Enterprise workforce suites are built for the largest contractors, often with cleaning and security under one roof, and for them the suite is a sensible choice. The companies that look for an alternative are usually mid-sized guarding firms that need the UK compliance pieces, SIA licence checks, BS 7858 screening, check calls and ACS evidence, in the same place as the rota and the invoice, with a price they can see and an onboarding measured in weeks. This page sets out what the suites typically offer, what BOOK ON does, and how a move runs.
General comparison based on what leading UK enterprise suites publish on their own websites, read on 29 October 2026. No vendor is named. We have not used those products and do not claim to have.
Quick overview
Enterprise workforce suites
Sold in packs (service, finance, engagement, add-on modules) with a lighter tier for smaller companies, priced on a demo. UK security pages typically list location and shift management, guard touring and proof of presence, inspections, hiring tools, BS 7858 expiry alerts and right-to-work checks, with integrations to payroll, ERP and hiring systems. Strong at scale; heavy for a company whose daily users are two controllers and a payroll clerk.
BOOK ON
A UK-built platform for security companies with three modules on one shift record: Operate (roster, live monitor, check calls, patrols, incidents, control room, alarm response desk), Compliance (SIA renewal queue, BS 7858 vetting tracker, P-Files, right-to-work expiry, registers, ACS evidence reports) and Accounts (timesheets, payroll with payslips, invoices from timesheets, finance dashboard). £2.95 per worked officer per month, all features included.
Pros and cons
Enterprise suites
- Pro: scale and a long track record with large contractors
- Pro: cleaning and security on one supplier
- Pro: established integrations with payroll, ERP and hiring tools
- Con: pricing and contract terms are not usually published; buying is demo-led
- Con: a pack-based product set that a company of 30 to 300 officers may find heavier than it needs
- Con: SIA licence checking, ACS evidence and check calls are not always described on the public pages
BOOK ON
- Pro: UK compliance built in, from the SIA renewal queue to the ACS evidence reports
- Pro: one record from roster to invoice; no timesheet re-entry
- Pro: per-officer pricing on the website, so controllers and office staff are not counted
- Pro: an alarm response desk with SLA clocks for keyholding contracts
- Con: a newer brand with fewer public references than the established suites
- Con: integrations and offline behaviour are confirmed during onboarding rather than listed
Feature by feature
| Area | Enterprise suites (as typically published) | BOOK ON (from the live system) |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling and rostering | Scheduling and shift management modules | Client and officer rosters, Copy Roster, Excel import, Near By Officers cover search |
| Proof of attendance | Guard touring and proof of presence; biometrics integrations | Book on and book off from the app, planned against actual hours, movement trail and Zig Zag Report |
| SIA licence checks | Not always described | SIA check per officer, expiry tables with days remaining, renewal queue with next actions and last-checked dates |
| BS 7858 screening | Expiry alerts and right-to-work checks often named | Vetting checklist, telephone screening and BS 7858 pending lists, P-File progress rings |
| Check calls and lone workers | Lone worker mentioned; check calls not always described | Calls and Alone filters on the live monitor, call reports, Check Calls Log / Lone Worker report |
| Incidents and daily occurrence book | Inspections and quality modules | Typed events with photos, manager review, PDF; daily occurrence entries; events and shift logs reports |
| Keyholding and alarm response | Keyholding named | Alarm control centre with priorities, SLA clocks and responders; live alarm map; eight alarm reports |
| Pay and bill | Finance packs; payroll integrations | Generate Payroll with payslips; sales invoice fetched from timesheets; finance dashboard with margin |
| ACS evidence | Not usually described | Compliance and ACS Evidence reports; complaints, CAPA and equipment registers |
| Pricing | Demo-led | £2.95 per worked officer per month, published |
“Not described” means not found on the public pages we read on 29 October 2026, not that a product lacks it. Ask the vendor.
Signs you have outgrown an enterprise suite, or never needed one
- You pay for packs you do not open, and the people who use the system daily are two controllers and a payroll clerk.
- Licence expiry and screening live in a spreadsheet next to the suite because the suite’s screens do not show a next action.
- A change to a client’s hours goes through a ticket rather than a controller.
- Check calls are a phone list, and the welfare record is whatever the controller wrote down.
- You cannot tell a new client what the system costs per officer because you do not know what you pay per officer.
Onboarding, support and switching
Onboarding
BOOK ON imports the rota from Excel, registers officers through an invitation link and has clients, sites, rates and the first rota in place within a week. A parallel run with the old system for one pay period is the usual approach. Suite onboarding is usually scoped on the vendor’s demo.
Support
BOOK ON support is UK-based and part of the subscription; details are set out in your agreement. Suite support terms are normally agreed on contract.
Migration plan
- Export clients, sites, officers and the current rota from the suite.
- Import the rota to BOOK ON; register officers by invitation link; upload licences and documents.
- Set pay and charge rates per officer and site; set roles.
- Run one pay period in parallel; compare payroll and invoices line by line.
- Cut over on a Monday; keep read access to the old system for the retention period.
Verdict
For a large multi-service contractor with cleaning and security under one roof, an enterprise suite remains a credible choice. For a UK guarding company of 20 to 500 officers whose daily work is licences, welfare checks, incidents and invoices, BOOK ON puts those on one record with a price per officer.
Enterprise suite questions
Do enterprise suites require long-term contracts?
Terms are not usually published; ask the vendor. BOOK ON’s terms are set out on the demo and in your agreement.
Are enterprise suites only for large companies?
Most offer a lighter tier for smaller companies, but their public pages position the product around the largest contractors.
Which is better for multi-site operations?
Both are built for many sites. BOOK ON’s client roster shows a whole contract on one screen and the live monitor filters by client and site.
What does an enterprise suite cost?
Usually not published; buying is demo-led. BOOK ON costs £2.95 per worked officer per month with all features included, and the demo gives the figure for your officer count.
Which is easier to use?
We can only speak for BOOK ON: controllers work from the roster and the live monitor, and officers from one app. Judge both on a demo with your own data.
How long does switching take?
Clients, sites, officers, rates and the first rota are typically in BOOK ON within a week, with one parallel pay period before cut-over.
Related pages
Compare on your own rota
Bring a week of rota and your licence list to the demo and see them in BOOK ON.