Overview
Command Center provides a centralized workspace for monitoring and responding to operational events in TrackTik. It is designed for security operations teams that need to review system exceptions, manage calls to action, and monitor or create dispatch tasks without leaving the main monitoring screen.
In Command Center, system exception tickets are displayed as Calls to Action (CTAs). A CTA is created when TrackTik detects an operational exception, such as an uncovered shift, a late checkpoint scan, a panic alert, an inactive mobile device, or a runsheet that has not started on time.
Command Center helps operators work from a single screen by displaying relevant information in a side panel. This allows operators to review details, add comments, change statuses, access related records, and create dispatch tasks while continuing to monitor new CTAs and active deployments.
What Command Center is used for
Command Center is used to help operations teams:
- Monitor system exceptions in real time.
- Review and action CTAs from a centralized dashboard.
- Access related information without navigating away from the monitoring screen.
- Follow configured CTA instructions based on the type of event.
- View relevant contacts, site details, device information, or related operational records.
- Create dispatch tasks directly from a CTA when a response is required.
- Monitor active dispatches and their current workflow status.
- Escalate unresolved CTAs to another operation center when escalation policies are configured.
Command Center includes dispatch functionality, but it is not limited to dispatch. Depending on the organization’s operating procedures, operators may use Command Center mainly for CTA monitoring, dispatch coordination, shift-related follow-up, panic alert response, or a combination of these workflows.
Calls to Action
A Call to Action is a system-generated item that requires operator review. CTAs are based on system exceptions and are intended to identify events that may require follow-up.
Examples of CTAs may include:
- Panic alerts
- Inactive mobile devices
- Uncovered shifts
- Late or missed checkpoint scans
- Run sheets that have not started
- Late dispatchable tasks
- Threshold warnings or alerts
The CTA list updates automatically, so operators do not need to manually refresh the page to see newly created CTAs.
CTA details panel
When an operator selects a CTA, Command Center opens the details in a side panel. This keeps the main dashboard visible while the operator reviews or updates the CTA.
Depending on the CTA type and configuration, the details panel may include:
- CTA information
- Status
- Assigned operator
- CTA instructions
- Related entity
- Comments
- Contacts
- Site or location information
- Mobile device information
- Dispatch options
- Available actions
This layout allows operators to continue monitoring incoming CTAs while working on an existing item.
Operators can select the related record to review additional information. Depending on the record type, this may include shift details, site information, position details, zone information, monitoring options, mobile device details, or contact information.
Note: Where the operator clicks matters. Selecting the CTA row opens the CTA itself. Selecting a linked field, such as a user, client, location, or relation, may open the associated record instead.
CTA instructions
CTA instructions provide operators with standard procedures for handling specific CTA types. These instructions are configured by CTA type and can be scoped by region or client.
For example, instructions for a panic alert may tell operators to:
- Contact the individual who triggered the alert.
- Confirm the individual’s safety.
- Contact the site contact if the individual is unresponsive.
- Dispatch an officer if further response is required.
CTA instructions help standardize operator response and reduce ambiguity. Organizations should configure instructions for CTA types that require consistent handling by the operation center.
Contacts in Command Center
The CTA details panel can display contacts related to the CTA, depending on configuration. These may include:
- Site contacts
- Emergency contacts
- Mobile device contacts
- Linked users
- The user related to the CTA
Operators can use this information to determine who should be contacted as part of the response procedure.
Note: Command Center does not place outbound calls. If a phone number is available, operators must use their organization’s phone system or softphone solution to make the call.
Dispatching from a CTA
Some CTAs may require a dispatch response. When available, operators can create a dispatch task directly from the CTA details panel.
To create a dispatch from a CTA:
- Open the CTA.
- Review the CTA instructions and related information.
- Select the dispatch option.
- Choose the dispatch destination, such as the related site or last known coordinates, if available.
- Select the task or job type.
- Select the client associated with the dispatch.
