Throughout the pandemic, the Securitas Intelligence Unit (SIU) has provided a range of intelligence products and services to businesses of all sizes across diverse sectors, giving them the insight and confidence to make decisions to not only manage risk to their business, but also create and realise opportunities. “This award highlights the impact of the SIU’s response to COVID-19 and demonstrates the value of intelligence-led security and risk management,” says Mike Evans, Head of Intelligence at Securitas UK.
Market leading insight
Whilst the pandemic was still in its very early stages, the SIU recognised the business need for intelligence. Having conducted assessments throughout January 2020, the unit accelerated plans to support its Securitas colleagues and customers globally. Getting ahead of the curve, the unit published its ‘Coronavirus 2019-nCoV brief’ for all subscribers to its free mailing list on 7 February – a time when the situation was only just starting to attract media attention. From this point on the SIU published COVID-19 Daily Intelligence INTREPs, to promote situational awareness and provide actionable intelligence to support risk management.
As the pandemic developed, the SIU introduced new innovations including alerts, Flash INTREPs (ad hoc summary intelligence reports for significant developments such as local lockdowns) and Weekly Executive Intelligence Summaries (INTSUMs). By providing these specific products and services, the SIU delivered accurate, timely and relevant actionable intelligence to stakeholders and decisionmakers at all levels and across all industries and sectors.
Delivering real time intelligence
To support the demand for real time intelligence the SIU developed an advanced COVID-19 Surveillance System, to assess the risk posed by COVID-19 and the potential for local lockdowns in all parts of the UK This provided customers with targeted risk analysis based on their operations.
Using the latest scientific data (case numbers, population data, social demographics, hospitalisations and deaths) the SIU assessed the threat posed by the virus and forecast the trajectory of infection rates at a national, regional and local level. From there, the SIU was able to forecast the potential for changes to restrictions. This was especially powerful for businesses as it provided early warning of lockdowns. Customers had access to dashboards with a single-pane-of-glass overview of their operational footprint, and the associated risks of infections and restrictions. This insight helped them understand risk and take appropriate action to reduce costs while maximising resources and operational effectiveness. In some cases, it also enabled them to identify new opportunities.
The SIU’s response to COVID-19 has shown the true value of intelligence-led security and risk management. Monitoring, reporting and supporting the response to a global pandemic is a challenge, and the fact that five people in the UK were able to support hundreds of thousands of people and organisations around the world during one of the greatest challenges of our generation was a significant factor in the CIR judging panel awarding the SIU ‘Risk Management Innovation of the Year’.
