I4S video: MiTec – one year on at MITIE’s Technology Centre

April 2011 witnessed one of several big statements from MITIE Total Security Management (TSM) – and, indeed, its parent company MITIE Group plc – in recent times with the opening of the all-encompassing, BS 5979-certificated MiTec Technology Centre.

Based in Lurgan, County Armagh – around 18 miles or so to the South West of Belfast – the MiTec ‘hub’ has only increased in its importance to the company over the last 12 months. For example, all of MITIE Group’s people can now be vetted here as part of the PeopleCert screening operation – more of which anon – that sits within MiTec’s substantial operations remit.

“A piece of security kit is a piece of security kit,” asserted Jed Yaqub, MiTec’s enthusiastic and highly skilled head of operations, as our party – including MITIE TSM’s managing director Bob Forsyth, commercial director James Gilding, sales director for technology Olac Coombs and MiTec’s technical manager Robert McAllister – toured the facility in celebration of its first anniversary (and to realise an overview of post-launch developments for the benefit of Info4Security’s readers). “It’s what you do with that kit that really counts.” A salient statement, it must be said.

Elaborating on this point, Yaqub explained: “Everything we do here is underpinned by the protocols in operation. They’re designed specifically to enable our operators to make the best possible decisions for customers and our own on-site staff members.”

Adhering to that theme, it’s interesting to learn that Yaqub’s a firm believer in the ever-burgeoning push towards convergence and the perceived need for security and IT to work in much closer harmony than has perhaps been the case to date.

Hub that binds the operation

Serving the UK and beyond, in essence MiTec – which Yaqub insisted is “much more than a Control Room” – lives and breathes as the ‘linking element’ between MITIE TSM’s security personnel and its many and varied electronic security and response services. There’s a tangible air of the integration of manpower and cutting-edge technology, and that’s very much the intention.

Just to recap, MiTec is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and accredited to the National Security Inspectorate’s Gold Category II ARC, BS 5979 and BS 8484 standards. It’s a totally secure facility and, as mentioned, the Technology Centre ‘hub’ that binds together MITIE TSM’s remote CCTV monitoring, intruder/fire alarm monitoring, BEMS alarm monitoring, vehicle tracking, Help Desks, IP CCTV remote maintenance, lone worker monitoring/protection and the aforementioned employee screening services.

MITIE Group plc’s CEO Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE backed MiTec to the hilt pre-launch and has continued to do so ever since. It must be said that ‘Team MITIE TSM’ have repaid that commendable faith with interest. To say that MiTec has moved onwards and upwards since April 2011 – and ably supported both customers and the overarching corporate business into the bargain – would be something of an understatement.

In a year of massive achievement whereupon MITIE TSM has triumphed at the Security Excellence Awards – winning the IT Initiative of the Year category for MITIE Total Security Manager – and at the annual BSIA Security Personnel of the Year Awards (while also shining at IFSEC International), MiTec has played a fulsome role.

“We’ve enjoyed a record year for new business sales,” commented Bob Forsyth, “and it’s not an accident, Brian. We now look different as an operation. We speak in a different manner. Several of the ‘big wins’ we’ve had are really down to MiTec. The customer base recognises that we can offer the service lines they need.”

Certainly, a 93% contract retention rate for a company turning over GB pound 280 million is hugely impressive. Those ‘big wins’ have included deals with Fujitsu, BT, Sellafield, Birmingham International Airport, Oracle and Coventry University, and some are based around what Forsyth referred to as “output specs” (whereupon the customer will have a budget and ask MITIE TSM what they can do for the money).

“I’m a big believer in momentum,” continued Forsyth. “When existing and potential customers visit MiTec they buy into it, what it stands for and what it can do for them. I would also say that, although it’s central to everything we do, great service is never enough. As a risk-based solutions provider, it’s essential for us to keep on driving new service lines so that we can add genuine value for our customers.”

