Security Trends Report Predicts Industry’s Role in COVID Risk Management

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14 January 2021

STANLEY Security’s annual report reveals a key trend for the security industry will be mitigating health and safety risks, a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Industry Trends Report is based on a survey of business decision-makers to learn more about organisations’ perceptions about, interest in and adoption of security technology. 

This years’ survey included 2,404 respondents across Benelux, France, the Nordics, United Kingdom and the United States.

Top of the trend list is the use of security to mitigate health and safety risks. The pandemic has resulted in a fundamental shift in the way organisations leverage security solutions to help them ensure the health of their people and visitors, the report shows.

From health questionnaires and temperature screening to contact tracing and controlling people flow, security solutions are now serving as organisations’ first line of defence against health and safety risks. Although these have been implemented in direct response to COVID-19 workplace safety, it will no doubt have a lasting impact on the way organisations view and use security for the foreseeable future.

“Security solutions are more critical than ever to a business’ operations. As organisations continue to face an unpredictable future, we’ll see an increased demand for systems that can help them mitigate risks and future-proof their operations."

–Dan Hindley

UK Commercial Director, STANLEY Security

Temperature Screening, Health Questionnaires and Visitor Management

The pandemic has also led many organisations to deploy threshold management solutions – such as health questionnaires, temperature and face mask screening systems and wellness-based credential activation – that automate processes, enforce policies and integrate with other security and business systems.

The balance of the focus has moved from visitor management to managing any individual crossing an organisation’s threshold, but without significantly impacting throughput and operations.

The frontline role security personnel have taken during the COVID-19 pandemic has also undoubtedly affected the industry. Back in May, the Office for National Statistics published the latest figures regarding COVID-19 death by occupation, revealing a high death rate in the security sector.

A report commissioned in reaction to this news showed risk factors were close proximity and frequent interactions with others, the risk of encountering conflict and security roles being located in heavily populated major cities. 

The Transition to Touchless

Health and safety protocols, and the new social distancing norm, has accelerated a transition to touchless and mobile-first security solutions which will no doubt gain in popularity even more in 2021. 

Matthieu Le-Taillandier, General Manager, France commented that he expects to see a surge in demand for these types of solutions:

“For many organisations, there’s an eagerness and excitement to get back on-site to collaborate. And, while normalcy will look much different in today’s environment, there’s a desire to implement solutions that can help solve two challenges: preventing the spread of germs and creating a faster, more frictionless experience that still provides for safety in the workplace. 

“As a result, touchless and mobile-first solutions – such as touchless doors, mobile credentials or NFC-powered access control, automated screening systems and more – will no doubt gain in popularity even more in 2021.”

Cloud-Based Solutions

The rise of cloud solutions and the XaaS delivery model is a clear trend that has emerged, as more organisations have come to realise that cloud solutions are a lot more resilient than an on-premises service, leading to the accelerated adoption of both cloud-hosted solutions as well as remote services. 

This is creating more demand for the as-a-service (XaaS) delivery model, which offers cost predictability – particularly important for small to medium-sized businesses. Controlling costs is especially critical as businesses recover from the impact of COVID-19.

Commenting on the release of the report and its contents, Dan Hindley, STANLEY Security UK Commercial Director, said: “Security solutions are more critical than ever to a business’ operations. As organisations continue to face an unpredictable future, we’ll see an increased demand for systems that can help them mitigate risks and future-proof their operations. 

“Additionally, there is a pressing need to manage these systems remotely so that they can have 24-hour coverage – increasing the need for services, such as remote guarding and remote video verification to take over the duties of physical security guards.”

Picture: a photograph of a person wearing a face mask outside

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 14 January 2021

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