SECURITY PROVIDER’S
VIEW
PAUL LOTTER, MANAGING
DIRECTOR,
ROB HILL, COMMERCIAL
DIRECTOR, CORPS SECURITY
Suppliers can only provide high
quality service if they ask the FM
teams the right questions. That’s
the first step in mitigating specific
risks to premises. It’s important to
recognise individual security drives
for a business, and how serious
and prevalent these risks are. Then it’s a case of demonstrating
the know-how involved in adding value to the security provision
on oœ er. It’s about implementing the right solution that will take
care of your assets and people.
With more businesses undertaking flexible working models,
the demand for CCTV and intruder and fire alarm monitoring
services for vacant premises looks to increase. Sites previously
monitored overnight and at weekends may now require 24/7
monitoring.
But as COVID restrictions fall away in a post-lockdown world,
customers who were previously reluctant to invest in security
technology are seeing the benefits of a blended approach
to security – where tech complements security oœ icers and
responds to the individual business security needs of each site.
Some buildings can be remotely locked, and the lights switched
oœ at night, leaving BMS systems to track lower risk points while
monitoring temperature, potential flooding and break-ins.
The security industry is currently preparing for the switching
oœ in 2025 of the UK’s public switched telephone network
(PSTN) which is set to aœ ect anything running oœ PSTN or ISDN
lines including CCTV, faxes, EPOS machines, alarm and door
entry systems. Companies will need to start planning now to
20 MARCH 2022
ensure their systems remain
functional when the UK moves
from a PSTN to a digital model.
The response will be a greater
emphasis on fully integrated
building management systems
to create smarter premises that
securely control access and egress,
with integrated AI for monitoring
specific risk points at all hours. These
systems will also provide expert data to
finetune risk management.
Larger estates will benefit from services such as
Corps KeySafe – an integrated service leveraging the benefits
of Bluetooth-enabled key safes and smart response systems
that allow the nearest authorised person to access keys while
recording a precise audit trail. This has been particularly
beneficial in the care sector during COVID-19, enabling care
workers and authorised individuals to gain access to homes for
private care while maintaining limited contact.
Web portal and smartphone applications allow colleagues
to access data showing shiª s worked, holiday and absence
management, pay information, and uniform orders, as well as
information about health benefit schemes. Corps Secure, our
bespoke customer portal provides a dashboard that illustrates
the customer’s full security operation in real-time, from incident
reports to site visits, security oœ icer shiª patterns and training
records, all site-specific documentation as well as all billing
information and KPIs.
Security doesn’t end at the protection of a business’s property
and assets – safeguarding its people has to be a top priority.
Corps Guard, is a personal protection support application,
downloaded directly to a smartphone. Its aimed at colleagues
who are operating remotely, in potentially dangerous situations
or commuting at night
through threatening
areas.
Any technology
integration is an
investment but, done
smartly, can reduce
a business’s overall
security spend.
The cost savings
realised from having
people on site only
when necessary, for
example, oœ ers a
great opportunity for
businesses to invest this back into their people, paying the Real
Living Wage, upskilling oœ icers and training them to work with
new technologies more eœ iciently.
FM CLINIC
According to a Mintel
report*, the adoption
of newer interoperable
security technology
has accelerated during
the pandemic. Which
technologies do you
predict will have the greatest
benefits for the security of
premises, be they o ices, retail,
manufacturing or health care? And how
can FMs ensure their suppliers provide high quality
service and maintenance support?
Paul Lot ter
Rob Hill
ADVICE & OPINION
In FMJ's regular monthly column, our team of FM experts answer your
questions about the world of facilities management