Keeping a digital guardbook
This guide shows security services how to keep a digital guardbook with LiteLog: from your own guardbook template, to tying it to the shift, to evaluation and proof for your client.
1. What is the guardbook in LiteLog?
LiteLog has no separate "guardbook page" — the guardbook emerges from the records your employees capture anyway. Its core is the Reports area: the unified list of incidents and completed forms. Patrol records complete the picture:
| Classic guardbook entry | In LiteLog |
|---|---|
| Shift report, handover protocol | Completed form in the Reports area |
| Special occurrences | Incident with photos, category, and severity |
| Patrol proof | Round logs under Tasks & Routes |
| Chronological journal | Activity — all events and scans in time order |
Submitted reports are immutable — every entry carries a timestamp and user attribution and can therefore be used as evidence.
2. Build your own guardbook template
You design your guardbook form yourself — as a form template under Settings → Form Templates. The form editor provides a builder with all field types; alternatively, describe the desired form in your own words (AI draft), import your existing paper guardbook as a PDF, or adopt a ready-made security template from the library.
Example: "Shift Report / Handover Protocol" template
| Field | Field type | Setting |
|---|---|---|
| Shift data | Section | — |
| Shift start / shift end | Date / Time | required |
| Special occurrences | Long text | optional |
| All keys complete? | OK/Defect | photo required on "Defect" |
| Alarm system armed? | Yes/No | required |
| Photo guard room / handover state | Photo | optional |
| Signature of handing-over employee | Signature | required |
Required fields enforce complete entries: the report can only be submitted once all required fields are filled in. For "OK/Defect" fields you can require a photo on defect — every documented defect is then automatically backed by photographic evidence.
3. Tie it to the shift
To make the guardbook entry belong to the shift, tie the template to time tracking: in the form editor, under "Usage", select Time tracking (start/end of shift) and choose whether the form is offered at clock-in (shift start), at clock-out (shift end), or both. Optionally restrict the template to specific properties.
Your employees are then offered the form directly in the app when they track their shift time — the shift report sits exactly where the shift starts and ends.
Recipe: Enforce one entry per shift
The shift form is an offer — if you want to make the entry mandatory, combine two building blocks:
- Recurring task with a required form — Create a task (e.g. "Night shift report"), attach your guardbook template in the Form field, and set a recurrence rule matching the shift rhythm. The task only counts as done once the form has been filled in and submitted.
- Escalation on omission — In Automation, create a rule with the "Task overdue" trigger. If the shift report is missing, the operations manager is notified automatically — via push, email, or SMS.
The result is a gapless guardbook: every shift has its report task, and missing entries surface immediately instead of at the next inspection.
4. Filling it in via the app
Your employees fill in the guardbook in the LiteLog app — directly on site, with photos and signature on the smartphone. This works even without an internet connection: entries are captured offline and synchronized automatically once the device is back online — for example in underground car parks, basements, or remote properties.
A report does not have to be finished in one go: saved as a draft, it appears in the reports list and can be continued later. Alternatively, filling it in via the portal is available — e.g. for the guard room PC.
5. Evaluate & prove
All submitted guardbook entries end up in the Reports area. For evaluation and proof you have:
- Filtering — The Template filter shows only the shift reports; Property and Date range narrow down to, say, one guarded property and one billing month.
- Single PDF — Every report can be exported as a PDF from the detail view, including photos and signature.
- Email delivery — Send reports by email directly to your client; with automatic delivery also periodically, e.g. weekly. Generate aggregate evaluations under Export & Delivery.
- Client access — Give your client a dedicated login through which they view the reports of their properties themselves — without you having to send anything.
Good to Know
:::tip Note
- Submitted reports are immutable — document corrections via a new report; the original remains intact.
- Forms with "OK/Defect" fields can feed the "Defect detected" trigger in Automation — a defect in the shift report automatically becomes a notification or follow-up task.
- Drafts with photos or a signature are best continued on the same device — across devices, the answers carry over, but media attachments do not. :::
Frequently Asked Questions about the digital guardbook
Does LiteLog fully replace the handwritten guardbook? Yes. Incidents, shift reports, handover protocols, and patrol records are captured digitally, carry a timestamp and user attribution, and cannot be changed afterwards.
Can I adopt my existing guardbook form? Yes. Import your paper form as a PDF into the form editor — the fields are detected automatically. Alternatively, describe the desired form in your own words and let the AI generate a draft.
How do I make sure every shift has an entry? Tie the template to shift start/end and enforce the entry via a recurring task with a required form plus a "Task overdue" rule in Automation (see the recipe above).
Does the guardbook work without internet? Yes. The app captures entries offline and synchronizes them automatically as soon as a connection is available again.
Permissions
:::info Permission To fill in the guardbook, your employees need the Fill out forms permission (for incidents: Create incidents); for evaluation you need View forms and View incidents respectively. Templates are edited by anyone with Create/edit forms. Contact your administrator if you do not have access. :::