 | | | | | | | | The security industry in Ireland makes a substantial contribution to the national economy with an estimated turnover of €1.2bn and employment levels of over 25,000. That’s just on a human level.
As an industry we protect billions in liquid and capital assets. Every major multinational, government office, hospital, warehouse, retailer is protected by one of our members. Nearly every ATM, post office, financial institution, retailer has their cash picked up and safely lodged by one of our members. The industry protects billions and transports billions. The Irish economy could not function without the people who work, serve and protect the assets that drive our economy.
There is no doubt that for all industries and businesses, we are heading into very difficult times with the threat of major job losses unfortunately a real possibility. |
|  | | | | Mr Alan Jordan, President, ISIA |
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| | | Some businesses are so hard pressed – and we have heard this from our members – that they are taking on security themselves, removing it altogether or outsourcing to the cheapest price regardless of compliance concerns. Businesses are struggling, sales are down, consumer confidence is low, people aren’t buying, and they are just trying to save money. But this is where it can all go horribly wrong because in recessionary times, you find criminality increases on all fronts. A recent European Crime Survey indicates risk of theft in Ireland at double the European average. Security Services are now probably more required than ever for businesses.
Using security suppliers where there may be a compliance concern is also not good for their business. If the Security supplier is not licensed by the PSA or is not providing licensed officers or paying mandatory employment rates, the Customer is also at risk of prosecution. Customers can and will be prosecuted by the PSA including substantial fines or possibly imprisonment or both. The PSA are actively investigating companies as we speak.
| | | | The Year Ahead | | | | There are a number of issues which I want to address in the year ahead. | | | | Firstly, we have to continue with the good things that the Association has been doing. Certainly, if you look at the recessionary market that we are heading into, key things that our members should always continue to invest in are training, sales and quality of service. | | | | Training | Within the ISIA, we have one of the best ISIT training programmes available to any association anywhere in Ireland. I’ll be encouraging members to look at advancing the skills of their people and their management team to help them deal with the difficult times ahead. This is one area where the cost is substantially funded, and it’s an area you need to concentrate on because you are going to need the skills, whether it is quality management, sales, customer service, marketing, strategy etc. These are the areas that are going to differentiate you in the market.
Clearly, price is a key element but remember within our industry, a lot of the pricing is controlled through Employment Regulation Orders (EROs). Since all companies are signed up for that, there isn’t a real race to the bottom, so what makes the difference is the added value, the technical expertise, the consultancy, the thinking outside the box, really working with the customer to help him take costs out of his business through innovation, whether it be design, different shift patterns, innovative scheduling, technology etc.
This is what’s going to determine the difference. If you don’t have those skills, there is a whole suite of training programmes that are available through the ISIA so go get them. And there is a whole knowledge bank there to see what other companies are doing and what they are using.
| | | | Prompt Payment | Secondly, I will be working with our team to ensure that, along with the likes of the Irish Business Employers Confederation (IBEC), we are talking to government to ensure that companies get paid on time.
What happens in times like this is that people stop paying their bills on time. Now, while large companies might be able to absorb some of that, smaller companies can’t. Cash is king and it’s very tight, especially for smaller businesses. In the security industry, we are funding people with 90% of our costs in labour. We are paying our people on a weekly basis and in some cases our customers are taking 40, 50 or 60 days to pay.
At governmental level, they are saying this is crazy; it’s putting too much strain on businesses. With the banking community tightening cash supply it’s putting businesses under pressure.
As President of the ISIA, I will be looking for some kind of legislation that says, for businesses across Ireland, you pay your bills on time. They have been doing it on the Continent for years. It’s time we became real Europeans.
| | | | Final Word | | We’re heading into recessionary times and unchartered waters, and what you have to try to do is keep it simple. Leverage what the association can deliver for you on cost reductions. Use the tools and resources that we have to maximise the benefits that we can derive as members of the ISIA. All businesses have to think their way through these tough times. |
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| | | | | Irish Security Industry Association Ltd,
A company limited by Guarantee and not having a Share Capital,
Company Number 36632
VAT Registration No.14072480
Reg.Add: Security Centre, Unit 1 IDA Industrial Est.,
Balbriggan Co. Dublin, Ireland. | | |
| | | | Headquarters:
42-44, Northumberland Road
Dublin 4
Tel: 01 690 5736
E: info@isia.ie | | | |
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