British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) is one of the modern era’s great corporate success stories. Currently sitting pretty as purveyor of the UK’s largest digital television platform for sport, movies, entertainment programming and Sky News (and having been voted News Channel of the Year for 2007), BSkyB boasts 8.7 million subscribers equivalent to almost one in every three households across the UK and Ireland – for its 600-plus digital audio and visual channels.
One of the flagship offerings, Sky HD (High Definition), affords customers “a cinema-like experience” in their own living rooms, with a picture quality that’s “more than four times superior to that of an ordinary broadcast”. In addition, the company launched its Sky Broadband service in July 2006, affording customers free Broadband access in network areas to over 700,000 users.
On top of that, there’s Sky +, Sky Multi-Room, Sky Text, Sky Active, Sky Gnome, Sky Talk and Sky by Mobile. All regularly serviced and maintained by over 9,000 office employees and 1,500 field-based engineers and dedicated sales staff.
Chairman and media mogul Rupert Murdoch has certainly used his considerable experience to build a phenomenal company with able assistance from son James (the organisation’s chief executive since 2003), deputy chairman Lord Rothschild, financial overseer Jeremy Darroch and the backing of shareholders including News UK, Franklin Resources, Janus Capital Management and Barclays plc. Results posted last June showed a revenue increase by 10% to GB pound 4,551 million and operating profits of GB pound 815 million.
BSkyB’s Osterley headquarters complex in Middlesex is by far the biggest of its locations, boasting no less than 19 buildings (live broadcast studios included) accommodating 5,000 staff. Other sites include Call Centres, secondary broadcast facilities and a home for Sky Broadband provider Easynet Enterprise.
Evaluating the security operation
Nigh on two years ago, Neil Gammon joined the Sky domain as head of physical security. An ex-military man with experience of the contract security sector he worked for a services provider prior to hooking up with Sky Gammon also read for an MSc in Security Management at Loughborough University en route. On joining Sky, he was tasked with looking after the company’s physical security requirement at all operational bases.
When Gammon arrived at Osterley, there were issues that had to be addressed. “The training and skills levels of the contract security personnel were such that they were unable to step up to the plate in terms of the expectations we wanted to set for them,” explains Gammon. Without pulling any punches, he adds: “We knew we had to radically alter the set-up so that members of staff could develop and realise their potential. Any sense of pride just wasn’t visible. Another key requirement was for more joined-up working with Sky’s management team.”
The scenario pertaining at the time amply supported Gammon’s initial tale of woe. Staff turnover among the sub-contracted security personnel sat at an unhealthy 60%, rendering the challenge of moving the service forward difficult to say the least. The supplier and the individual officers themselves were not owning and dealing with any problems that arose, which inevitably led to onerous additional burdens being placed upon the in-house Group Security Team. That was leaving little time for completion of its own (often pressing) strategy work.
“BSkyB is immensely proud of its brand and corporate values. That being the case, it was hugely important to obtain contracted security officers’ buy-in to what we as a business were and are trying to achieve,” continues Gammon. “It was also important to give them an understanding of how we intended to implement our plans. That way, they’d be able to understand processes happening around them and could ably support them, allowing the business to function even more efficiently.”
Instilling the corporate ethos
The first initiative Gammon wanted to tackle was the ‘installation’ of BSkyB’s corporate values, educating contract officers on the company’s history, ethos, overriding aims, culture and purpose. These ‘Back to Basics’ courses would last two days (a shortened version is now delivered to all new joiners). The role of both the Group Security and Physical Security Teams was explained, alongside the ongoing security strategy. “We wanted to enhance the contracted officers’ sense of belonging,” suggests Gammon.
The corporate ethos was further underlined by the introduction of all-new BSkyB-branded uniforms. A small step, you might say, but a significant one in terms of building the security personnel’s reputation among BSkyB staff who are, when all’s said and done, their main point of contact and concern.
To reinforce the message, Gammon arranged for ten officers to be “flown in” from parts of the Sky Estate. Each spent a day inside one of the company’s photographic studios at Grant Way for the production of over 2,000 bespoke pictures that would be used on security-related literature across the business.
