Corporate Security Services in Developing Countries–India Case Example

Security is a catch all term for a growing and diverse range of skills, services, products and affects. The spectrum has grown from just physical to include online, travel, financial, environmental, brand, personal, technical and much, much more. The problem is that unlike any other department or vocation, it is assumed/expected by the business leaders that all this is achievable by one person or they will be an expert in all such areas. Not possible. It doesn’t stop many claiming they are or trying to be but in the India context this revelation and awareness still has not come to light for the business leaders. Most do not become aware of this failing until a major disaster or worse..
The historically strong bureaucracy and cultural class systems within India have served to further stifle competitive people, services and development of security as a profession by virtue of an assumption of hierarchal entitlement. The older, more senior, better caste must mean you’re the best corporate security executive comparatively. Wrong! By extension, qualification is also based on how many people you have commanded or how many you now has as guards. Since when has volume been indicative of quality or efficiency? More tragically, some then believe employing, obtaining or recommending more guards; at the detriment of the company measures their career advancement.
The widely practiced yet largely useless procedures in place within India can be experienced the very moment you arrive at a large companies offices/campus. Despite the company’s business offering (hi tech, BPO, etc) their access control is third-world, yet they seem proud of it. You may get a few photos taken and a printed ID card but this is often noted in an old hand written journal that has never been read outside of the shift supervisor. The laptop or phone you bring in will be inspected for serial numbers but could be easily substituted for another adhesive label, no photography is permitted yet company proprietary information is abundant within the office space.
It is estimated that an Indian employee of similar education and production capacity costs only 20% of that of a US employee. Part of the contributing rush to outsource to India.
India is a popular location for outsourcing business functions. However, much of this trend has produced a “terminating outsource” culture within India companies. That is, they take on a multinationals back office because they can hire more people for less, results are comparative, overheads are cheaper, multimedia communications is improving and it is not a core business/commercial function of the original multinational client. However, the outsourced Indian company then attempts to do everything in-house and never outsources or engages the very same principles that showcased their value and opportunity in the first instance. This company then does all its own accounting, online development, travel management, call centre management, transport, accommodation and the list goes on. This trend will not last and has already made many India companies less competitive globally as a result. Security management and application is largely of a poor standard because of this model too.
There are some world-class security professional and companies within India. They are however not multiplying at a required rate. Cheap is cheap, not effective nor necessary. The question business leaders need to ask themselves, what do I have? A cheap, ineffective, overly manned/resourced tick in the box that says I have “security”? Or a value-orientated profit center that is integral to our growth strategy and is as efficient as I can make it without compromising our service standards? Prove it!