In The Boardroom™ With...

Mr. Mark VanDover
President
Tyco Integrated Security

www.tycoIS.com

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  What top trends have you seen across the industry in the last six months?

Mark VanDover: In the last six months, we’ve seen security technology changing the way businesses operate across multiple industries. For example, expanded use of RFID-enabled technologies is helping retailers identify and combat operational loss, deepen the customer experience and improve omni-channel operations. Additionally, in heavily regulated industries like food manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, we’ve seen physical security play a bigger role in ensuring standard compliance. On another level, since entering the small business market last fall, we’ve seen firsthand how affordable commercial-grade security solutions can make a difference for small business owners’ bottom line.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  Traditionally, RFID technologies have helped thwart theft. How is the technology helping retailers combat operational loss (miscounted inventory, misplaced inventory, etc.)?

Mark VanDover: RFID-enabled technologies have long been known solely as security solutions for reducing shoplifting, but today’s tagging technology also provides retailers with better business insights into operational loss and opportunities for increased supply chain efficiency.

Many times operational loss occurs at the point of sale due to human error. For example, a sales associate might ring in one blue shirt and then multiply it by three to account for the green and red shirt the customer is also purchasing, which look very similar. While the pricing for the shirts is the same, this situation causes inventory inaccuracy, because the system of record now shows that the store is down three blue shirts and triggers replenishment accordingly. This scenario plays out across many categories every day and results in over- and under-stocked items across the enterprise.

However, in an RFID enabled environment, operator errors decrease and inventory accuracy improves, because each piece of merchandise can be identified uniquely, making the check-out process more consistent and effective.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  How are security technologies changing the customer experience and improving omni-channel retail operations?

Mark VanDover: As a security integrator, we have an opportunity to help retailers think beyond the traditional return-on-investment they look for in physical security and loss prevention solutions. The increased value of an integrated security solution in an omni-channel retail environment is the data and insight it provides across all levels of the business. Retailers can now strengthen operations and performance, improve profitability and personalize the customer experience. Whether it’s providing better customer service through a real-time look at inventory to better support police outreach or even the rise of smart dressing rooms, many of these new solutions take advantage of RFID-enabled technology to meet demands across the business and help retailers get more out of their existing security technology investments.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  What role does physical security play in increasingly regulated industries like food manufacturing and pharmaceuticals?

Mark VanDover: Because of the potential impact on public health, food manufacturers will soon need to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and pharmaceutical organizations will need to comply with regulations outlined in the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) and the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

Regulatory focus in both the food and pharmaceutical industries is aimed at addressing risks throughout the whole supply chain, and therefore it’s important for organizations in these industries to have practices in place to mitigate risks to the supply chain.

In order to comply with regulations and secure their supply chains, pharmaceutical companies and food manufacturers should build out a proactive security plan. By employing integrated security solutions as part of a proactive plan, organizations can ensure the appropriate individuals are alerted in the event of a break in the supply chain’s security. The right technology can also help an organization maintain best practices and provide documentation of compliance to regulators – making the task of complying with impending regulation deadlines significantly less daunting.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  What are some of the primary physical security risks present along the food manufacturing and pharmaceutical supply chains that regulations and the aforementioned security efforts help address?

Mark VanDover: The security risks associated with food and pharmaceutical supply chains can have serious consequences to both a brand and its consumers. For example, each year, one in six consumers get sick from contaminated food and 128,000 people are hospitalized. Threats like contamination can occur when unauthorized staff have access to vulnerable processes – which is where the aforementioned security technologies can play a role in helping to prevent such threats. Another key risk to supply chain security is the intentional adulteration of a product in the manufacturing, storage or distribution process for economic gain. These risks can cause serious harm to the associated companies, and thanks to social media, it is very easy for consumers to share news that could tarnish a brand.

SecuritySolutionsWatch.com:  Tyco Integrated Security announced its entry into the small business market last fall at ASIS. Can you share an update on the company’s work in this space, including the unique security concerns you are hearing from small business owners?

Mark VanDover: We recognize that small business owners today play many roles, with minimal bandwidth or expertise to manage comprehensive security operations. To help them affordably and effectively tackle increasingly complex security challenges, we’ve expanded our offerings to include Holis Go, a mobile app that complements our small business oriented enhanced IP video technology solution. Holis Go offers small business owners additional flexibility and mobility with after-hours real-time video surveillance all via an iOS or Android application on a smartphone, tablet or laptop.   

Since entering the market in September 2014, we’ve been making a positive impact among small business customers across the country. As a result of our initial success recognizing and addressing universal gaps in small businesses security, we’ve increased the number of personnel assigned specifically to the market across the United States and are continuing to evaluate future growth plans.