“Another way in which we could put forward the message that the Physical Security Team is very much part of the BSkyB family,” adds Gammon. Slogans on the literature such as: ‘How can we help?’ kick-off advice on, say, what members of staff should do to safeguard themselves and their vehicles against car-jackers. The images are also used to populate the Physical Security Team’s own Intranet set.
Changing of the old guard
Arguably, Gammon’s most significant step was to decide on a change of guarding service provider. In truth, the stringent requirements of the BSkyB contract could probably have been met by any of the big nationals. However, Gammon in conjunction with BSkyB’s director of security, Mike Barley ultimately wanted a service partner (with emphasis on the word ‘partner’) that shared their combined vision of a “progressive, dynamic security operation”.
Explaining what was a rigorous selection procedure, Gammon comments: “We worked hard to provide an innovation-rich tender process, and sought to identify ways in which the contract could be taken forward. We wanted it to be ‘Best in Class’. Nothing less.”
In the end it was the management deputation from Reliance Security Services whom Barley and Gammon felt best recognised the vision. “They saw what we were trying to achieve straightaway. The level of expertise we were looking for. The amount of support we’d require, and the demand for specialist advice as and when needed. They were able to quickly identify with our culture, identity and values.”
Reliance’s account director, Edward Collins, takes up the story. “Neil’s vision is entirely predicated on a true partnership between customer and supplier. That has meant weekly visits by myself to Osterley such that Neil and I, alongside Ian Burnell [Reliance’s national account manager for BSkyB] can continue to plan and deliver the new strategy.”
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the results delivered to date are massively impressive. Staff turnover is sub-20% (retention is now at an all-time high of 85%), while there has been a decrease in recorded crime of 50% across the Sky Estate (which is now protected by over 170 contracted security personnel).
Further initiatives that have been introduced included a ‘Smile at Security’ Day (on 1 July last year), thereby encouraging general members of BSkyB’s staff to engage and interact with the uniformed security operatives, whether at the reception desks, at the Security Gatehouse or in the car parks.
A football team aptly dubbed ‘The Security SkyScrapers’ was also established to play matches against other departments, strengthening morale and helping to forge new relationships throughout the company.
Empowerment is the key
“The client empowers me and trusts me, and that filters down to the officers on the ground,” explains Ian Burnell. “The officers are now proactive rather than responsive. This has been demonstrated in the support we were able to give to the Sky ‘Bike To Work’ Week and the planned Security Roadshows that are due to take place throughout the portfolio in partnership with local police forces.”
Burnell is not at all complacent about the job in hand, nor the tasks ahead. In addition to the BSkyB employees, Osterley hosts hundreds of visitors each day. The access points are in constant use. Intra-site accessibility, security and effective car park planning are essential. On top of all this, Burnell cites staff motivation as a continuing challenge. It’s a barometer that Reliance and Sky’s management team are constantly looking to raise.
The sound of cheerful voices that emerges from the Security Gatehouse on the approach to BSkyB’s huge glass and yellow brick-festooned headquarters complex speaks for itself. Any preconceptions of austere security personnel are challenged by the welcoming: “How are you today, Sir?” from the smart officers on duty. Further pleasant banter concluded, my: “Have a nice day, Sir” is delivered with complete sincerity.
A positive start to a visitor’s arrival and one that Reliance officer Sati Chahal who accompanies me from the Gatehouse to the Security Department espouses is an integral part of the new security regime. Chahal has worked at the site for three years, and is adamant the new managerial regime has made a big difference to the work ethos.
Food for thought comes with the knowledge that wholesale changes wrought at BSkyB in terms of security provision have been achieved with 98% of the existing contracted staff and management remaining from the previous supplier. Fittingly, the last words are reserved for Neil Gammon.
“What we’ve done illustrates the requirement for the client to ‘get on board’ with their supplier and truly partner with them,” asserts Gammon. ” We have come a very long way in a relatively short space of time, but we can still improve even more.”
