5 SMART KPIs FOR YOUR SECURITY OPERATIONS

Mark Folmer, CPP,  TrackTik

This is a no-brainer: Why does a client prefer to work with a security services provider that can measure their own performance?

Because those numbers give your client the peace of mind that comes with knowing their business has been secured in the way agreed to.

So naturally, as an owner or manager of a professional security service solutions provider, you want to have key performance indicators (KPIs) for your business in order to measure performance and efficiency.

 

Choose your KPIs with care

checklistNow KPIs come in a slew of varieties. Today, let’s  focus on those related to your field service operation. So let us assume that the fact-finding questions you ask about your client’s needs, assets, risk profile, etc., lead you to this conclusion: Onsite guards and mobile guard patrols are part of a cost-effective solution to the client’s situation.

Being slightly obsessed (your business or life partner uses other words) with efficiency, you understand the value of adopting a Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) solution: It ensures your field security patrols and responses are coordinated as efficiently as possible.

If you are forward thinking, you have linked your CAD solution to a security workforce management platform (that also includes a security guard tour system). Having this software allows you to fully automate your KPIs and also drive up field service business by offering data-supported Service Level Agreements (SLA) to your client.

Since you have taken the time to invest in the best training and equipment for your mobile teams, now you want to know how well they are doing. Consider these five smart KPIs for your field operations:

 

1. Completion Rate

Having spent time with your client analyzing security requirements, your ultimate goal is to achieve 100% of the site visits promised.
That number means that the client is receiving what they want and you can invoice all that has been agreed to.

2. Response Time

Measuring response time is the ultimate efficiency measure. So you want to respond as quickly as possible. It goes without saying that responding within the agreed-to response time is critical.

3. Overtime

You set your staffing levels based on the anticipated volume of calls and service delivery. That said, you want to minimize the unbillable overtime incurred by shared service units in order to be profitable and get a precise view of your productivity.

4. First-Time Fix Rate

By equipping mobile staff with all the information they need to properly access and respond to a site, you are driving first-time fix rates. Limiting the need to send additional or multiple units means you are more efficient.
Providing all the information your staff needs means that they are more accurate, can take appropriate action while onsite and can provide the client with a detailed incident or activity report.

5. Client Satisfaction

Have you ever had a client ask the operations center, “When will the response unit be onsite?” If your system is properly automated, you will be able to answer that question very easily, and support your client’s peace of mind.
Other items that can propel client satisfaction include: accurate invoices, incident reports sent to the right people and reports that accurately and richly provide details of any incident.

 

Stick to SMART KPIs

clockIf you wish to identify other KPIs specific to your business, ensure that the objectives are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-sensitive). Keep in mind that less is more. Having too many KPIs can be difficult to manage and lead to more confusion.

The items in the list above have focused on client and business owner satisfaction. It is worth mentioning that fair and clear KPIs can also motivate staff. In fact, using KPIs to align staff performance with business success is an alternate way for driving team performance and engagement.

Building your business based on clear and measurable performance indicators will drive client satisfaction, employee performance and build up your business’ reputation.

Mark Folmer, CPP, MsyI
Vice President, Security Industry
mark@tracktik.com
Twitter: @markfolmer

CHANGE IS HERE

Steve Reinharz, President, Robotic Assistance Devices, Inc.

‘Change’ is one of the most overused words and concepts in most every industry. It gets people’s attention; it clicks and is therefore a powerful word for promoters to use. People generally are fearful of change because it challenges the stability that so many seek.

Change is opportunity and risk. Opportunity of being part of the ‘next big thing’ and risk that if you miss out it could be catastrophic. And although it’s an overused word I’m going to use it here: Our guarding industry is finally being changed by emerging technologies.

Historically we haven’t had much ‘real’ change in guarding because of the nature of guarding itself. Since the ‘sell’ of guarding is a human at a location(s) there has been little ability to innovate. Instead, much of the industry has been trading a similar commodity service and there’s been few opportunities to do anything other than compete on price in a race to the bottom. Naturally there are many exceptions; I’m simply talking about the part of the market with these characteristics.

But finally, for better or for worse, real change is here and we are going to have separation between adopters and resistors. And as always the adopters will prevail. Adopters can be characterized as more forward-thinking, risk-taking and engaged than resistors.