- Add task instructions or event-specific details.
- Set the planned duration, if applicable.
- Assign the dispatch to an available responder, if required.
- Send the dispatch.
The dispatch task remains linked to the CTA, allowing the operator to maintain context between the original system exception and the response.
Note: A dispatch task must be associated with a client, even when the CTA already contains site or location information. This is required by the dispatch task structure.
Active Deployments
The Active Deployments section displays active dispatch tasks. Operators can use this section to monitor dispatch activity and review workflow status, such as whether a task is new, assigned, en route, arrived, or in another configured workflow state.
Operators can select a dispatch task to open its details in the side panel. From there, they can review information, edit available fields, change workflow status, assign resources, add notes, or close the dispatch, depending on permissions and workflow configuration.
Command Center uses a side-panel layout for dispatches, allowing operators to continue monitoring CTAs and other active deployments while creating or updating a dispatch task. This is different from workflows where creating or viewing a dispatch takes the user away from the monitoring screen.
Dashboard order
Command Center allows operators to change the order of dashboard sections. For example, a team that primarily monitors CTAs may keep CTAs at the top, while a team focused on dispatch operations may place Active Deployments first.
This allows each operation center to adjust the workspace based on its operating procedures.
Permissions
Users must have the appropriate Command Center permissions before they can access or manage Command Center.
The main permission policies are:
- Command Center Operator — provides access to the operation center dashboard.
- Command Center Operator Manager — provides access to the operation center dashboard and Command Center settings.
System administrators should assign the appropriate permission policy based on the user’s role and responsibilities.
Operation centers
Before operators can use Command Center, at least one operation center must be configured. An operation center represents the operational group or security operations center responsible for monitoring selected regions.
An operation center must include:
- A name
- One or more assigned regions
- Assigned operators
Operation centers are region-based. A single operation center can monitor one region, multiple regions, or a centralized regional structure, depending on the organization’s setup.
Even if an organization uses only one region, an operation center must still be created and linked to that region before operators can monitor CTAs in Command Center.
CTA configurations
CTA configurations control how specific CTA types behave in Command Center. Depending on operational requirements, an organization may not want every CTA type to appear for every operation center, region, or client.
CTA configurations can be used to:
- Hide selected CTA types.
- Automatically resolve CTAs when the underlying issue is resolved.
- Apply different behavior by region or client.
This helps operation centers focus on the CTA types they are responsible for managing.
Escalation policies
Escalation policies determine what happens when a CTA is not actioned within a defined period of time.
When multiple operation centers are configured, a CTA can be escalated to another operation center if it is not taken or actioned within the configured timeframe. Escalation timing can be configured as a default policy or by CTA type.
For example, high-priority CTA types may use a shorter escalation time, while lower-priority CTA types may use a longer escalation time.
Note: Escalation policies are relevant when more than one operation center is configured. If there is only one operation center, there is no additional operation center to escalate the CTA to.
Best practices
Use the following best practices when setting up and using Command Center:
- Configure CTA instructions for CTA types that require a standard response.
- Include the relevant preferred contacts for each CTA type.
- Assign operators only to the operation centers they are responsible for monitoring.
- Review CTA configurations to avoid displaying CTAs that are not handled by the operation center.
- Use escalation policies when multiple operation centers share responsibility for urgent CTAs.
- Add comments to CTAs to maintain an audit trail of operator actions.
- Close or resolve CTAs only after the required follow-up is complete.
- Use Active Deployments to monitor dispatch tasks without leaving the Command Center dashboard.
Summary
Command Center provides a centralized operational dashboard for monitoring CTAs and dispatch activity. It helps operators respond to system exceptions by keeping relevant information, instructions, contacts, related records, and dispatch tools in one workspace.
By configuring operation centers, permissions, CTA instructions, CTA configurations, contacts, and escalation policies, organizations can align Command Center with their standard operating procedures and improve response consistency across their operations.