Electronic security in the face of the current global crisis

I would like to analyze the logic of this position by looking at each of these elements in a way that
individual.

Security: The first thing some companies think about is reducing security, mainly physical security, with the logic that where there were two people protecting, one person can do it. And they feel very satisfied. SERIOUS MISTAKE! They forget that the protection and care of their assets is one of the main bases to optimize them, increase production or services and prepare to improve their income.

Advertising: the advertising sector is usually the second that is often almost eliminated and left waiting for better times. SERIOUS MISTAKE! While we may have to review some of the mass advertising packages, it is perhaps time to focus and above all maintain our image in the most important promotional spaces of the business turn. In our case this applies to a presence and active participation in as many fairs and security events as possible.

Training: this item like the previous ones is frozen pending the good times in which we can invest in the updating and development of our staff.
SERIOUS MISTAKE! Without an updated staff and up to date with new trends and developments in the industry, we will hardly be able to innovate and take advantage of the business opportunities that arise. It is time to invest wisely in the training of our best talents to help us give maximum added value to our products and services, at the same price as the competition.

Personal: Companies in the face of a crisis begin with the pressure to reduce staff. And often this is done without an analysis of the talent that people bring. Just based on the number of people or a figure of salaries. Perhaps it is time to make a deep review of the "fat" that we have been accumulating in our staff in the best times. But after making an in-depth analysis of the value chain of our employees and if we have remained fat-free, it is always better to negotiate reduction of benefits, working hours, etc., than to lose an accumulation of valuable experiences and knowledge: later we could need them again and then we would have to invest again to achieve them.

Others: this item is the least used and most cases it is touched very tangentially. However, it should be the one that contributed the most in this managerial review. First of all we should review all the diets, per diems, incentives, representation expenses, commissions, bonuses and benefits that were imposed at a time of growth of the company and have been maintained by inertia, and make a comparison of what was the level of the company when they began to be implemented and what is the current level, to adjust it and to make it an engine of growth again. Undoubtedly, this activity is not the most pleasant. It often affects senior management which is the same as receiving these benefits. Therefore, it requires a spirit of personal sacrifice in implementing for oneself what you are applying in other areas of the company.

What to do?
We have already analyzed the mistakes we most commonly make, let's look at what we can do to survive these business tsunamis in the first instance and then how to rebuild.

Protect our assets. Instead of reducing security and its most visible part which is physical surveillance, let's do a review of what the current risks and threats are. Let's prioritize in our comprehensive security plan those areas that are the critical processes of our business and relocate our security resources in these processes, based on the following:

Look for new sources of income. Although the reduction of costs and expenses can give us a respite (temporarily) in our cash flow, if we do not improve our income - which as a result of the crisis has been decreasing - undoubtedly the tendency will always be to reach a level of costs and expenses higher than income and income.
bankruptcy.

This is where the importance of the capacity that our collective human talent, the use of physical resources and the knowledge of the staff can give us for innovation and competitive improvement of our product or service comes in.

Maintain our positioning. Creativity in the direct and constant approach with our clients -without the need for massive advertising campaigns- and participation in events where the decision prevails face to face with customers and markets will be an important point to keep us in the minds of all of them and an opportunity to know and penetrate segments that previously had not been considered for different reasons. Although temporarily our customers do not buy from us with the frequency or volume above.

Reduce our entrepreneurial ego. This point may seem controversial. However, sometimes managers and executives travel to events, conferences, or other activities, and by status, ego or what the competition may think we tend to travel in business class, to stay in luxury hotels and restaurants. This is the time to optimize and think like the initial creators of the company, in which every penny was for the basic and essential elements of the value chain.

Traveling with mileage or points programs, in economy class, staying in hotels with the basic conditions for the activity to be done and eating in less luxurious places is not detrimental to our position. Quite the opposite is our managerial commitment to the future of the company.

In conclusion and although the above are generic aspects that can be applied to different industries this year, the security industry in Latin America, both manufacturers, distributors, integrators, installers, monitoring companies, etc., have important opportunities to apply all the above: maintain their presence, train and exchange experiences, innovations and new formulas and business models of security in the different fairs and events
which are ExpoSeguridad Mexico and Safety Seguridad Mexico, in April; Expo Fire Security Ecuador, in May; to continue with Americas Fire and Security in Miami in July.

All these are events in which ALAS will be present sharing with you and supporting the continuous training of the best human talent in electronic security.

Greetings.
Luis Gonzalez Nogales
President.