A parallel example is what happened in security integration industry in the late 90s. DVRs and IP based solutions started to emerge. Adopters thrived and resistors struggled. Same thing for many industries that had significant technologies introduced.

For guarding the revolutionizing technology is called ‘robots’. I write it like that because until the technology is perfected and given a real name we’ll call them ‘robots’. Someone once told me that ‘a robot is a robot until it’s called a washing machine’ which illustrates the point that immature technology gets a unique name and industry once it proves itself. But it will get better and it will get better faster.

Today’s rolling robotic solutions are far from perfect and in many cases have questionable usefulness but let this be notice that the technology is rapidly improving and the change is here today. Stationary artificial intelligence solutions are here today and proving themselves incredibly useful. In five years I expect this industry’s service offerings to be considerably more complex, lower cost, higher profit and better performing.

Change will bring opportunity and risk. Early adopters are noticing, learning more and experimenting with these new technologies. They’ll be the winners from this period of significant change that has started.

 

Steve Reinharz is the founder and President of Robotic Assistance Devices (RAD). A proven, seasoned leader in the physical security industry with 20+ years of experience holding various roles in multiple disciplines, Mr. Reinharz has led RAD to create and launch a successful line of artificial intelligence powered solutions specific for the guarding and concierge industries.

Mr. Reinharz’s experience is multi-faceted in that he’s been an end user, created and managed his own security integration firm and held various other industry roles. Mr. Reinharz speaks and works panels at ISC East and West and ASIS.

‘Force-multiplication’ has been the hallmark of Mr. Reinharz’ career. Specifically using technology to improve client security. Mr. Reinharz credits almost two years of work performed with the LAPD as the basis for many of the technological innovations he has launched.

Mr. Reinharz has called Orange County, California home since 1995 but grew up in Montreal and Toronto. He earned a dual-BS  in Political Science and Commercial Studies and currently resides in San Juan Capistrano, CA with his wife and children.

GOING TO WORK FOR THE BUYER OF YOUR SECURITY COMPANY

Harold A. Laufer, Esq., Bradley & Gmelich, CALSAGA Network Partner

Congratulations! You have an offer to sell your security company to a much larger operation. Due to your success, they want you to come and work for them, maybe to even continue to run your business or to manage an even larger security entity. They are also talking about giving you equity in the big company with potential bonuses.

Hmmm.  What should you be thinking of when evaluating how good a deal this really is, and whether you should stay on with the new company, or just take your money and head to the golf course?

For purposes of this article, we’re not going to talk about how to structure the deal – whether it should be a stock sale or an asset transaction. And we’re not going to discuss your tax issues. These are all really important, but instead we are focusing on the potential issues involved when you not only sell your business but go to work for the buyer of your security company.  Ask yourself how you will answer all of the questions below.

Who’s The Boss?

Let’s start with your employment contract. You’re used to running the show. Now you have a boss. The first question is “are you OK with that”? – or even if you’re not sure – are you receiving enough money to make it alright? Who are you reporting to? What do you know about the man or woman you’ll be reporting to? Do they seem reasonable? Under what circumstances can you be terminated? Because if the job isn’t all that secure, and you’re counting on the paycheck to get the deal worth what you’d like to make, you may be better off negotiating the sale price harder now rather than hoping things will work out later.

How much control will you have? Can you run things as you see fit, or if you don’t have a completely free hand, is it clear what the limits to your authority will be? Are you OK with the answer to that question? If part of your deal involves performance bonuses or an earn-out, are the targets realistic and achievable? And even if they are, is it confirmed the buyer will provide you with a sufficient budget and with enough operating discretion to actually hit your targets, or are the bonuses really illusory? It may sound great but in the real world will it actually happen?

How Much Longer Can I Take This? 

The next question is how long do you want to work as an employee, even if you’re an officer of the company making a lot of money? Does the amount of time you are required to stay on match how long you actually want to remain? Is it too long or not long enough to be worthwhile? We’ll talk more about this in a little while, but if you’re being offered equity, does your employment term align with how long it takes for your stock to fully vest?   (Full vesting means you can’t forfeit or lose the stock…it’s yours.) There’s a major risk if your employment can be terminated before your stock is fully vested and earned.

Am I Getting What They Say I’m Getting?

