Creative Security Blog

Creating a Model Security Facility - Part 1

For many building owners, property managers and construction companies, security is one of those things they know they need to have, but few know the best practice measures they should be following in order to create a secure facility without spending a fortune.

In an ideal world, everybody could simply hire an internal security manager to make sure all of a site's security needs are being met in the most cost-effective manner. Since hiring a security manager isn't feasible in many cases, many building owners, property managers and superintendents will seek advice from security consultants and outsource these concerns to a security firm better equipped to handle the job.

Most security firms servicing the commercial real estate industry, however, will sell you on the need for expensive round-the-clock guard services that often leave a lot of room for security vulnerabilities to exist. While security guard forces can be very effective in certain situations, this is usually a one-size-fits-all approach that typically has the highest pay-out for a security vendor.

So if you're faced with this situation and need to create a secure facility on a reasonable budget, what is one to do?

Our suggestion is to work in partnership with your security vendor to create a model security facility and build a custom security plan and that works within your budget parameters. At CSC, we refer to this as our "Security By Design" approach, and we believe that by taking this approach with our clients we can set ourselves apart from other security vendors.

The first step in this process begins when you're initially meeting with security vendors. Be sure to discuss all of your security needs with them during the consultation phase. This consultation should not cost you any extra money - so if the vendor wants to charge you for this service, walk away.

Next, work with your security vendor to develop an actionable plan for creating a model security facility. In our next blog post, we'll outline a basic formula of the key components required for building a model security facility. By familiarizing yourself with this concept, you can work hand in hand with your security provider to design a customized security plan that meets your exact needs and fits within your budget.