RiskUKOctober2017

An Exercise in Logistics
Company warehouses
are often the target for
both opportunistic
and organised crime.
While a robust and yet
fairly static approach
to security may hold
off the opportunist,
this kind of regime will
not deter organised
criminals. Catching the
thieves can be akin to
a game of ‘cat and
mouse’. Brendan
Musgrove outlines
how and why an agile
approach to security is
the best way forward
The 2017 Spring Budget Statement – the
first to be delivered by Chancellor Philip
Hammond – was met with mixed opinion in
the logistics sector, with most industry
commentators feeling pretty disappointed. As
expected, the Chancellor showed little appetite
for new spending ahead of the Brexit
negotiations, while investment promises for
transport were somewhat scarce.
Announcements focused on freezes to
Vehicle Excise Duty, the HGV Road User Levy
and fuel duty were all welcomed in equal
measure, but the Chancellor’s pledges of
money to ease motorway congestion, improve
road infrastructure and boost research in
driverless vehicles were met with a lukewarm
response. To put it bluntly, for many logistics
industry observers, the Spring Budget was
heavy on soundbites, but light on substance.
There’s little doubt that the logistics industry
faces the same high-level challenges as any
other sector – the need to cut costs, increase
efficiencies and attract the right talent to work
within. Crucially, specialists in this field must
make sure their security procurement is right
and that they partner with the very best
guarding solutions provider they can find.
There are five key steps that should form the
foundation of every security guarding solution
in the logistics space. First of all, the security
provider and client absolutely need to conduct
regular reviews. These reviews must be both
open and candid, wherein current aspects of
loss are discussed and proposals for
addressing them agreed upon.
Through a full understanding of the profile of
the losses being faced, this will enable both
parties to change the shape of security
provision and precisely target any altering
patterns or threats. After all, what might have
been fit for purpose six months ago simply may
not be so appropriate now as the nature of the
risks faced could well have changed.
Degree of flexibility
Second, the supplier then needs a level of
flexibility to put these plans into play. This
flexibility may take the shape of contract
reviews, placed periodically through the
lifecycle of the contract, wherein the provision
is formally reviewed and the contract reengineered
as appropriate. That said, the
changing nature of loss doesn’t wait for these
punctuation points in a contract’s development.
At those junctures when acute issues are
found, this flexibility may have to be achieved
at very short notice, which may mean moving
officers around the site, or indeed drafting in
additional resource with immediate effect.
Therefore, it’s also important that the solution
supplier has a deep resource of well-trained
and licensed officers to draw upon as needed.
Here, the level of training is key. Logistics is a
sector with particular requirements. Placing an
officer not versed with the right skills in such an
environment is simply unacceptable.
Third, and as stated above, while all officers
should be well-trained, there’s a time and a
place for an ‘elite’ resource to be called upon.
When actively pursuing a reduction in loss,
there are moments when specialist skills – for
instance, those demanded to undertake covert
duties or enhanced security searches – will be
needed as part of the approach that are not
economically viable to be trained into all onsite
security personnel.
Fourth, all of the security guarding elements
mentioned thus far need to be properly
integrated with technology. This may involve
the short-term tactical use of systems such as
covert cameras or vehicle trackers, or it might
focus on working together when the discussion
turns to longer-term capital projects.
Finally, the security provider needs to liaise
with the client to make recommendations
regarding working practices and operational
procedures. By using the intelligence gained
through security operations, some areas of risk
can be managed or mitigated via appropriate
process design and procedure.
Specific problems
Once these parameters have been agreed upon,
it’s then time to address specific issues and
problems. There’s an estimated 5% shrinkage
rate in warehouses and depots caused by staff
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