Logistics is the industry of the 21st century. More and more shopping has moved online, resulting in millions of goods moving around the country every day.
But the bigger this unfathomably complex network becomes, the more weak links begin to form in the chain. It’s the role of security companies such as us to strengthen them and keep your company running smoothly.
Storing and moving goods is always going to come with the risk that criminals will try and take those goods for themselves, especially if they are high value or easy to sell.
Items such as electronics and jewellery can be so valuable that the potential profit criminals can make outweighs the risk of being caught, while alcohol and cigarettes are easy to sell and difficult to track if stolen.
With so many people, vehicles and goods coming and going, there are many weak links in even the most well-monitored logistics chain, from break-ins in warehouses, employees committing petty theft and hijacking of vehicles.
We’ve encountered situations where clients have approached us for security advice after lorries preloaded with deliveries for the following day have been stolen from the depot or even ambushed on the road by organised criminals.
Criminals have even been known to infiltrate logistics companies as drivers, staying low-key until they have a chance to make off with a lorry packed with high value goods.
During high demand seasons, logistics companies may rush the vetting process for new hires, providing criminals with the perfect opportunity to slip through the cracks.
There’s no better way to patch up vulnerabilities in your logistics supply chain than hiring licensed, trained, and fully vetted security guards.
Security guards are especially valuable at gates, where they can verify drivers, check security seals on deliveries, and search bags and pockets of employees.
Electronic solutions such as security passes and electronic tagging are useful for keeping track of where everyone and everything is, but they won’t be able to alert you if someone is acting suspiciously or falsifying their identification.
Security guards add an essential human element to your security. Our guards are trained to be able to identify risks and suspicious behaviour. A dodgy driver might be able to pass electronic verification, while a security guard on your gate will spot them a mile away.
Warehouse staff can also be a security concern, especially when hired on short-term contracts where there may be little loyalty to the job. Security guards can patrol warehouses to keep an eye out for theft and search staff on entry and exit.
As demand for online shopping continues to skyrocket, the largest logistics companies have expanded into enormous distribution centres.
Companies able to operate at such a scale typically have very high security standards inside the distribution centres, with employees and stock closely monitored with immediate alerts if anything is out of place.
But there are still vulnerabilities. As with any site, the perimeter is an area of vulnerability, and when distribution centres can reach the size of a town, these perimeters become enormous.
The only way to secure these miles of fences is a combination of electronic security systems such as alarms and floodlights and patrolling security guards in vehicles.
Without guards on site who can quickly respond to a potential intrusion, criminals can enter a site, steal items or cause damage before anyone is able to stop them. And, as always, there’s no better deterrent to crime occurring in the first place than clearly visible security guards on site.
Without a professional risk assessment of your site and operations, there may be gaping holes in your security that you’re unaware of.
Call us now on 0800 772 3786 or email [email protected] to book a free, no-obligation risk assessment, after which we can recommend the ideal security solutions.
