In Singapore, there’s been a government programme called the Industry Transformation Programme that encourages industries to shift priorities from strictly manpower to a solution that incorporates more technology. The aim is to enter into what is called outcome-based contracting.

One of G4S’s Singapore-based customers is an organisation that had been struggling to adapt to this shift. At the time, it was using a headcount-based contract with a lot of manpower and little technology. There was a very clear challenge to switch to outcome based contracting and cut back on the high costs associated with a 100% manpower-based security plan. The customer needed to address these pain points immediately, so it contacted G4S to begin discussing options for a smooth transition from manned guarding only to a high-tech led integrated security solution. This partnership would require a collaborative effort between G4S and the customer as they worked toward defining their goals and developing an optimal solution.

THE GOALS

The overarching goal was to adopt the government push for more use of technology across industries as part of its Industry Transformation Programme. Meeting this objective would be more cost-effective, as a reduction in manpower would ultimately result in a smaller security budget. While there would be some upfront investment to install new systems, the year-on-year savings would quickly result in a revenue increase. The transition would need to be carried out smoothly without any security “downtime,” and an additional goal was to find the right balance between manpower and technology.

Finding the ideal man-to-machine ratio would ensure an optimised cost-to-performance rate of the new integrated security solution. In an effort to meet the customer’s objectives, G4S used a Risk-Based Approach to understand the specific security needs. This would play a key role in identifying the most effective technology solutions to mitigate key risks and to find the right mix of manpower and technology.

THE SOLUTION

Following the risk assessment phase, G4S rolled out several significant pieces of security technology. Along with limited manpower, these electronic systems would have a significant impact on the customer’s overall security solution. G4S primarily deployed manpower for patrols and incident response, while it used various pieces of technology for general monitoring and visitor tracking.

The following were the key components to the integrated security solution devised by G4S using its Risk-Based Approach:

• Visitor management system
• Turnstiles
• Biometric time and attendance
• S360 for patrol and incident reporting
• CCTV remote monitoring at G4S Security Operations Centre (SOC)

These technology-based components presented a massive shift in the way the customer’s security programme was run. Manpower was significantly reduced, as the electronic security elements combined to form a cohesive system that was able to replace the majority of the manned guarding.

THE RESULTS

The primary goal was to fall in line with the Industry Transformation Programme to switch to an outcome based contract over the previous headcount-based contract. In order to do so, there needed to be a strong shift toward the use of technology over manpower, and thanks to G4S’s intervention, this was clearly achieved.

The customer’s new security solution presented much more efficiency, and in the long run, is far more cost-effective than a 100% manpower-based solution. Revenue also increased due to this change, and the customer also experienced a marked increase in overall customer engagement. When an organisation can cut costs, increase revenue and experience more customer engagement, it’s a sure sign of a winning solution. The project was a clear success, as the customer experienced an overwhelmingly positive change because of entering into a highly collaborative partnership with G4S.