Let’s look at the equity side. How much of the buyer’s stock is on the table? Is it enough to be meaningful? Is it fair? Is it stock in the overall company or are you getting equity in a small little segregated piece of the business? Is it being given to you as part of the sale? Or is it extra in exchange for your staying with the business? If you have to earn it, what does that mean? Is it dependent on hitting certain targets? Is it dependent on your remaining with the company for a certain period of time? If you exceed your targets, can you get more stock?  (This is important because if you miss the targets you may lose stock or at least not earn some of it.) Are you getting stock options, which mean you have to buy the stock, albeit at a discount to fair market value, at the time you purchase your shares? Is your deal part of what we call a “roll-up.” This means your buyer is purchasing other companies like yours and wants to get a lot bigger. If it’s a roll-up, you should find out that your deal is equivalent to what other sellers are getting and is everyone getting a similar amount of stock?  (You might be receiving 10,000 shares, but if other similar sized companies are receiving 90,000 shares, this is not equitable for you.)  Is everyone receiving a similar compensation package. When a roll-up is in process it gives you an opportunity to talk to other owners and to get a better feel for what a good deal looks like.

If you earn or otherwise obtain all of your stock, who can you sell it to? What are your options for monetizing it? Unless you figure an even bigger buyer is coming along in the foreseeable future, you should consider making the buyer obligated to buy you out when you leave the company or at least at some mutually agreeable time. If the goal is to cash the stock in, you have to come up with a method of determining what the stock is worth. You should do that when you negotiate your employment deal and not leave it for later. Without a way to sell the stock, your stock certificates are just pieces of paper.

What About My Company’s Assets?

Does your security company have real estate, vehicles and/or equipment? Are they part of the sale or will you retain some or all of it? Is the buyer willing to lease these assets from you? This can be another revenue source for you and goes into figuring the total value of your deal.

Putting It All Together

When you decide to stay with the buyer of your security company there are complicated and interwoven issues about your compensation, your equity, your potential upside and possible side deals for assets that aren’t part of the overall package. Because these affect each other, making a mistake in any one of them can substantially change what your deal is worth. And most importantly, you have to think about why you want to stay on? Is it worth it financially? Is it secure? What is the realistic upside?  Are you going to be happy working – and working for someone else after years of doing things your way and being you own boss? It’s different, to say the least.

Bring your attorneys into the picture at the conceptual stage, not just to look over a final contract before you sign.  As you know, Bradley & Gmelich LLP works with sellers (and buyers) of security companies every day. We can help you understand the pros and cons of working for the buyer of your security company.

 

Harold A. Laufer is a highly experienced corporate transactional lawyer, and has been Of Counsel with Bradley & Gmelich LLP for over two years. He spent much of his career practicing corporate law as an equity partner at a major Midwest law firm, where he headed the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. He has represented companies of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, along with their owners and managers, as a Trusted Advisor. Mr. Laufer has handled a wide variety of transactions for corporate clients, with experience in all aspects of a business’ life cycle, starting with deal structuring and entity formation, and continuing through Founder’s documentation, initial HR, IP, rights and licensing issues, financing, growth, corporate governance and eventually ending in liquidity events and exits.

Mr. Laufer has published and lectured on mergers and acquisitions, negotiation strategies and skills, and corporate governance. He has taught graduate level business courses on family offices, contract drafting and enforcement, and entrepreneurship. He is affiliated with UCLA’s Anderson’s MBA and entrepreneurial programs.  hlaufer@bglawyers.com 818-243-5200.

Bradley & Gmelich LLP’s Legal Corner

In this issue, we have two articles.  From our Employment Team, we address a new California Supreme Court case requiring payment of wages for trivial work that may be performed after an employee clocks out, even if it only takes two minutes.  We also present, from our Business Team, an article to those PPOs who are thinking of selling to another company – some questions to help you look for potential blind spots.

****

From Our Employment Team:

WHEN DOES  A “TALL” BECOME A “VENTE?”

(OR, WHEN DOES SOMETHING MINIMAL BECOME BIG?)

Barry A. Bradley, Esq., Bradley & Gmelich, CALSAGA Network Partner

On July 26, 2018, the California Supreme Court dealt another blow to employers, as it departs from applying federal law to our wage and hour issues.  In Troester vs. Starbucks Corporation, plaintiff brought a class action on behalf of himself and all non-managerial hourly employees who had to perform store closing tasks.

