‘An Introduction To Purchasing Security’ has been developed to alert both security services and purchasing and supply management professionals of the common aspects of Best Practice.
The report – co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) and Professor Martin Gill, director of Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International – will help procurers with the key elements of procuring security in the best way, encompassing advice on what should be included in Service Level Agreements and example Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
“We found that security suppliers were admitting that companies were not receiving the best security provision. Part of the reason for that was the way in which tendering processes have been conducted,” Professor Gill told SMT.
“The advantage of this new document,” he continued, “is that it combines the expertise of security professionals with that of procurers. We are using the briefing notes to inform Best Practice in our own work with clients.”
Roy Ayliffe of CIPS commented: “This guide is nothing if not timely. Statutory regulation has changed the security landscape, and there’s a great need for all parties – including procurers – to both understand that fact and to benefit from it accordingly. The publication of this guide is a stepping stone towards achieving that objective.”
Some of the key issues that continually undermine the purchase of effective and appropriate security are tackled, among them:
- whether those that quote the minimum price can deliver on all aspects of the contract;
- what can you expect from a good supplier that you will not receive from a bad one?;
- the nature of security risks and the precise impact that security measures can make;
- the benefits of using accredited suppliers;
- the need to check the veracity of tender documents;
- why an overarching security strategy is so important;
- how to find your way around behind the sales pitch.
Further details on the new report and the methodologies used to produce it can be found at www.perpetuitygroup.com