Bulk application procedures for licensing

Jonathan – among others, no doubt – will be pleased to note that such a procedure exists, and has been in place since 19 April.

Companies are now able to request up to 200 application forms at any one time. Those forms will then be delivered to a specified, single point of contact within the company. Once the forms are completed they may be submitted to the Security Industry Authority in batches of up to 50, along with a single bulk payment for each batch.

To register for the process, security companies must send an e-mail to bulkapplications@the-sia.org.uk, or telephone 0870 243 0100.

Once registered, companies will receive the documents required for requesting all of the necessary application forms. There are two spreadsheets required for this process, both of which will be personalised to the company site and representative. First, there is the Bulk Application Request spreadsheet, and second the Bulk Application Submission spreadsheet.

It’s not my job, and nor is it the SIA’s role, to ‘sell’ security, but you have to say that much of the rhetoric espoused by the security companies is entirely valid. Clients ought to be buying a security solution. At the moment, people procure security merely because their insurer tells them they must do so

Andy Drane, deputy chief executive, SIA

Security as a beneficial purchase

How does Andy Drane believe security could be seen as a beneficial purchase and not a drain on any company profits?

“Clients must buy security on the basis of the problems that need to be solved. It’s as simple as that,” he retorts in quick time. “Buy a solution on that basis, and then judge that solution on whether or not the problem is solved. The risk assessment will be central to all of this. Success may be measured against the risk that needs to be mitigated.”