But, as the threat landscape continues to change and present new challenges to companies of all sizes, prioritizing the safety and security of your employees, your building, and your brand should be a top priority.

Understanding and dedicating resources to enhancing your security posture can often be overwhelming and cost-prohibitive. With an outsourced model, it doesn’t all need to all fall on your shoulders. Leveraging the experience of external security professionals for everything from alarm monitoring, incident response, and building a solid foundation for a successful program can give companies instant access to best-in-class security practices without the heavy investment.

Could your organization benefit from an outsourced security model? Here are three signs that the answer might be yes.

1. Security is not your area of expertise
It is not uncommon for physical security responsibilities to be managed by non-security positions. Facilities Director, Head of Real Estate, Office Operations Coordinator, and Workplace Management Manager are just a few titles that absorb responsibilities in companies that don’t have dedicated physical security teams. And while delegating concerns related to access control, video management, alarm management, and technology may make sense on paper, it can be overwhelming for people who are in uncharted territory.

Without a working knowledge of physical security, unintentional gaps and unintended consequences can emerge. For example, companies that select incompatible systems can quickly outgrow their current technology, calling for a “rip and replace” down the road. Even more so, not understanding the role that security plays within the larger business enterprise can turn potential threats into real-world problems as it relates to business continuity and employee safety.

Partnering with a third-party security vendor immediately strengthens the depth of knowledge and skill that is needed to create a robust and successful security program. An outsourced model allows you to expand your team to include security technologists, operators, consultants, and engineers, for a fraction of the cost and without the burden of training, recruiting, managing, and developing the talent. Most importantly, you gain better situational awareness and understanding of the entire security environment.

2. Your security team operates lean with limited resources
You may have a big vision for your security program, but the time, effort, and resources it takes to implement it may not be within reach. Regardless of the reason or limitation, teams operating lean and with limited resources can face serious challenges when it comes to carrying out their responsibilities. Brian Tuskan, Chief Security Officer at Microsoft says, “You can’t do more with less, you're going to do less with less,” going on to say that when resources are limited, something has to give. For teams working with “less,” companies face risks that, when unmanaged, can turn into a serious problem.

One of the most common challenges that teams face is the ability to appropriately manage and respond to alarms or incidents both inside and outside of their facilities. Whether it’s a lack in manpower, infrastructure, or experience, when alarms go unchecked, potential threats are often undetected. However, through an outsourced model, companies can leverage an immediate force multiplier for their security teams without the heavy investment in personnel or infrastructure. Using this model, many companies not only gain access to valuable resources, but save money and time doing it. Because many security vendors work on a shared resource model, many clients can use one facility and team for a fraction of the price of building and staffing their own.

3. Your security technology isn’t meeting your needs
The right security technology can be a powerful business tool if properly used and maintained. But with great power really does come great responsibility, as it can be easily mismanaged and become outdated and disparate. To avoid working with a slow, clunky system, it’s important to prioritize the health and wellness of your systems. But, to do so takes a level of technical acumen. For teams without a firm foundation in technology, it’s easy to deviate from best practices for system updates, device labeling, and system optimization.

Security integrators who are experts in your specific systems can make them come to life through steady maintenance and optimization, justifying the continued investment in your systems. Not only can they make sure the technology remains up to date and fully utilized, but they can help pull valuable data to further drive business decisions and move security from a cost-center to a value-added department.

Working with a third-party security vendor to outsource aspects of your security program can bring new insight, knowledge, and experience to the table without the heavy investment. Some of the most commonly outsourced models include Global Security Operations Center as a Service, which oversees alarm management and provides employee care services, Critical Event Management as a Service, which keeps tabs on external threats against your business, operations, and employees, Performance Engineering which maintains your security ecosystem, and Consulting, which leverages experienced security professionals to create a strong foundation for an internal program. And there’s the all-encompassing Global Security as a Service which hosts your system and includes preventative maintenance, system upgrades, a security operations center and critical event management.

If these challenges sound familiar, reach out to our team for more information on how Global Security Operations Center as a Service, Critical Event Management as a Service, and Consulting services can help by emailing info@northlandcontrols.com!