Mergers and acquisitions, or M&A as it’s commonly known, is a growing trend in the security marketplace as reported by several industry reports. The convergence of technology is one of the driving reasons for this, according to various M&A trends reports (e.g. Deloitte), and the momentum includes both smaller strategic deals as well as major transformational deals.

Administering the safety aspects of a large retail environment requires an expanded knowledge of security practices in order to make good decisions regarding the protection of the facility and its employees and visitors. Cash, goods, business information/data, personal items and even identities are prime targets for theft in a retail environment and these vulnerabilities can be heightened due to lost or missing keys and other security irregularities. As a result, key control with automated tracking is high on the list as a state of the art security practice.

Managing the consequences of a natural disaster or other emergencies is never easy, but it can be made more efficient with better preparation and follow up. Key and asset management systems are a valuable part of facility security, helping to protect staff, assets and areas and streamlining access for authorized users in both regular and emergency situations. When time is of the essence, these systems can also supply up-to-date and reliable information allowing personnel to react more quickly and proceed with established procedures regarding secure areas or valuable assets.

Managing a business, whether a small, family-owned company, a franchise operation or a branch office can be challenging—and it often is. Licensing regulations, paying too much for rent, labor or materials and poorly designed websites are just some of the issues that can adversely affect the business’s success. While there are no silver bullets to resolve these issues, management can minimize many of the problems through open communication, defined tasks and responsibilities, effective data collection/analysis and so on.

Security departments within an organization often tend to underestimate how much productivity is lost to manual tasks that could easily be accomplished with automated systems. Technology solutions are readily available to help security management free up employee time so they can focus on more valuable tasks that help ensure safety and security. In considering these options, ROI is often a determining factor.