Essentially, Troester said he was required to clock out at closing, and then transmit data from the computer regarding daily sales, profit and loss, and store inventory data to Starbuck’s corporate headquarters. Troester would then activate the alarm, exit the store, and lock the front door.  Occasionally he would escort other employees to their cars, pursuant to Starbucks policy. These tasks typically took anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes to complete, but averaged less than 5 minutes.

He sued Starbucks arguing that he (and all non-managerial employees who closed the stores at night) should have been compensated for this minimal time.  (Over a 17-month period, it added up to $102.67.)  Starbuck’s argued that the time was de minimus, or so trivial that it doesn’t deserve to be counted.  Federal labor laws have long recognized that such minimal work need not be compensated, under the so-called de minimus doctrine.

Although the district trial court threw out the case, the California Supreme Court unanimously disagreed with Starbucks and the district trial court. In holding that the de minimus doctrine does not apply to California wage and hour laws, it opened the door for class action lawsuits on these new grounds.  The Court held that even though the employee’s tasks only took a few minutes, the fact that employees were required to regularly work for nontrivial periods of time without providing compensation was tantamount to requiring off-the-clock work.  Besides, to Troester, the Court reasoned that $102.67 may not have been so trivial – it could have paid for a monthly gas bill, or perhaps a nice dinner.

Thus, the Troester plaintiffs can now pursue their class action lawsuit against Starbucks alleging unpaid wages, as well as the “coat-tail” claims of inaccurate wage statements, failure to pay all final wages in a timely manner, and unfair competition.

[Note:  the Court expressly did not decide the question of whether an employee who, on rare occasion needs to spend a few minutes doing something after they clock out, would constitute a violation. The Court limited its decision to the specific facts presented, and left open the fight of whether occasional work need be compensated for another day.]

RECOMMENDATION:  Do not require your employees to regularly perform tasks after they clock out.  This could include writing in a pass-down log, conducting verbal shift-change information, calling-in to their supervisors to give updates, or just cleaning out a patrol vehicle to lock up the items.  If this is part of their job duties and it is required to be performed after they clock out, you are in violation of the wage laws. This could result in a serious class action or a Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) lawsuit.

 

Barry A. Bradley is the Managing Partner of Bradley & Gmelich LLP located in Glendale, California, where he heads up the firm’s Private Security Team and oversees the Employment and Business Teams at the firm.  A former Deputy District Attorney, Barry’s practice concentrates on representing business owners in employment, business and licensing issues, as well as defending litigated cases involving negligent security, employment and business related issues.  The firm acts as general counsel for many security companies in California.  Barry is the Legal Advisor to CALSAGA.

He has been conferred an AV-Preeminent Peer Rating by Martindale Hubbell, the highest rating attainable, and has been named a Southern California Super Lawyer for the past 14 consecutive years in the area of Business Litigation.  Barry is also the recipient of CALSAGA’s Security Professional Lifetime Achievement Award. bbradley@bglawyers.com  818-243-5200.

PERFECTING THE PRE-HIRE PROCESS

Kwantek Team

For 15 years, Kwantek has served the recruiting needs of thousands of companies across the nation. Most of our clients have a need to fill low-paying, hourly jobs. They use our applicant tracking software to post these jobs en masse across multiple job boards and take advantage of our seamless onboarding process once hired.

A natural byproduct of these types of these jobs is poor employee retention. After monitoring the pre and post-hire process for over 1,000,000 security and building services jobs, we’ve been able to identify three critical pieces of data for these industries that directly correlate retention back to the interview process:

1) 50% of scheduled interviews will ever show up for the interview.

2) Over 90% of interviewees are offered jobs in the interview process.

3) Over 40% of new hires make it past 30 days of employment.

In this five-part blog series, we will discuss the critical stages of the pre-hire process and how you can make simple adjustments that will help you reduce your retention rate.

Blog #1: Who’s Interviewing Who? A Counter-Intuitive Approach to the Hiring Process

Blog #2: The Most Important Person in the Interview Process

Blog #3: The True Goal of the Phone Screen

Blog #4: How to Modify Your Job Application to Increase Applicant Volume

Blog #5: Mastering Messaging in Your Recruiting Process

Perfecting the Pre-Hire Process Webinar

If you’ve found this series helpful, we invite you to watch a replay of our webinar where we went even more in-depth on each phase of the pre-hire process. Join our CEO, Collie King, as he dissects each stage of the applicant funnel to help you identify which parts of the process you need to improve.