PeopleCert: generating positive waves

As one of those newer service lines, PeopleCert is generating positive waves. All companies want to protect their interests and reputation. To do so, they need to be certain of the people working for them. Knowing the background of employees is critical for success.

Referencing Forsyth’s risk-led approach for the TSM business, by knowing that individuals really are who they say they are the customer can employ PeopleCert to control and eliminate the personnel risks in their business. Thorough employee screening is the only way to be certain of the facts.

“Every business is different,” added Forsyth, “and we work with companies to define the checks they need. The services we provide are tailored to the host organisation. In this way customers don’t pay for anything that they don’t actually need.”

Crucially, MITIE’s support doesn’t stop after the necessary checks are completed. The online reporting system feeds a built-in tracker so customers know exactly what stage in the process their people have reached at any given time.

On top of that, MiTec-based experts guide customers through the reports and help explain what each piece of information means.

Added Forsyth: “Our employee screening team members at MiTec use the very latest technology and software to carry out the checks in the most efficient way. The PASS [Personnel Automated Screening Software] system developed by Innovise and years of experience among the team members is the perfect combination.”

It’s a scenario that brooked no argument from Jed Yaqub. “MiTec has allowed us to centralise all people screening operations that used to be carried out in-branch,” he explained. “In terms of anyone looking for employment with ourselves, they’ll be sent a dedicated link following their initial application. Our researchers then look to back-up the verbal information we’ve received on a given candidate. Once that’s done, the ‘chasers’ finish the process. BS 7858 allows 12 weeks for the screening requirements to be completed, but we can often complete all necessary work in less time than that. The PeopleCert team also offers other screening types in addition to BS 7858.”

Snapshots of an environment in quick time

MITIE TSM currently deploys 12,000 security personnel ‘in the field’. All of them are wholly reliant on MiTec. “We’re the communications centre for MITIE,” opined Yaqub. “All of the online booking-in procedures for shifts are centralised from here. We can then push the results out to the regional team managers to let them know the status of the customer environments they control. If there’s a ‘red flag’ anywhere we can do something about that immediately to make sure all assignments are fully covered.”

According to Yaqub, MiTec boasts “one of the most sophisticated phone systems in the world”. Some customers are on a trunk system, others on DDI. “Either way, we can provide a snapshot of an environment in quick time so that our security account managers can be assured that operations are fully monitored at all times.”

Indeed, one of those account managers – namely David Cookman, who accompanied us on the trip to Belfast – chipped in: “MiTec has really allowed us to manage issues. It’s about that rather than managing a crisis. There’s an additional level of support for national accounts thanks to this operation and enhanced levels of responsibility when it comes to customer engagement. Customers want to feel more engaged, and they are. That’s all down to MiTec.”

Take the Fujitsu account, for example. MITIE TSM’s deliverables for that deal include guarding and monitoring, all of which are managed from a dedicated pod at MiTec (where, incidentally, shift patterns typically last for 12 hours on a standard four on, four off rotation).

Yaqub and his colleagues in Lurgan have also been busily engaging with Colin Ball (of Lone Worker Solutions, which is part of the Continum Group) on a lone worker security platform for MITIE’s customers. “That solution is network and handset agnostic in nature,” said Ball. “What that lets the team at MITIE TSM do is sit down with their customers and wrap a bespoke solution around their needs.”

As Jed Yaqub explained further, the service is based around a suite of modules including ‘Push for Help’ module, using both non-smartphone devices and state-of-the-art GPRS handsets. At agreed intervals the system ‘pulses’ lone workers with a standard message aimed at checking their status. If there’s no reply after a set period an alert is raised. “There’s always a safety reminder sent whenever the lone worker switches on their PDA, too,” explained Yaqub, who talked of developing a “lone worker suite – a Centre of Excellence for all the lone workers we look after”.

