Why hire a security consultant?
What is a Security Consultant? A security consultant like any other consultant is there to analyse your current/upcoming structure/asset/facility, pinpoint weaknesses and make suggestions for improvement. At the same time, companies without a formal security function may need to call on outside help to aid in a specific security-related task. In either scenario, executives seek out external expertise for many reasons, such as the lack of time or in-house specialized knowledge. They may also desire an independent, objective assessment, fresh ideas, or the flexibility to hire personnel as needed.
Why hire a Security Consultant?
1. The consultant can provide a fresh, unbiased opinion. Sometimes the security manager can be too close to a situation to see it clearly.
2. The consultant has experience with similar security problems and conditions at many other companies and organizations. Most problems are not unique, and others have figured out answers to them before. A good consultant is familiar with solutions that have worked at other facilities and can immediately transfer this knowledge to you.
3. The consultant has up-to-date knowledge of security best practices and the latest security technology.
4. The consultant has no need to temper his opinions for political reasons— he can “tell it like it is” without fear of retribution. Many security managers are afraid to bring up important issues within their organization because they are afraid of stepping on toes or making enemies.
5. The consultant can work full-time on your project and does not have to juggle the multitude of daily responsibilities that the security manager has.
6. The consultant has experience in conducting formal consulting assignments, writing reports, and making presentations. Many security managers have great security knowledge but are not expert writers or presenters.
7. The consultant has done similar projects many times before and can do the job more quickly and efficiently than the security manager can. For example, a security manager may have been called upon to write a policy manual maybe once or twice in his career, where a good consultant has probably written similar manuals dozens or even hundreds of times before.
8. A consultant can bring in technical expertise that the security manager does not have. Things such as designing security for a new facility or preparing an RFP for a new video surveillance system are often best done with the help of a consultant who is an expert in these areas.
9. An outside consultant can often have more credibility with your senior management team and can often sell ideas that the security manager alone cannot. Rightly or wrongly, a consultant and security manager can present the same idea, but senior management will accept it when presented by the consultant – while they would reject it if it were presented by the security manager.
10. A consultant can often save the organization time and money by doing things more efficiently, avoiding costly mistakes, and preventing the purchase of unnecessary equipment or services.
Consultant
4 年A consultant has no baggage and is thereforeexpected to be unbiased... the Skill Sets he brings to the Table is the wide Experience & Best Practices,,, both are immersely Precious !!!
Strat planner & Food Tech Consultant
4 年Inhouse evaluation generally is biased, as a routine... it tends to look more at the strengths than the weaknesses..... A consultant provides a very dispassionate and objective outlook in his evaluation when he evaluates the organization as a process. Going step by step through each sub process and its strengths and weaknesses.. He provides insights into areas which one tends to overlook in the routine....'He Looks in from outside the Box".
Corporate project sales at EESS Global(LV System)
4 年Agree sir
People First-CEO(Chief Empathy Officer), CIO(Chief Inspiration Officer), CHO( Chief Happiness Officer), Unconventional Change Maker, Motivator, Team Builder, Safety Culture Change Maker, Public Speaker, Trainer
4 年Another point - A consultant can cut across geographical, organisation, hierarchical, attitudinal and ego boundaris and integrate the efforts and promote collaboration What you said about security equally applies to other domains too safety, crisis management, Business continuity and so on , There are many companies which would sprefer to do everything internally despite all the logic you have given here Very well articulated . Brilliant Col Deepak Kajla (Retd), CPP, PMP.
People Consulting as a part of Strategy & Business Growth Consulting
4 年What you said Colonel is true, as Consultants we are unbiased and also give a neutral view to the whole scenerio with experience.