In the webinar, you’ll learn:

  1. How to leverage your pre-hire process as a key strategy in scaling your business.
  2. Which numbers to track in your pre-hire process and why.
  3. How to build trust with applicants and make them want to work for you.
  4. How to generate more applicants, more interviews, and more accepted offers.

CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT DECISION REDEFINES THE GUIDELINES OF INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

Shaun Kelly, Tolman & Wiker, CALSAGA Preferred Broker

On April 30, 2018, The California Supreme Court issued a ruling in Dynamex Operations West. Inc. v. Superior Court, making it much more difficult to classify an individual as an independent contractor (rather than employee). The previous standard for classifying individuals as employees or independent contractors had been in place since the 1980’s and was based on a multi-factor test that considered, among other factors, the individual’s abilities, the method of payment, and the extent of control exercised over individual. In the Dynamex ruling, the Supreme Court adopted a new three-part “ABC Test” that is intended to reduce the use of independent contractors in the California workforce.

The new standard adopted by the California Supreme Court requires the hirer to establish three factors in order to properly classify a worker as an independent contractor – and in the process greatly expands the definition of “employee” under California law. Here is the information to classify an individual as an Independent Contractor:

Is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under contract for the performance of such work and in fact; and

Performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and

Is customarily engaged in an independent established trade, occupation or business.

All three are required in order to fulfill the test.

Even though the “ABC Test” is written to simplify the definition of independent contractor, the application of the three part test is not going to be that simple. It will be the hirer’s responsibility to satisfy the “ABC Test” in order to lawfully classify an individual as an independent contractor. Please keep in mind, this decision was made under the Wage Orders of the Industrial Welfare Commission. As we all know, there will more than likely be subsequent cases, actions and rulings that will be restricting or expanding the Court’s decision to other state department (i.e. Workers’ Compensation).

So, if you are hiring independent contractors or being hired as an independent contractor, now is the time to review the following regarding the new “ABC Test”:

-Identify your independent contractor relationships

-Description of duties of those relationships to the “ABC Test”

-Review contracts involving independent contractors

-Prepare a file for each relationship to include name, description of duties, FEIN#, insurance certificates…

-And any additional information to support the independent contractor relationship (Remember, independent contractors must have the ability to work for multiple clients and they provide their own tools and materials to complete the job free from control of the hirer)

 

Thank you for taking the time to read the article.

Shaun Kelly joined Tolman & Wiker Insurance Services in 2005.  He specializes in all lines of property and casualty insurance for industries including contract security firms, agriculture, construction, oil and gas. Shaun received a BS in Business Administration with a major in Finance from California State University in Fresno, California. He is an active member of several industry associations, including the Association CALSAGA, the Kern County Builders Exchange and the Independent Insurance Agents of Kern County. Shaun can be reached at 661-616-4700 or skelly@tolmanandwiker.com.

THERE IS NO WORK LIFE BALANCE ON YOUR JOURNEY TO SUCCESS!

Anne L. Laguzza, M.A., The Works Consulting

Work-life balance is a concept that has been around forever.  However, I believe it’s time to shift from this myth of balance and begin your quest for work-life fulfillment. In the highly connected world we live in today, work and life have become more symbiotic rather than segregated.  So how do you embrace this new approach?

It starts by letting go of the scarcity that comes with the struggle and grind to maintain balance. Then, you need to understand how approaching work and life from abundance allows you to focus on your priorities.  This may sound overwhelming, flying in the face of conventional wisdom, so there is one simple word substitution that will immediately support you on your path to fulfillment. We’ll get into that a little later.

First, struggle comes from scarcity.  The pressure that comes with striving for balance in work and life is counter-productive. This pressure often leads to disempowering questions as you compare yourself to those around you: “How does so and so do it” or “that person really has it all together.” You’re assuming that person has what you don’t and that they attained it in a nice, clean, problem-free way. With this approach, you are robbing yourself of your joy as you obsess over what you don’t have. You’re creating undue stress and anxiety because your life does not match-up with how you perceive someone else’s life to be.

