3. Add users — guards, supervisors and clients

Next, create the people who will use the system. Each user gets their own login and role.

For each user, you define:

• Name and email address.
• Language.
• Role (Guard, Commander, Operator or Viewer/client).
• Temporary password (your guard can change it later).
• Which objects they are allowed to see.

Guards should only see the objects they physically work at. Clients can be added as read-only viewers, so they can review patrols and incidents without changing anything.

4. Create shifts (services) for each guard

A shift (service) defines when a guard is on duty. GPS tracking is tied to active shifts so that only work-related movement is recorded.

To create a shift:

• Open Users, select the guard and click Add service.
• Set the start and end time of the shift.
• Save the service.

The system will only track GPS during active services, which protects guard privacy while keeping patrol data clean and audit-ready.

5. Add patrol tasks — the heart of your guard tour

Patrol tasks tell the guard which checkpoints to visit, in what order and what exactly to do at each point.

To add a patrol task:

• Select the guard and the shift you created.
• Click Add task and choose the map-based patrol option.
• Give the task a clear name (e.g. “Night perimeter round”, “Dock doors check”).
• Optionally add a description with special instructions.
• Select the start time for the patrol.
• Choose the previously created checkpoints that belong to this route.

For each checkpoint, you must define a sub-task:

• Stay — the guard must remain at the point for a set time.
• Touch — the guard must reach the location.
• QR scan — the guard must scan a QR code (ideal for indoor spots).

Every checkpoint needs a sub-task. This is how the system can later verify that the patrol was actually completed, point by point.

6. Train the guard on the mobile app

Once sites, checkpoints, users, shifts and tasks are in place, it’s time to train your guards on the mobile app.

On the guard’s phone:

• Install the Trinity Guard app.
• Log in with the assigned email and password.
• Open the current shift and see the assigned tasks.
• Review the checkpoints on the map and any QR codes they will have to scan.

To start a patrol, the guard simply taps Start patrol, follows the route and completes all sub-tasks. GPS tracking runs automatically in the background — no need to press extra buttons.

7. Monitor patrols in the Dispatch System

As soon as the guard starts the patrol, the Dispatch System in the web dashboard comes to life.

Supervisors can see:

• Live GPS movement across the map.
• Which checkpoints were completed and which are missing or late.
• Current guard position across multiple sites.
• Real-time incident reports with photos and GPS coordinates.

With this view, operators can manage multiple objects, guards and patrols at the same time — from a single screen, without calling or texting guards every few minutes.

8. Add QR codes for indoor precision

GPS is excellent outdoors, but inside buildings or underground structures it can drift. That’s where QR codes become essential.

Use QR codes for:

• Building interiors and stairwells.
• Basements, tunnels and parking garages.
• Server rooms, control panels and restricted areas.

To add a QR code:

• Open the QR codes menu.
• Click Add QR, give it a name and description.
• Save, then download and print the code.
• Place it at the exact point the guard must reach.

When guards scan QR codes during a patrol, the system can prove that the exact door, rack or room was inspected — not just the general area.

9. Incident reporting with full evidence

Digital Guard Tour includes built-in incident reporting so guards can document problems in seconds without leaving their patrol.

When a guard creates an incident, the system records:

• Text description of what happened.
• Photos or other attachments.
• Exact GPS position.
• Timestamp of creation.

Incidents appear immediately in the web dashboard for supervisors to approve and handle. Later, they can be exported as part of audit trails, insurance investigations or client reports.

10. How AI supports patrol verification

Digital Guard Tour uses AI-powered patrol verification to connect GPS movement, checkpoints and QR scans into one consistent story of what actually happened on site.

The AI engine helps detect:

• Patrols that were never started.
• Checkpoints that were skipped or not completed at all.
• QR scans made from suspicious positions or at impossible times.
• Incidents reported far away from the supposed problem area.

Instead of manually checking routes, operators receive alerts when something doesn’t look right — so they can intervene in real time, not days later.

11. A rollout template for U.S. security teams

Most U.S. security companies deploy Digital Guard Tour in small, controlled steps. A typical rollout looks like this:

• Add 1–3 sites that matter most.
• Create 2–4 checkpoints per site.
• Add 1 operator and 1 guard.
• Create 1 shift and 1–2 patrol tasks.
• Have the guard test the app during a real or simulated shift.
• Verify GPS, QR and incident reporting from the dashboard.
• Roll out to more guards, shifts and objects once everyone is comfortable.

In many cases, teams can go from zero to a working pilot in under an hour — without NFC batons or proprietary handhelds.

12. Benefits for supervisors and clients

With a complete guard tour setup in place, supervisors and clients gain access to hard evidence instead of vague promises.

Digital Guard Tour lets you measure:

• Completed vs. planned patrols per site, shift and guard.
• Patrol duration and pace, including “rushed” routes that may signal shortcuts.
• Time spent in high-risk zones, such as back gates or isolated docks.
• Incident response times from first alert to guard arrival.

These numbers help you justify your contracts, negotiate renewals and move away from “hours on site” toward proof of service.

Start your first complete guard tour with Digital Guard Tour

If your guards are already walking the routes, Digital Guard Tour is the simplest way to prove it — with GPS movement, QR-verified checkpoints and AI that connects everything into one clear story for your clients.