In the intricately complex domain of multi-office enterprise real-estate management, consistency isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the holy grail for optimizing efficiency. Too much variation in any operation causes inefficiency due to a lack of standard operating procedures.
But more importantly, when it comes to multiple-location office security, variation increases risk in the form of gaps in systems and protocols.
For IT and Facility Managers striving to create a secure, productive, and equitable work environment across multiple office locations, the significance of a uniform security operation cannot be overstated. This final installment of our three-part series delves into the critical role of consistency in enterprise security and how the right technology and procedures can not only mitigate risk, but also enhance employee satisfaction, increase efficiency and provide the foundation for operational excellence.
Part 1: Steamlining Access Control Operations Across Multiple Office Locations
Part 2: Leveraging Data for Business Insights: A Key to Operational Excellence
Scalability of Cloud-Based Security
Fundamental to effectively running a multi-office business entity at scale are clear communications of shared objectives and the technology that enables that to occur. Cloud-based computing makes this possible, providing a single source of truth at the central administrative hub of an organization for distributing security privileges and monitoring their use across multiple remote locations simultaneously.
Without a centralized access security system scaled to operate uniformly across offices over the internet, each business location is left to their own devices for how they protect personnel and assets. They can follow standardized procedures, but implementation becomes a highly manual, and potentially inconsistent process of adoption.
There will likely be gaps in technology between locations and resulting disparity in data and communications in the security operation. If a physical breach occurs in any location, it is not recorded elsewhere and may go unnoticed leading to additional risk. Likewise, any authorized user in any location may not be recognized at other locations, requiring him/her to carry multiple credentials for different location entries, or registering as a visitor.
This approach creates obvious inefficiencies of different operations at each location. A cloud-based security solution eliminates the variations in protocols and data so that every process and every user is recognized by the access system at each location but shares the data history in the central repository.
Centralized Identity Management
A key benefit of a cloud-based access security system is having a shared authoritative source of truth that unites all employee identities across locations in administrating the operational rules of entering office locations. This is called “identity management”. Like an active directory of online user identities that controls access to a business’s computer network across multiple offices, the user identity roster of a physical access management server does the same for physical access into offices.
Given the highly dynamic nature of a modern enterprise with constant personnel changes at each location nationwide, having this central identity management function greatly increases efficiency of access management and consistency of access profiles.
This efficiency is further enhanced when the logical (online) and physical access rights are synchronized in a single user profile which enables the ability for a business to instantly provision and de-provision an employee’s access privileges through a single technology platform.
This integration is more than a convenience; it’s a transformation in proficiency for maintaining a consistent security posture for any individual across locations and online with one point of data entry. This centralized approach not only streamlines data management time but also greatly minimizes security risks associated with delays in revoking of access privileges and ensures that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive areas and the cyber network, thereby safeguarding your assets and information effectively.
Uniform Security Maintenance and Monitoring
Delivering consistent security performance across diverse geographic locations is an obvious challenge given the intrinsic obstacles of distance and discrepancies among each unique site. While cloud-based systems are essential, this advanced technology needs consistent oversight and support. Larger enterprises can afford to dedicate this undertaking to internal department staff focused entirely on security, but for small and mid-sized businesses, this would be an expensive overhead luxury.
Many firms get by using some mix of onsite facilities or IT staff to manage and monitor the security system as a portion of their workload. A frequently used solution is to offload some of the maintenance and management to a local integrator dealer which internal staff can manage as a local vendor. Some of these organizations will even monitor the onsite alarms.
But regardless of which of these localized solutions a national firm chooses, they all suffer from inconsistency – each location will likely have a different vendor managed by different staff. There is no shared historical knowledge, schedule or shared practices. And as staff change, do they even recall who their service provider might be?
When emergencies happen, or components of the system break down, they may have to spend time searching to respond. Additionally, the internal staff time spent troubleshooting and managing these external providers are losing focus on the core business operations, creating more operational inefficiencies.
A better solution for some organizations is to outsource the entire operation, just like some businesses outsource their IT function or cyber security function. This approach is called Managed Security, or “Security as a Service”. By paying a monthly operational fee, they receive ongoing, dedicated system monitoring, maintenance, and oversight from security experts.
This approach streamlines the operation for a business as it can remove security overhead, eliminate unplanned costs of repair and replacement, and ensures ongoing maintenance and software updates occur regularly. It’s all covered in the monthly service fee.
A national Managed Security provider brings security consistency across the portfolio of office locations for an enterprise – uniformity of the technology, the centralized monitoring, and the single accountable party for oversight, removing any gaps in communication and system performance history. The same provider provides a dedicated account team to the business for every location from design, sales, and installation of a system through monitoring, data capture, and maintenance.
Uniform Security Protocols
Consistency of security measures and processes across all locations is essential for maintaining a strong and cohesive security posture across a multi-office enterprise business, enabling effective protection of sensitive data, systems, and assets from a diverse range of threats. Uniform protocols facilitate easier management and enforcement, reducing the complexity and potential for errors in security operations.
Generally, most successful businesses have a standard set of rules and processes in place to maintain security. However, the implementation of and compliance with those standards may vary by location, and people, especially the further removed from the headquarters a workplace may be. Operational consistency can be difficult to maintain if offices have disparate security system integrators managing each location separately. Having a dedicated, accountable managed security provider across all locations can more effectively ensure consistency of protocols.
Further, consistency of security is fundamental to a fair and systematic approach to ensuring that all employees, regardless of their office location, experience the same level of security, feel protected and valued by their employer, with a shared a sense of fairness and unity.
Enhanced User Experience
The benefits of a consistent, advanced technology experience extend beyond security — it directly impacts employee satisfaction and productivity. When employees across different locations enjoy the same convenience and security benefits, it not only enhances their work environment but also fosters a positive perception of the company’s commitment to their safety and well-being. This uniform user experience is a subtle yet powerful tool for building trust and loyalty among your workforce.
Conclusion
Selecting the right physical security approach is a decision that resonates far beyond the immediate goal of asset protection. It’s about implementing a strategy and committing the resources to help achieve your business objectives, delivering efficiency, insights, and consistency. As you evaluate options, consider not only the technology you will need to scale across locations, but also how you will monitor and maintain the system operation and ensure protocols are carried out to deliver a consistent security environment across your enterprise.
By prioritizing consistency in your security strategy, you ensure not just the safety of your assets and people but also the smooth, efficient operation of your business. Choose wisely to ensure your security infrastructure not only protects but also propels your enterprise forward.