With so many security companies and products out there, it can be exceedingly difficult to decide what strategy and approach is going to work best to curb your internal thefts and losses.
Before spending your security budget on the usual security guards and cameras, consider the benefits of actually getting inside information from well-placed professional Undercover Investigators.
There is no loss control portfolio that works effectively without intelligence. One of the best ways of getting this intelligence is directly from the “coal face” of your business; the employees.
However, employees don’t regularly sell each other out to management, so you need someone that will… enter the Undercover Informants.
What Do Undercover Agents Do?
Hiring Undercover Investigators (also known as Undercover Agents or Informants) is one of the most effective ways of gathering information pertaining to how, where, when, and who are involved in thefts, frauds, and other crimes in your business. The reason it’s so important? It’s incredibly effective.
Although the results of Undercover Deployment can take a while, it’s certainly worth the wait.
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Infiltration of syndicates and employee circles takes time, but to understand your business threats and those behind them successfully, you need information that is obtained directly from the source.
When Undercover Investigators settle in and build trust with their colleagues, you will see from their reports where threats lie, and which approach is going to help bring those thefts and losses down.
The scope of the Undercover Investigators is not just about internal thefts, but actually covers a wide range of risks that impact on your bottom line. These include reporting on malpractice or productivity problems, union and labour influence and risks, workplace atmosphere, alcohol and substance abuse, corrupt practices and kickbacks, and general security weaknesses.
Five Reasons Undercover Investigators Have the Ability to Transform Your Security Programme
There is little argument that every company requires auditors. That person who combs through every detail and finds problems that others may have missed. Well in the same way every company needs Undercover Investigators.
It allows you to tap straight into crimes and activities that are occurring that your security and possibly even your management team do not even know about.
Employees on floor level don’t share information with management but talk freely amongst themselves.
When we deploy an Undercover Investigator into your workforce, we’re effectively entering the information circle. Every employee group has secrets, and Undercover Informants reveal those secrets to you confidentially, bringing you into the loop of secrets and nefarious activities directly – all unknowingly to others.
Too many companies rely on the “Illusion” of Security.
Although security and loss control will always have a need for a guarding presence as well as a CCTV need, these are ineffective against deep well-planned crimes within the business. These techniques have their place indeed but are also very often the cause of a false sense of security. I refer to this as the “Illusion of Security”.
Undercover Investigators operate deep in the “Dragon’s Den” and it’s this scenario that leads to effective changes in loss control strategies and practices.
There is no one size fits all approach in loss control. Therefore, receiving accurate intelligence detailing crimes and issues is what you should actually be basing your other security strategies around.
When you begin to use information supplied by your Undercover Agent, you make your company’s policies and procedures a lot more stringent and watertight. This gives far better results on minimising overall stock losses.
Without professional Undercover Informants, it’s very unlikely that you will ever really make significant inroads into theft and pilferage in your business.
Staying ultra-competitive through loss control.
In a world where just about everything is based on price, your company’s competitive advantage has to include attractive pricing. Yet, if you’re losing large amounts of assets and stock through fraud and theft, how do you remain competitive? Those losses have to be recouped somewhere and somehow. Usually this means higher prices to the customer and client.
Take the example of a transport or courier company. If their drivers are stealing fuel or using the company vehicles for non-company matters, who pays?
Sadly, those losses ultimately reflect on pricing. My point is business crime and internal thefts play a strong part in your overall competitive standing. Bizarrely, many companies lose sight of how ongoing theft and shrinkage detracts from their overall competitive advantage.
Undercover Investigations boost morale.
Strange as it may sound, the use of Undercover Informants to ultimately catch and successfully dismiss dishonest employees has a positive effect on the vast majority of the employees who are honest and hardworking.
Our many years of feedback from our clients – who successfully used our undercover services to catch dishonest employees – has confirmed that once the dishonest employees are removed and dismissed a rapid increase in overall staff morale occurs.
Truth is good people don’t like being around criminals and dishonest individuals… and when an investigation results in evidence that is appropriately used for disciplinary hearings the honest employees are relieved.
Forewarned is Forearmed.
Over the last decade the militancy of certain trade unions, and even political parties such as the EFF, has led to many violent strikes – often costing lives. These violent strikes are almost always planned and strategised among union members and their shop stewards. Meaning that any company facing a strike, or any other form of labour unrest, should be prepared.
That said, this is frequently not the case. Why? Because management are most often the last to know, and by then the planning and counter strike contingency plans are way too late.
Undercover Investigators or Informants make it part of their job description to supply you with information pertaining to upcoming strikes or unrest. These early warnings and day-to-day updates give you ample opportunity to engage with specialists in the field of strike security and protection of staff.
Business continuity plans are made long ahead of the crowds appearing at your gates, demanding you shut the company down.
Undercover Intelligence assists you to plan adequately for strikes and labour unrest.
D & K Management Consultants is the leading supplier of Professional Undercover Investigators and Informants.
When it comes to business investigations or investigations in general, we know our stuff. We have been assisting companies just like yours for 27 years through successfully deploying our Undercover Investigators.
We pride ourselves on arrests and assisting companies in removing dishonest employees for good. With a 100% success rate at the CCMA, you have to know that we are excellent at what we do.
Speaking of companies, we have helped to get rid of internal losses and or pre-strike planning, and we have well over 2 000 glowing testimonials, many of which can be seen proudly displayed on the walls of our Head Office.
If you would like to chat to us, and find out more about our array of investigations services please contact us at saint@intrigue.co.za or by phone on 011 824 0334.