More need for global security reach

An increasingly interconnected world also poses numerous security and economic challenges. Not only past crisis events, but also the current war in Ukraine are giving the global security industry new food for thought. The importance of forward-looking evacuation planning for multinational companies, for example, is shown by an assessment of the globally active International Security League. According to the International Security Association, there are five lessons companies have learned in light of current crisis events.

For example, greater global risks and interdependencies can cause companies to build their capabilities in different management areas. For example, according to the association, after a global manufacturer was caught in a regional conflict, it had to build both its internal capabilities and its external security partnerships.

There are various aspects to consider, such as:

• Contingency management planning (global)
• Protection of executives and services for international travel risks
• The type of services, the duration of the services and the cost point of the services.
• The scalability of the corporate ethics program for other countries
• Global environmental risk assessments
• A geopolitical profiling in case the company is considering expansion into unknown global regions.

Political instability and social unrest also increase the threat level of a facility requiring protection and can endanger the safety of personnel, which is why a rapid evacuation and/or the suspension of production or services may be necessary.

However, higher investments in risk monitoring and management services are likely to pay off. Since recent repressions, increased intelligence services at the global level are helping to better analyze risks and developments, making it also more feasible for multinational companies to temporarily maintain their business operations under difficult conditions, despite regional tension.

Indispensable: local knowledge

If companies worth protecting lack the criticality and sufficient understanding of threat situations, this can also lead to unnecessary evacuations.

As a matter of principle, the International Security League concludes, every site should be prepared to manage foreseeable crises. A company that advocates this approach has recognized that while it can centralize strategic planning, disaster response must be local to address employee needs in a timely and effective manner. In each case, when corporations sought to plan for a crisis without competent local crisis officers at each site, a task force often found itself in the untenable position of having to design timely evacuation measures for facilities it had never visited before. Local expertise and better communication with field offices can help multinational companies implement better security policies.

In the event of an emergency, it is worth considering how assets can be protected. Companies should be able to make arrangements with private security to supplement their staff if they need help securing and defending buildings and assets after an evacuation. However, as with a data backup, companies should establish a relationship with a company outside of their immediate catchment area or one with a regional/national reach, as a local security company may face the same staffing shortfall.