Spoiler alert: success IS messy. Worrying about not having it all together (or being perceived as such by other people) is one of the easiest ways to be held back from realizing your full potential.

Next, allowing comes from abundance. Those who are the most fulfilled in work, health, and relationships are all-in, all the time, regardless of what others are doing or how messy things get. They allow for possibility and abundance by declaring “I can have it all and you can too”.  They seek challenges that will stretch them beyond their current capacity with laser focus on their goals and priorities. This approach enhances their effectiveness, ignites their passion, and allows them to experience the joy that comes when pursuing what matters most to them.

Here is a simple trick you can use to substitute abundance in place of scarcity:

Instead of “I HAVE to choose either work OR life,” Say “I GET to choose work AND life.”

Remember: work and life are not on opposite ends of a scale being weighed against each other. You don’t have to take some from here to add there and vice versa. Instead, imagine that work and life are building blocks where work and life reinforce one another to build a life you’ve designed – not one you’ve simply balanced.

Trust me, having gone through this myself I can tell you first hand the difference it makes. The more I commit to work when at work, the more I commit to my health when exercising and buying groceries, the more I commit to my relationships when with friends and family, and the more fulfilling each of the other areas becomes.

I want you to have this same experience. To seek fulfillment, to have it all, and to allow life to be a little messy on the way.

Anne Laguzza is the President of The Works Consulting. As a seasoned business executive with human resources management, leadership development, and performance coaching experience, Anne works with clients from a variety of industries to develop better systems, maximize employee productivity, and enable management to focus on business growth.

Prior to founding The Works Consulting in 2001, Anne served as the Regional Human Resources Director for a Fortune 500 distribution company where she led a merger transition team and was responsible for strategic planning, implementing new policies and procedures, workforce restructuring, compensation structures, and integrating the work cultures for over 600 employees.

In addition, Anne was formerly the Human Resources and Training Director for a start-up entertainment company where she organized and implemented a company-wide change management program that involved new company direction and strategic planning. Prior to her work in the entertainment industry, Anne served as the Regional Training Manager for a nationwide retailer where she developed and launched a multi-state training program for human resources managers as part of a corporate expansion project.

Anne earned her Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from Antioch University, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. She is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management, and is a board member for Harbor Interfaith Services and an advisory board member for Arthritis National Research Foundation. Anne has taught human resources and management courses at Long Beach City College and California State University, Dominguez Hills, and volunteers at non-profit organizations teaching interviewing skills to adults seeking re-entry into the workforce.

SECURE BEHIND THE WHEEL: DECIDING TO PREVENT DISTRACTED DRIVING

Tory Brownyard, President, Brownyard Group

 

From public health officials to your insurance agent to the local police department, everyone wants to talk about distracted driving these days. We all know the basic facts: Distracted driving is common—and some experts (such as the National Safety Council) believe distracted driving is underreported as a cause of accidents.

 

Getting distracted from the task of driving leads to crashes, injuries and worse. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 3,450 people died nationwide in 2016 as a result of distracted driving. Plus, distracted driving is often against the law—in California, thanks to AB 1785, it is illegal to drive with a cell phone in your hand.

 

Preventing unsafe driving of all kinds comes down to decisions: whom security firms decide to hire, the decisions that security officers make on the road and how the company decides to respond to accidents. If you are responsible for hiring or managing security officers with driving responsibilities, you can put in place systems to support better driving decisions.

 

  1. Understand what falls under the umbrella of distracted driving

The term “distracted driving” is often using to mean driving while using a cell phone. Yet “distracted driving” refers to any type of driving during which the driver is not attending to the road. Eating and smoking are distractions, as are GPS devices and radios. Texting while driving is particularly dangerous, because it takes our hands, eyes and minds off the wheel.

 

  1. Develop enforceable and clear driving policies

Most companies have some version of a cell phone ban for employees who drive. But a distracted or safe driving policy needs to outline clear, distinct and enforceable policies for employees.

 

Questions a policy can answer include:

  • What should employees do instead of using their cell phones when driving?
  • What are the consequences for dangerous driving behaviors?
  • Are there systems for monitoring employees’ driving behavior, such as dashcams and telematics?
  • What happens after an employee gets in an accident?

