Vanguard Security

Securing the future┬áVanguard Security is showing the value of a different approach to security services, as Sean Flynn tells Ruari McCallion. ÔÇ£The security business is changing,ÔÇØ says Sean Flynn, president and CEO of Vanguard Security, Inc. And itÔÇÖs about time, many may feel. The popular image of security is not out of the top drawerÔÇöelderly men with dogs of uncertain temperament and parentage making once-an-hour checks on the fence, equipped with little more than a flashlight and a crackling walkie-talkie donÔÇÖt inspire confidence.  The reality is not as bad as that image, but little or no training, poor pay and low morale have tended to be all too prevalent in the industry. And the result? Headaches for companies that really need good security services. Vanguard has a different approach. ÔÇ£We offer security as an outsourced service. We look after the provision of personnel, we take care of all aspects of compensation, including sickness cover, payroll insurance and all the other headaches,ÔÇØ says Flynn. ÔÇ£We provide a response mechanism tailored to need, from regular patrols to a complete, sophisticated and comprehensive solution. Our approach delivers real benefits for our customers; if you approach security right, you can save a lot on buildings and auto insurance premiums, for example.ÔÇØ Flynn believes that, as an outsourced service, security has some way to go to match other activities; itÔÇÖs about 10 years behind IT, for example, in his view. But heÔÇÖs wasting no time in catching up. Clearly, Vanguard is not going to deliver an outstanding service by offering the same old thing as everyone else, even if itÔÇÖs in a different wrapper. The Miami-based company began changing two years ago when Flynn was appointed president of Cornwall Group, VanguardÔÇÖs holding company. His first task was to bring together five divisions with different brands and set them along the road of an integrated, customer-oriented company. ÔÇ£The first step is to get the right managers,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£Previously, we recruited from retired FBI, police, CIA and similar sources. If you continue to pull from the same pool, you wonÔÇÖt change the mindset of how you deliver your service.ÔÇØ The company relies on experienced professionals to deliver guardian services, but the customer focus is being enhanced through its new approach. ÔÇ£We began hiring salespeople who were at the mid-level of their careers. People from a copier company, for example, have already got Sales 101 and 102 under their belts. We pay a high base salary to attract them, and that has the effect of raising the companyÔÇÖs marketing knowledge. We train them on profit and loss and productive labor principles.ÔÇØ The previous, traditional security model the company had practiced had been making money, but it was, in FlynnÔÇÖs word, ÔÇ£stagnant.ÔÇØÔÇ£We had bought companies but not increased revenues,ÔÇØ he says. ÔÇ£We needed to rebrand and to take on new markets. We have to show value to the customer, follow up on people and become sales-focused. Previously, we waited until the phone rang; now we go out and look for business. WeÔÇÖre changing from an operations-based organization working purely on security to a sales and marketing organization dedicated to service and looking to demonstrate value every day.ÔÇØ The traditional security approach is reactive: someone breaks in, security reacts and tries to catch them. Vanguard uses technology to become more proactiveÔÇöand more effective in delivering its service.ÔÇ£Our Indigo system is a high-tech perimeter security system. When it detects unauthorized activity within the perimeter, CCTV identifies the intruders and notes their distinct features. It warns them, through loudspeakers, that it is a restricted area and requests them to leave,ÔÇØ says Flynn. That may seem reactive, but it is faster-acting and can prevent perimeter intrusion reaching the core facilityÔÇöperhaps with no need for the security personnel to move from their monitoring positions at all. Realistically, not all intrusions are threatening. It could be an employee who has misplaced his or her entry card; an itinerant looking for somewhere warm and dry to bunk down; some kids having fun; or simply someone who is lost. ÔÇ£Companies sometimes have to deal with too much data. If intrusions are happening two or three times a week, hearts get pumping and people think theyÔÇÖre about to be ripped off, when the threat level is actually low or nonexistent. We manage the information and take appropriate actionÔÇöwarn the guy that heÔÇÖs on private property and to withdraw or police or security staff will be dispatched. ItÔÇÖs faster, less stressful and makes better use of available resources.ÔÇØ ItÔÇÖs better than the police coming by a couple of times a week or responding to nonexistent needs every time the alarm goes off. The high-tech answer wonÔÇÖt be for everyone, but it illustrates what Vanguard is now about: tailor-made solutions.ÔÇ£It comes down to what good, trained salespeople do: establish rapport, understand specific needsÔÇöcrime, intrusion, disgruntled employees, whatever it may beÔÇöand take the headaches away from the decision maker,ÔÇØ says Flynn. ÔÇ£WeÔÇÖre engaging the human aspect, what security means to you. That approach is hard to find in this industry.ÔÇØVanguardÔÇÖs approach has been achieving significant success in its chosen markets. It is currently focused in Florida, but its reach has extended from Miami and its immediate area across the whole state. It supplies security for all public buildings managed by the Department of Management Services and is confident of gaining further public-sector contracts in the near future. The company is providing dependable, added-value service at clearly defined cost and without the normal personnel problems, so itÔÇÖs hardly surprising that it has been enjoying double-digit growth. Its clients include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the US General Services Administration, the Florida Department of Transportation, Marriott Hotels, Citigroup of North America, University of Miami, Cheesecake Factory, Royal Caribbean and the American Red Cross. With around 1,700 trained personnel and revenues in the $80ÔÇô90 million range, Vanguard can justifiably claim to be at the leading edge of the security industry. ÔÇô Editorial research by Tim Conlon┬á