Bringing remote facilities management to customers

At MiTec, Sky News and BBC News are always visible somewhere on the large monitoring wall such that pod operators can keep abreast of developments in the wider world and react to any situations that arise.

“The importance of those feeds during last year’s riots was vital,” stressed Yaqub, who went on to mention Sentinel Plus – described as the “backbone of MiTec” – and the “fantastic” Kantech remote locking/unlocking solution supplied by Tyco Security Products.

“Kantech really brings the remote facilities management service to customers who otherwise wouldn’t contemplate it,” urged James Gilding. At this juncture, Bob Forsyth added: “From our discussions it’s clear that some banks are looking at remote unlocking/lock-down solutions, although of course there would still be a personnel response in place as a back-up.”

James Gilding then opined: “For the SME operation we can look at a fully-managed access control regime.”

The aforementioned MITIE Total Security Manager (MiTSM) is a web-based management system specifically designed to meet the exact requirements of the company’s manned services operation and provides real-time, accurate information at the touch of a button.

Last year, the system (now in its third year of operation) was enhanced to make frontline roles simpler and quicker. It affords operations managers the freedom to complete their daily tasks away from the office. This has resulted in more officer and customer-facing time to develop and enhance relationships, and allows MITIE TSM’s management to focus more energy on their customers’ pressing business risks.

Total Security Manager also enables security officers to view pay details, submit holiday requests and explore past, present and future daily activity at any given time. Company news and feedback sections have been built-in to enable greater communication. The environmental benefits include paperless news and communications, reduced car journeys and paperless payslips.

“We’re able to integrate MiTSM with other technology,” outlined Bob Forsyth. “It’s a versatile and flexible system allowing our IT people to continually develop the system so that we ultimately improving our service to employees and customers alike. It’s a great example of the way in which we’ve changed how we do business. We’re even looking at interactive assignment instructions.”

Training for staff, education for customers

Leading on from this, an all-new e-learning programme for staff members is soon to be launched while bespoke training regimes for end customers are in the pipeline. All management team members are being provided with Dell tablets as Forsyth and Co continue the transition towards a fully technology-led enterprise.

Interestingly – and very much capturing the corporate zeitgeist just now – MITIE TSM’s managing director also spoke of the desire for the organisation to develop a PSIM offering. “We’re still evaluating what it is our customers might want from PSIM,” said Forsyth, “so it’s early days yet, but we’ve already had conversations with consultants including Jon Roadnight from CornerStone.”

With Forsyth committed to “investing in new software” wherever and whenever necessary, it was also interesting to learn of his desire to engage in the cyber security realm.

“At the moment, all of the monitoring work we do here at MiTec is about physical security,” explained Forsyth. “How, though, is data held at a given site? How is it being transferred? If we want MiTec and MITIE TSM to be a full 360 degree business then to my mind we simply cannot ignore cyber security solutions as an extension of what we already offer. In the near future we want to be talking about network monitoring solutions as well. It’s an area characterised by huge spend as far as the corporate are concerned.”

Might this desire for a slice of the cyber security action lead MITIE TSM towards acquisitions? “We’re looking at possibilities just now,” said Forsyth, “but nothing’s set in stone just yet.”

What is set in stone, though, is Forsyth’s stated devotion to take the company’s customers further down the road of a dynamic, risk-led approach to security.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and, from what emerged on our trip to Lurgan, it’s a Total Security Management philosophy built on genuine partnership and the desire for continual progression. Convergence in practice, if you like.

Free Download: The Video Surveillance Report 2023

Discover the latest developments in the rapidly-evolving video surveillance sector by downloading the 2023 Video Surveillance Report. Over 500 responses to our survey, which come from integrators to consultants and heads of security, inform our analysis of the latest trends including AI, the state of the video surveillance market, uptake of the cloud, and the wider economic and geopolitical events impacting the sector!

Download for FREE to discover top industry insight around the latest innovations in video surveillance systems.

Download The Video Surveillance Report