GOOD INTELLIGENCE SHOULD FORM PART OF YOUR SECURITY PLAN

Following the tragic loss of life at Marikana mine there has been much finger pointing and apportioning of blame. We ask “What can the average organization learn from this incident to prevent such events from occuring on their own shop floor?”

Contributed by The Orange

The debate about whether unions add value to or hinder economic growth has always hinged on two opposing arguments. On the one side there are those who hold that unions offer a pathway to higher wages and prosperity for the lower paid workers, while the opposition considers their demands and methods a hindrance to the economy. To whom then should policymakers lend an ear?

Unions have been the subject of extensive studies conducted by economists. A broad survey of these academic studies reveals that while unions sometimes do achieve benefits for their members, they can also harm the overall economy.

While it is true that the average union member earns more than the average non-union worker, expanding union membership will not necessarily raise wages and few workers who join a union today will benefit from a pay raise. What explains these apparently contradictory findings? As the economy becomes increasingly competitive, companies have less power to pass price increases onto consumers without going out of business. Consequently, unions do not always negotiate higher wages for many newly organized workers. Research has also revealed that unions decrease the number of jobs available in the economy and can also delay the recovery from an economic downturn.

The real question though is what can companies do when faced with an aggressive union plan that is threatening to disrupt business? Formulating an effective security plan hinges on understanding the factors at play within the workplace and intelligence or pro-active information gathering is one of the key elements of such a plan.

Good intelligence in the workplace can often provide more effective security than a mere guard in uniform at the gate. This is not only because potential wrongdoers are automatically on the lookout for uniformed personnel, but also because effective intelligence gathering mechanisms can often obtain information from customers and staff without attracting suspicion.

“We have many cases on record in both the retail and hospitality sectors where good intelligence gathering mechanisms have been prevented crimes from occurring,” says Jenny Reid of iFacts.
“One of the most successful intelligence gathering methods is undercover agents, yet many people get the wrong idea when the word ‘undercover’ is used”. Reid continues, “While it is true that some undercover agents do engage in real James Bond style espionage, the truth is that the vast majority simply go about their normal day-to-day business, all the while gathering information about what is going on around them.”

Poorly trained security guards spend the vast majority of their on-duty time standing around unproductively whilst someone trained to gather intelligence will, by the very nature of their work, almost always be productively employed.

The Orange
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jenny@orangebusinessboost.co.za
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