Page 28 - Security Today, October 2020

An Essential Business The art of protecting people, product, facilities and process
By David Szady
The manufacturing sector is extraordinarily diverse, ranging from the manufac- turing of advanced fighter jets to ventilators, and phar- maceutical products to cars, paper prod- ucts, steel, clothing, high-tech components and beyond. According to Forbes Maga- zine, the fastest growing manufacturing sectors are transportation, metal fabrica- tion, food products, plastics and rubber, beverages, machinery, wood, non-metallic mineral, primary metals and chemicals.
Manufacturing is a sector filled with many essential businesses in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National As- sociation of Manufacturers and Business Roundtable joined forces to strengthen the business community’s response to the crit- ical supplies’ shortage facing the nation’s medical community due to COVID-19. This partnership brings together the full strength of the U.S. business and manu- facturing communities to help those on the front lines of the pandemic.
PROTECTING THE PEOPLE
Hence, ensuring the protection of people, product, facilities and process for our nation’s indispensable manufacturing industry is critical to safeguarding our economic future.
So, what is the most pressing issue that the manufacturing sector asks of the se- curity services sector? The manufacturing sector demands fully integrated security solutions. Manufacturing companies are looking for reliable and experienced security partners that help prepare for and manage end-to-end risk that provide comprehensive guidelines for security that focus on threat assessments, situation analysis, and plan- ning to identify and mitigate potential risks.
They require physical security pro- grams to protect assets and respond to threats and the electronic systems and in- tegrated risk management platforms that deliver better business insights and capa- bilities to force-multiply the physical secu- rity programs.
Manufacturers, whose gross domestic product (GDP) was $2.33T in 2018, rep- resent 11.6 percent of total U.S. output. However, no matter how varied or how
large the manufacturing sector is, this mar- ket sector shares a common thread. They allrequireacomprehensiveandintegrated security program that prioritizes employee safety, protects assets and leverages tech- nology solutions designed to optimize security operations and support business objectives. While the majority of manufac- turing companies are small and growing, manufacturing is a vital, critically impor- tant market sector in the United States.
Additional security demands, that rep- resent a common threat among all manu- facturers.
Cost savings assessments. Manufac- turers are always looking for cost-saving ideas that can help grow their bottom lines so that they can grow their business. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to the specialized safety and security needs of the manufacturing and industrial sector. Maintaining cost efficiencies while meet- ing regulatory compliance can be especial- ly challenging. The security team should be a partner in creating forward-thinking safety and security best practices, while integrating solutions that allow the manu- facturer to focus on their core business.
Additional integration and cost savings can be achieved by enhancing the roles of
the security professional. The security pro- vider should be able to take on in-house duties, such as reception, mail-room, badging, freeing employees with industry- specific expertise to focus on other areas of operations. The security provider can also take on tasks that might otherwise have been subcontracted, such as monitor- ing safety equipment, which helps save on costs without sacrificing quality.
Technology. Reducing risks is not a one- size-fits-all solution. By leveraging the right combination of manpower, data and tech- nology, the manufacturer is able to deploy smarter security. Many manufacturers tap into the power of Monitoring and Response Centers (MARC) that provide video moni- toring as a service with complete end-to-end security solutions, from cameras, access con- trol, traditional alarms and remote audio features. MARC’s leverage video analytics with real-time, event-based monitoring by security intervention specialists which deter theft and mitigate the criminal element.
Customized solutions range from situ- ational awareness and threat intelligence platforms, to remote video and alarm monitoring, to integrated commercial security systems, to web and GPS-based patrol route management and robotics to
28
1020 | SECURITY TODAY
MANUFACTURING SECURITY
Photo courtesty of Allied Universal