Competence of staff and getting the supplier to deliver on the terms of the contract are the two main challenges businesses face when outsourcing their security, new research suggests. Outsourcing is the most popular option according to research on behalf of facility management (FM) services company Grosvenor Services.
Findings include:
80 per cent of those surveyed prefer to outsource security requirements rather than use an in-house team, with half preferring to use a provider specialising solely in security.
Those who were in favour of using a stand-alone security specialist were concerned that diversification would lead to a less than satisfactory service.
An alternative is a bundled FM contract, whereby a facilities management company manages several elements of service provision such as security, cleaning and grounds maintenance. 30 per cent of those surveyed said they would prefer to opt for a facilities management provider with security expertise. A prime reason cited for this was ease of communication by having one point of contact for multiple services.
Professionalism of onsite staff was paramount for all those surveyed, whichever way security is managed. Compared to similar research conducted on the broader facilities management market, while both expect professionalism it ranks as the most important factor in the security sector, outstripping everything else. Investment in security could be undermined by less than competent staff which could have serious consequences for the security of a company.
Bernard McCauley, Group Managing Director from Grosvenor Services, which also owns Charter Security, said: “Organisations looking to outsource need to be confident that the supplier they’ve selected has the expertise and innovation to meet ever changing security needs in a professional manner. Developments, including the application of new technology and the need for increased levels of security, have raised the bar in terms of service delivery requirements. It is now time to re-educate the marketplace about how much more a modern, professional security services provider can deliver, whether a stand-alone specialist or a full facilities services company.”
The survey was conducted among those with responsibility for purchasing security services and included security and FM managers, primarily in commercial offices and construction companies with over 100 employees based in London. Visit www.grosvenorservices.com.