 

These policies can be supported by regular road tests and ride-alongs that help detect signs of trouble among drivers while giving managers an opportunity to review policies in context. In order to ensure a policy is enforceable, it should be developed in conjunction with human resources and legal counsel.

 

  1. Make informed hiring decisions

Some businesses “hire the problem”—that is, they hire unsafe drivers for positions that require driving. Checking motor vehicle records (MVRs) is as important as a criminal background check for officers who drive; those responsible for hiring should review a candidate’s MVRs for every state in which he or she has had a driver’s license. MVR red flags include frequent violations like speeding or citations for driving under the influence (DUI). Past violations may indicate future behavior.

 

It also may help to consider the candidate’s skill and experience driving, such as training in defensive driving. Alternately, consider whether or not he or she has a health condition that does not permit operating a vehicle for long periods of time.

 

Finally, it may help to ask yourself whom you would hire if you did not have insurance. That is, who has the sort of driver profile that would make you feel safe enough to put them behind the wheel with little safety net? The public expects businesses to carefully screen employees like security officers. Hiring an unsafe driver could not only result in an accident and insurance claim, but damage your reputation.

 

  1. Use technology to your advantage

Modern technology is not always the villain on modern roadways. It can be used to reduce distractions on the road, too. Telematics devices are more and more common and can be used, in conjunction with GPS technology, to monitor behaviors like braking, speeding and seatbelt use as well as the location of a company vehicle. Plus, products like Cell Control allow employers to block the use of cell phones in company vehicles.

 

Of all the challenges and risks a security officer can face on a daily basis, driving may seem minor. After all, many of us drive several hours a week just to run routine errands. But just because driving—and, sadly, distracted driving—is commonplace does not mean it is safe. Making the decision to commit to safe driving protects officers and the communities that trust them.

 

Distracted driving has been such a frequent topic of conversation that we developed a risk management brief on the issue. If you would like more information on the consequences of unsafe driving and how employers can prevent it, visit this link to download “Driving on the Edge: Why We Must Act Now to End Dangerous and Distracted Driving”: http://brownyard.com/distracted-driving/

 

Tory Brownyard, CPCU, is president of Brownyard Group (www.brownyard.com), an insurance program administrator with specialty programs for select industry groups. In addition to his responsibilities as President, he currently spearheads the Brownguard security guard insurance program. For more information, contact him at TBrownyard@brownyard.com.

 

 

 

 

[Sources:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/distracted-driving

https://www.nsc.org/road-safety/safety-topics/distracted-driving

https://www.ots.ca.gov/Media_and_Research/Campaigns/Distracted_Driving/default.asp ]

As an association we strive to keep you up-to-date on relevant information regarding the security industry. Please review the press release below.

Allied Universal Acquires U.S. Security Associates
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. and SANTA ANA, Calif. and ROSWELL, Ga. , July 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company, today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire U.S. Security Associates (USSA) from Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division (GSMBD), further building on its position as a leading player in the security services industry. This transaction includes the acquisition of Andrews International, the global arm of USSA.

Based in Roswell, Georgia, USSA has operations in the United States and internationally, with revenues in excess of $1.5 billion and more than 50,000 employees. This acquisition is expected to increase Allied Universal’s national presence and customer service capabilities and will also enhance Allied Universal’s presence in Canada, as well as expand its footprint to Central America and the United Kingdom. USSA also provides Allied Universal with a sizable consulting and investigative division and event staffing business, StaffPro. The combined organization will provide unparalleled and comprehensive security solutions to its customer base around the globe.

“I am excited to welcome the USSA team to the Allied Universal family,” said Steve Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Allied Universal. “USSA has evolved into one of the leaders in the security industry over the years and provides a unique suite of security solutions to a wide array of clients across industry verticals. This transaction aligns with our long-term growth strategy of acquiring scalable businesses with significant potential when combined with the Allied Universal platform. I look forward to collaborating with the USSA team to maximize the value that together we will bring to our customers and in identifying new ideas in the security space,” said Jones.

Richard Wyckoff, President and Chief Executive Officer of USSA, praised his team and embraces the partnership. “This merger with Allied Universal is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of USSA. We have focused on world-class customer service by providing innovative manpower and technological solutions to our clients. The industry has taken notice. I am very proud of what our team has accomplished and very excited that integrating our business with another industry leader will mean more growth opportunities and career advancement potential for our associates,” said Wyckoff.

