Security services — Simplifying the selection process

Guard firms, customers seesawing between offerings and demands of one-stop-shop or specialty service provider

By Joanne Friedrick - 12.2005

Prior to Sept. 11, 2001, guard firms were already diversifying into other building services, but the terrorist attacks changed the emphasis back to security. Now, other non-guard related work is making a comeback, such as security systems maintenance.

Security officers in malls are now being trained in terrorism awareness, including examining threats to loading docks, parking areas and roof hatches.

The era of one-stop shopping has enveloped yet another

area of security: guard services. Beyond patrolling a designated site, guard companies today offer a myriad of services either related to security, such as executive protection or investigations, or in a non-security capacity, such as customer service or maintenance.

Article Excerpt

Ty Richmond, chief operating officer of Andrews International, said he has been on both sides of the equation — buying security guard services and selling them.

He said buyers of services "want as easy a process as possible. If they can find a service that they trust and get synergies, then they don't have to repeat (information) related to company culture."

He said with the right relationship, guard companies "become a natural extension of your operations. They become transparent on the consumer end."

Richmond said Andrews views security as a holistic situation, and thus offers customers uniformed services along with executive protection, investigations, systems design and integration, and consulting on risk assessment, security programs and the like. He said of Andrews' more than 200 clients, about 80 percent use multiple services.

Still, he noted, as a security director, "I never gave all my business to one vendor. But I gave a lot of business to several vendors," including some in niche areas.

Guard companies, in an effort to keep their own costs under control, don't necessarily hire people for all the areas of expertise they provide, noted Richmond, but rather "pull in technical competencies when needed."

"There becomes a pricepoint when you decide if you want that person in house," he noted.

Source: Security Director News - Complete Article

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