So what makes you different?
At a time when the security industry as a whole appears on the face of it to be tarred with the same brush, what must you have to set you apart? asks Jim Gannon. <br><br>You must have powerful ideas, compelling security solutions and the strong belief that bedrock processes are everything. You must be totally driven by the belief that you will bring more of what the customer really wants, without any sacrifice being made to ‘efficiency’ or ‘effectiveness’. Your managers must have the freedom to ensure that great ideas are developed to become ‘Best Practice’ security solutions, ultimately bringing a fresh dynamic to the meaning of the word ‘security’.<br><br>Recognition<br><br>You should recognise that there are many different types of clients all with different agendas, needs and objectives. Abandon the philosophy of ‘one size fits all’ and keep the customers requirements uppermost in your mind.<br><br>3-E methodology<br><br>When it comes to basic security integrity inject new meaning into the old expression ‘less is more’ simply by adopting a 3-E methodology:<br><br>? Is it efficient?<br>? Is it effective?<br>? Is it enduring?<br><br>In relation to manned guarding services, officers performances should be personalised with innovative thinking and performance enhancing ideas, intelligently related competencies which should produce optimum results, but more importantly a stable workforce through staff retention.<br><br>Token Security<br><br>Security integrity should always be engineered for the ‘just in case’ situation and companies should be preparing for the ‘worse case’ scenarios with a proactive approach rather than what is commonly found in many organisations today which is selective or reactive security. This is often labelled by the real front line security professions as ‘token security’ and regarded in some organisations as a necessary evil and just being another overhead cost.<br><br>Investment<br><br>I have always felt strongly about the fact that security integrity should be recognised as an investment and as a protective insurance shield. I advocate that ‘doing business’ and ‘doing security’ should go hand in hand. Proactive security integrity should feature visionary technology capabilities, linking manpower with hardware innovation, which should transform itself into confidence, producing enduring security integrity. This must be driven with a strong passion for continuous improvement.<br><br>Integrity<br><br>I believe that commercial security needs to be a formidable blend in equal parts of coal fact experience, expertise, process, practice and last but not least ‘ passion’. It is much more than simply making service level promises, it is about delivering them in the right place, at the right time and at the right level. More importantly however, it is about going that extra mile by possessing the will as a totally focussed team to continually improve.<br><br>Innovative Thinking<br><br>The security industry as a whole must encourage its staff to feel free to explore the most inventive and innovative thinking, unhindered by managers urging them to compromise. If security companies are to thrive in the current climate they have to demonstrate the critical importance of creating a different kind of business culture, which encourages their people to achieve great things through hard work and exceeding customers expectations which sadly today seems to be often forgotten.<br><br>Today’s Environment<br><br>The current economic downturn presents unlimited opportunities for the security industry as a whole. Whilst security overhead costs will be high on the hit list for some companies there will be those who will recognise that they are now at their most vulnerable. With the police unable to cope with the rise in commercial crime it is down to companies themselves to protect their own organisations from within. I do not think the recession will hit the security industry as hard as other sectors, as we are already used to operating with low margins but ‘being different’ may just give you an edge.<br><br>About the writer<br><br>Jim Gannon has spent more than 40 years in the police and in the commercial security sector, having recently retired from the Unipart Group of Companies where he was Head of Security since 2003. He takes an active interest in the security industry and has been on the Professional Security advisory board for more than 10 years.
Jim is writing more on this subject and welcomes comment on this. He asks – if you think you have some differential, write in and say what it is.
