7 Ways to Keep Your Workplace Protected From Theft
Workplace theft is a growing concern among businesses today; this issue affects almost every industry, with construction and manufacturing being hit the hardest. The loss of inventory and equipment increases replacement costs, slows progress, and puts unnecessary pressure on businesses. These losses hurt the bottom line and often create additional work for everyone.
Theft can happen from outside criminals or even employees; preventing theft will involve changing many aspects of your business to account for every scenario. There are many considerations, from designing your sites and stores to preventative technologies that track or brand equipment.
If you encourage stringent security measures in your business, the chance of setbacks will drastically reduce. Keep reading if you’re interested in ways to keep your workplace secure and safe. This article will go through 7 ways to keep your workplace safe from theft.
Design Your Business With Security In Mind
We’re putting this point first because it's likely the first step in ensuring the safety of your business. You should design the layout of your buildings in a way that makes it harder for potential thieves to break in and take equipment. Ideally, the storefront will cover most of the perimeter of the land, so there is less space for thieves to breach through gates or fences.
You should also ensure that windows are difficult to access or breakthrough when designing your buildings. Additionally, if you design your business in a way where your stock and inventory are far from the entrance, this will also deter thieves from coming in and stealing your stock.
Track Your Inventory
Another vital step is to ensure that you track your inventory. You cannot improve what you do not track; if you have a large business, the loss of items might not even be noticeable without monitoring. Many options are available, and with technology constantly improving, we have many electronic and automated options for tracking inventory. You can use the latest inventory management software and have staff log in items manually. There are even options now that are entirely automated, such as the mobile tool crib, which automatically captures inventory data.
Install CCTV Systems
CCTV should be high on your list if you’re serious about your business and protecting your assets. These systems will allow you to monitor and record everything happening on your premises constantly. The advantage is that you can identify in real-time if a breach is happening, and you’ll have evidence if you follow things up later. If your CCTV system is visible, it will deter thieves.
Hire Security Staff
Security staff are almost a prerequisite for big businesses. If you have significant assets or inventory on your property, your best bet is to hire staff to monitor everything and manage visitors to your premises. It may be expensive to hire security staff for your business, but the investment is worthwhile if you have significant assets that need protecting.
The advantage of security staff is that they can keep an eye on the CCTV constantly, meaning that you’ll be notified instantly if there is a breach and can act quickly. This can be very beneficial in situations where staff or customers are in an emergency since every second counts.
Access Control
It is also vital that you have sound systems in place for staff access; gone are the days where the only thing we have are keys that we need to share. These outdated security methods can result in unnecessary breaches. You should implement keycard systems where individual staff members are assigned different access levels depending on their roles. The technology required to install these systems are now quite accessible and cheap, so it would be wise to jump on the bandwagon.
Train Staff & Create Systems
The level of security also depends on the level of training your staff has in inventory and equipment management. You should set up training sessions to teach your team how to store and manage equipment properly. This should happen at least every couple of months. You could have the best technology in the world, but if your staff are not privy to workplace security, this could result in unnecessary losses.
Review Measures and Update
Now that you have most of your systems in place, you must not forget your work. Take the time every few months to review your procedures, and see what’s working and needs improvement. The first time you implement security measures, it's unlikely that they’ll be perfect. Your security will need to be in a constant state of optimisation. Not only so your processes can improve but also keep up with the more sophisticated ways thieves can enter your premises and keep up with new technologies. If you stay on top of your security, you’ll be in a better position in the long term, and it’ll pay dividends.