May 16, 2009
Security Budgets – Doing More With Less
Cutting security budgets does not necessarily mean cutting security programs. Sometimes a tough economy forces all of us to adapt and often do better. Organizations and programs that are able to survive, and maybe even thrive in a recession will likely assume dominance going forward. During economic downturns organizations and institutions are often forced to engage in introspection and self examination. This can be a positive exercise.
Over time, many organizations have become inefficient and bloated and fail to deliver reasonable return on investment (ROI). In a booming economy deficiencies that have built up over time are either not spotted or simply ignored. Yet during an economic backslide the errors of the past are often exacerbated by the act of making arbitrary cuts. Often these cuts are made despite the fact that these reductions may have the net effect of exposing the organization to even greater risks and vulnerabilities, a condition rife for lawsuits. The key then is to make cuts, while at the same time, without diminishing the effectiveness of the security program.
Before going any further the following assumption is critical: Security is a situational discipline. One size does not fit all. The efficacy and adequacy of any security program is determined by a wide range of individuated demographic factors. Unlike other programs, such as safety programs, security programs do not lend themselves to universal solutions.
If it is mandated that your security program must be cut, what would you do?
The first step in the self examination process is to determine where the program is now and how it got there. The only way to make these determinations is to commission a comprehensive security review. The advantages of having an outside consulting firm conduct the security program review are objectivity and comparative experience. Some security managers perceive outside consultants as a threat. The opposite is usually the case. Security Consultants are more likely going to make the on-site security managers more successful and will help them achieve more with less.
Next, it is important the assessment process and the resultant security programs that emerge are metric driven. The security programs must also make objective sense to chief financial officer and any other interested bean counters. This means that conclusions and decisions can no longer be driven by intuitiveness and professional judgment. They must be data driven. If the tracking and analytic systems are not in place, they must be initiated. Tracking and analytic data systems can be acquired from companies such as PPM 2000 (www.ppm2000.com). Systems like these are an important ingredient, moving forward, ensuring the security program remains contemporary.
Once the assessment process is completed, it is important that the consulting firm recommends efficient solutions. In the last fifteen years security technology has advanced to the point of allowing the security professional to do more with less. Without ignoring the principal that security is a situational discipline, within the confines of any security programs there are still substantial opportunities for consolidation and some limited standardization.
Although within some circles “out-sourcing” is a dirty word, it is not an all or none proposition. There are pros and cons to proprietary versus contract security services. Again, even this choice does not need one or the other. It can be a combination of both.
Security Management Services International (www.smsiinc.com) has teamed up with PPM 2000 to offer Security Management Support to existing security programs in an attempt to bring added professionalism and experience (150 years of accumulated diverse security management experience). This service, by monitoring and supporting the existing security program, increases effectiveness without the layering on an additional level of payroll burden. Remember, security errors, even under the best of intentions, can cost millions.
The critical point is, until you fully understand where you are now, and how you got here, the security program will flounder and may well be doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past going forward. Most security evaluations result in lowered cost in the aggregate. If you are asked to cut your security budget, view this request as an opportunity to get better.
Security Management Services International offers a clear alternative to outsourcing. Under SMSI’s Security Management Support Program the client maintains the existing security managers and supervisors. SMSI simply becomes another member of the team by playing a vital supportive role and brings 150 years of security expertise toward making the security program better and more cost effective without the added payroll burden. The efficiencies gained could easily offset the cost of this service. For more information, email Bill Nesbitt, CPP at: bill@smsiinc.com or call 805-499-3800.
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