Workforce operations, defined
Short, plain definitions of the terms security, cleaning and field-service teams use every day, and how each one works in InstaNotified.
21 terms · Last updated 2026-11-10
Terms
Active-employee pricing
Active-employee pricing charges software fees only for employees who used the system in a billing period, rather than for everyone on the roster. Seasonal and inactive staff do not add to the bill.
Buddy punching
Buddy punching is when one employee clocks in or out for another who is not there. It is a form of time theft that PIN pads, shared tablets and paper sign-in sheets make easy.
Call-out coverage
Call-out coverage is finding someone to fill a shift when the scheduled employee cannot work, often at short notice. It covers receiving the call-out, finding a qualified replacement and confirming the swap.
Daily activity report
A daily activity report, often shortened to DAR, lists what happened at a site during a day: patrols completed, visitors, incidents, maintenance and notable observations. Clients often require one as proof of service.
Geofence
A geofence is a virtual boundary drawn around a real place, such as a building or job site. Software compares a phone's location with the boundary to tell whether someone is inside or outside it.
Geofenced clock-in
A geofenced clock-in only lets an employee start a shift when their phone is inside a boundary around the assigned site. It turns a time punch into proof of presence.
Ghost shift
A ghost shift is a scheduled post that is recorded as worked but where nobody was actually present. The hours are paid and often billed to the client even though the site was uncovered.
Guard tour system
A guard tour system records that a patrol happened. Checkpoints along a route are scanned with a tag or code, and each scan is stored with a time, so a supervisor or client can see which stops were visited, in what order, and when.
Incident report
An incident report is a written record of an event that needs follow-up, such as a safety issue, an injury, a theft, a trespass or a client complaint. It states what happened, when, where, who was involved and what was done.
NFC checkpoint
An NFC checkpoint is a small tag fixed at a location that a phone reads by touching or tapping it. The tag identifies the spot, so a scan proves the person was physically there at that moment.
Notice of Rights
A Notice of Rights is a document an employer must give employees that explains their rights under a law. Under New York City's security guard wage law, guards must receive one and the employer should be able to show they did.
NYC security guard wage law
New York City's security guard wage law, the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, sets minimum wages for security guards by seniority and armed status, requires employers to give guards a notice of rights, and requires records to be kept for six years.
Open shift
An open shift is a scheduled shift that has no one assigned to it yet, or whose assigned employee is no longer available. It needs to be filled before the shift starts.
Overtime tracking
Overtime tracking watches the hours each employee works against the thresholds that trigger higher pay, so a company knows about overtime before the schedule is worked rather than after payroll.
Post orders
Post orders are the written instructions for a specific post or site: what to watch, what to check, who to call and what to do in an emergency. Employees are expected to know and follow them.
QR code checkpoint
A QR code checkpoint is a printed code placed at a location that a phone camera scans. Like an NFC tag, it identifies the spot so a scan shows someone was there.
Shift handoff report
A shift handoff report summarizes what happened during one shift so the next team, the manager and the client know the current state: open issues, incidents, visitors, equipment and anything unfinished.
Site logbook
A site logbook is the running record of events at a location: shift starts, visitors, security checks, maintenance, incidents and handover notes. It replaces the paper book kept at a desk or post.
Site-based invoicing
Site-based invoicing bills each client from the hours actually worked at that client's sites, using a bill rate that can differ from the rate the employee is paid. The difference is the margin on the contract.
Timesheet
A timesheet records the hours an employee worked in a pay period, usually by day and by site. Payroll uses it to calculate pay and, for service companies, invoicing uses it to bill clients.
Wage tier
A wage tier is a pay band that depends on an employee's length of service. Under New York City's security guard wage law, the required minimum rate depends on seniority and on whether the guard is armed.
See these ideas in one platform
Patrols, location-verified time, call-out coverage and handoffs, priced per active employee.