When sourcing any new service for your business there are many things to take into consideration, this is especially true when you are looking to secure your business premises. Often these decisions are reactive to a situation such as a break in or vandalism, however there are many things you can do as a business owner to prevent these situations occurring. The key one is to appoint a security provider to work with, but how do you go about finding the ideal partner?
Here are our key areas to consider when appointing an outsourced security partner.
Do they operate 24/7 365 days of the year service?
You can never put a timing on a incident occurring, so you need to make sure you are covered at all times. If your building has a flood, an intruder or even a power cut you need your security provider to be able to react quickly at all times.
Visit the security provider’s premises
There is no better way to find out about an organisation then by visiting their headquarters. Here you will get a feel for the operations, see how professional their staff are, and understand exactly how your premises will be monitored.
Check out potential providers Accreditations
A first step would be to take a look at what accreditations any potential partners hold. Accreditations provide credibility in the security market, also proving that all systems and resources are in place to provide a great service. Only the most credible companies willing to ensure they operate at the highest level will go through the costly and rigorous processes of gaining accreditations.
You can see the accreditations Shield Security hold by clicking here.
Do you have set Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) and Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)?
SLA’s provide a standard of measure with which a company will comply with contractual commitments. It sets a level of expectation for both the teams doing the work and for the customers. SLA’s specify the level at which everyone will work. They serve as the driver that helps establish the documented and repeatable processes and are essential to ensure you will receive the best possible service at all times.
A key performance indicator is a quantifiable measure put in place to ensure your security provider meets the set operational and strategic goals. They are essential to ensure you are being providing a consistently high level of service.
How good are the communications you receive?
For any partnership with a security provider to work communication channels need to be excellent. You should get a feel from a potential provider when initially speaking to them. Also find out how they propose to communicate on an on going basis. For example regular communications are important so you can review service levels and to notify of changes such as new staff, new facilities being added and changes in working hours.
And some other key considerations to consider before making your decision
- Do they provide bespoke services tailored to your exact requirements
- Will you have access to management 24/7
- Are the staff reliable, smart, fully trained and vetted
- How often do they provide reports
- Is any additional short term work covered at a reasonable cost
- Is the company pro-active rather than reactive so problems are foreseen and dealt with in advance
- Do the company invest in staff and keep them happy
- Can the company deliver on what they propose
If you have any questions or would like some advice about security for your business premises we would be delighted to provide some impartial advice. You can contact by Clicking Here.