Too close for comfort
It is a fact that sometimes you can be so close to the action you can miss what is happening at the peripheries. Security procedures can so easily become familiar and familiarity, in the words of the adage, can breed contempt. Perhaps contempt is too strong a word, but familiarity can certainly breed casualness and carelessness.
Once these weaknesses are recognised, anyone wishing to do you harm can and will take advantage. It may be an in-house thief or subversive, an unscrupulous competitor, a disgruntled employee. Whoever, if weakness exists, you can be sure they will try to exploit it.
Maintaining tight security procedures and practices can be a thankless task and a burden on the bottom line. However, like insurance you only miss it when it isn’t there.
Our client was a national distributor of high value consumables, with warehouses in a dozen locations around the Country. Our client had security in place at the various warehouses, but these differed, dependant on the level of perceived threat and on actual experience. High perceived or actual threat – high levels of security and awareness, low perceived threat – low levels of security.
We were invited to complete a review of existing security procedures and practices and were able to produce a security policy, incorporating best practice across the group. We were able to identify weaknesses in existing procedures and make recommendations to improve. All recommendations that did not require immediate capital expenditure were accepted and implemented straight away.
We were able to produce a security review for each warehouse, detailing the areas of concern and a strategic overview where security procedures were common to all.
Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can see things differently and notice what is going on at the edges as well as what is happening at the heart of things.
If you have a security problem please call +44 (0)1986 892006 or email enquire@iseassociates.com. The initial consultation is free.