It's a Perspective as how organization or employees consider the Loss Prevention department; A Cost Centre or A Profit Centre
In last 15 years of experience, what was my take away on this topic is that Those organizations who acknowledges this department as most crucial and thus include them in all segment of their operations, has been enlightened as enjoying the high performance from their employees, process orientation, reliable & accurate risk management.
And those organization, who do not utilize this as significant but only keep it as an essential for a business to fulfill the compliance perspective, suffers more operating losses, unknown to upcoming threats or losses and even fail to perform / continue the business in emergency.
From the Pen & Paper approach and drawn points in the attached picture, we can see the Inputs and Outcome of the Loss Prevention/ Asset Protection unit.
So, It's true that We Loss Prevention Professional do the same stuff around the world right ?
Inputs are Staff, Programs; Audits, checks & Training and these inputs are applied rigorously to achieve the desired outcomes; Loss Prevention, Safety & Security of the Enterprise…
Now this is the time to understand that why Few Organizations value this department and others organization not.
- Are we the responsible for the same?
- Are we Security Professionals are fairly quantifying our Efforts, Achievements, Opportunity & Losses in Business terms, Financial terms or Budgetary terms.
So, Let's Deep dive into this revealed some important factors;
- Are Security Business Cases / Achievements/ Observations through Audits and specific Security & Loss Prevention Programs are displayed in Economic Metrics ( ROI, Payback, Cost Benefit Analysis) in Quantitative figures to Business Team.
- Do Key Business employee understand the Security Process, Reports and most importantly the Security Logs… Remember if Security Logs are not read/analyzed by supervisor then it demotivates the employees.
- Are All Intangible Advantages (Displayed in Picture as Outcome) are well informed to the Business team?
- Do we work like a typical Auditor/Security Employee or like a Business Partner or a Next Level - Problem Solver ....
Here the Communication Skills plays a pivotal role for a Chief Security Officer/ Unit Security Manager to make the business understand that;
- Site Audits, Process Re-enforcement, EHS program shouldn't be considered as Bottleneck onto Operations but a supplement.
- Audit exceptions & gaps not to considered as Hindrance but opportunities.
- Even General Security & Safety Programs should be conveyed to employees not to use only in Organization but to motivate them to apply in their Community, Society or Personnel Life. These would motivate them.
So, the Outcome should be brightening and bring a lots of opportunities to business so A holistic approach should be changed;
Inputs aren't Cost but an Investment and the Outcome to be considered as Profit Center / At least Virtual Profit Center
And The Security & Loss Prevention Department is not a Compliance but a COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE of our business…
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Abhijeet Kumar Sinha CPP
Sr. Manager- Security & Loss Prevention
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd
India
8800144593
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