“This transaction further bolsters Allied Universal’s position as a leading provider of security officer services. We have been proud to support the Allied Universal team as they have grown the business organically and through strategic and transformative acquisitions such as this one,” said Chandler Joel Reedy, Managing Director of Warburg Pincus, a principal shareholder of Allied Universal. “We are excited to combine USSA with Allied Universal, which has a large and diverse portfolio of customers both in the U.S and internationally. Allied Universal will be exceptionally well positioned to continue to deliver unmatched service to its thousands of clients.”

Wendel North America CEO David Darmon said, “As one of the two principal shareholders of Allied Universal, Wendel is supporting the company’s continued growth as the industry continues to evolve. This is consistent with our original investment thesis and we think will further enhance the company’s leadership position.”

The transaction is expected to close by late third quarter of 2018, subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Financial advisors to Allied Universal for the transaction included Barclays, Citi, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Moelis, Morgan Stanley and Societe Generale. Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP provided legal counsel to Allied Universal. Financial advisors to U.S. Security Associates included Goldman Sachs and KeyBank. Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP provided legal counsel to U.S. Security Associates. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Allied Universal
Allied Universal, a leading security and facility services company with over 160,000 employees, provides unparalleled security services and solutions. With headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif., and Conshohocken, Pa., Allied Universal combines people and technology to deliver evolving, tailored solutions that allow our clients to focus on their core business. An unrelenting focus on clients’ success creates partnerships rooted in quality and value, and is supported by experience gained from being in business for over 60 years. Through our people and leading services, systems and solutions…Allied Universal is there for you. For more information, please visit www.aus.com.

About U.S. Security Associates
U.S. Security Associates (USSA) is a full-service safety and security solutions provider. With over 160 locally-responsive offices, international locations and over 50,000 dedicated professionals, USSA offers a complete array of physical security, remote surveillance, and global consulting and investigations to ensure better outcomes for thousands of clients and a range of industries. For more information, please visit www.ussecurityassociates.com.

Media Relations Contacts

Allied Universal
Nancy Tamosaitis, Vorticom Public Relations
212-532-2208
nancyt@vorticom.com

U.S. Security Associates, Inc.
W. Blair Meeks, Jackson Spalding
404-214-2271
bmeeks@jacksonspalding.com

There are a lot of things coming up!
Managing Private Security and Growing Your Private Security Company coming in August – register now!
Nominations are now open for our Annual Awards
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Nominations are now being accepted for the Al Howenstein Lifetime Achievement Award, Valor Award, Lifesaving Award and Security Officer of the Year Award.
Each year at the Award’s Dinner that takes place during the conference, we recognize deserving security professionals. Click here for the award criteria and nomination form for the 2018 Valor, Lifesaving and Security Officer of the Year awards.


Do you know someone who deserves recognition?

Click here to learn more about the Al Howenstein Lifetime Achievement Award and access the nomination form.

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As always, we strive to bring you the most relevant information to help you run your business as efficiently and productively as possible and the programming for the Annual Conference is no exception! Session topics include: Legal Update Affecting the California Security Industry, Legislative Update, Terrorism 101, Human Resource Challenges, The Business of Worker’s Compensation and General Liability, BSIS Update, Candidate Sourcing and Recruitment and more. NEW for 2018 we are offering a session dedicated to tackling the multi-faceted topic of cannabis in California. You won’t want to miss it!

REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2018 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

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You’ll have another opportunity to attend Managing Private Security (formerly PPO 101) and Growing Your Private Security Company (formerly 102) August 15th and 16th in San Jose!

Managing Private Security will cover topics such as: Licensing, Financials, Service Delivery, Contracts, Human Resources, Staffing, Insurance and more. This class serves as fantastic way for those new to operating a PPO or those who desire a refresh on the legalities and complexities of running a PPO.
Check out the Managing Private Security Schedule.

Growing Your Private Security Company will cover the sales process from beginning to end with topics such as: Prospecting and the Sales Cycle, RFP’s, Pricing New Work, Contracts (and deal breakers), Insurance provisions, Transitions and Staffing, BSIS Regulations, Employee Files, and Client Follow up.
Check out the Growing Your Private Security Company Schedule.