A secure agenda for parcels

Valuable items once tended to be carried in small numbers but through the advent of microtechnology. small, high value items are far more common. Mobile phones are a classic example and a lorry load presents a prized target for a heist. However, there would appear to be little reliable information worldwide concerning stolen cargo. The last worldwide survey conducted by the Fecher al Bureau of
Investigation in (FBI) and die National ( argo Security Council in I 99M estimated the value upwards of $50bn. However, as Ken Matthews, director of security at TNT express points out: “Both businesses arid express operato rs have recognised a signifi(alit increase since 1998 and between 1999 and 2000 recorded incidents in Europe rose hr 55% ."
The hi—tech industry represen its over 30%
of these incidents. "H li—jacks and r obberies of
mobile phones have increased in value 1
2000 by 1 45%," says Matthews. "Two thirds of cargo theft occurs whilst the goods are on the road and within Europe certain countries are currently seen as very iugh risk areas – Polarnd, France, Italy."
A particularly disturbing trend is that crim— inals are becoming more violent. Matthews
points out that a third
of all hi-jacks inv lved the use of’ fi rea rms.
"The main reason for tile increasing trends of’ tine past fire years revolve around the black market demand for hi-tech and mobile phone products."
Denis Norton. divisional director — Security at Securicor Distribution believes that real questions coiicern insecurity “This
inv olves risk analysis.” he says. "we look at tile products, the risks to those products, the f’actors that may place them in an insecure situation and we Plan accordingly. In simple ten ms, we en sure that we understand what we are handling and what ns needed to hold it in a sect i ic at d safe enviro n n nietit.
"We have taken! great strides over die past few ears in ensuring our branches are better protected. Staff are trained in security and
Operat i ional procedures and the whole secu— rity package is an initegrated one. We understand the risks, this reflects the c onstant attention we pay to tile matter.
"It's important to appreciate that security not only concerns the safe keeping of the
parcels. but also the prevention of damage. This forms part of the partnership between our customers and us.”
Packaging along with clear and accurate addressing needs to be recognised as a contributing factor. acc rding to N rton. "Mechanical handling demands packaging that will protect the contents during their journey from collection to delivery,” Michael Holt. perations director at AN( . also warns of the risk of loss or damage to goods in transit arid the need forcorrect packaging: "ANC
take responsibility by isiting cust itners to
advise them on correct packaging and labelling.” lie says. “( ustomers cani tiler! play their part in protecting against these problems by ensuring that panels au e packaged corre tlv and labelled clear ly. The cornpai y also pr vides a range of A NC EasiBags. providing a simple, cost-effective method of transp ortatio n iTI self-sealing, tamperproof
I )ags.
When clients are choosing an express parcels carrier, how big a factor is security amid the extent to which a parcel carrier can share tile risk?
Matthews says that those companies whose products have become more and more desirable recogruse the threats that exist and are demanding increased security
from their supply chain. "O )rganisations.
such as Association (TAPA) have been f’ormcd to set standards for their suppliers. TAPA menubership consists of all the maju it hi-tech and mobile phone C( m n and have an association in Europe, U SA and Asia. These com
panies are requiring suppliers to comply With their freight security requirements and
achieve TAPA certification as Part of the corntractual arrangements."
Deniis N orton of Secuncor agrees ti nat customers take security seriously. "It's Part of the service package they expect,” lie says.
“Decisions made on die acceptability of service charges must take into account the resources that are brought to bear. After all we cannot nneet all their needs if the financing is not in place. We offer a comprehensive track and trace system to advise customers on the movement of’ their from wheni they were collected to when they were delivered. This level of available management information can be used for a variety of purposts, often to support customers' own customer serv
Securicor offers different levels of service.
which take into account the different handling requirements. to ensure safe and reli
able delivery. “Tilt’ main co ncern is to
prevent loss and avoid damage and this is fundamental to our service oflermg, continues Norton. "We tailor our services to otir customers needs and work with them to prevent security issues becoming problems. hr having service level agreements in place we can provide assurance that our service delivers what our customers expect.”
Security is an essential factor for ctmstomers who will quickly change carriers if they feel this is not good enough believes i-loft. "ANC has conducted customer surveys which show security as being amongst the top ten criteria for choosing a carrier.” he says, "ANC offers a standard goods in transit insurance as well as tailor-made coven- where needed.”
There would appear to be a market detnancl for express parcel carriers to look at
measures to improve security. Matthews says that TNT has committed itself to being the fastest and mo st secure express carrier. “Security processes are constantly morntored and impr ved measures introduced. TNT uses state of the art technology and has its own 24 hour. seven days per week fully manned security control room, which monitors both vehicles and warehouses throughout Europe.”
De nis N( rton of Seen ri c r believes that effective security involves the use of electronic prevention and detec tion systems, and manned guarding services. He says: "As a result of their location and risk assessment, an increasing number of our branches have electrified fencing and internal and external ((rTV cameras. Many systems are integrated to enable us to remotely monitor the site. We have the ability to ‘dial in’ and see for ourselves any activity going on. and to warn
would be intruders that we have them under visual observation. At other locations we can analyse detected sound. Flexible, reliable and effective protection is key."
He continues: “Our network of branches has been built over ti me so they of course differ considerably. Today their location is carefully planned, particularly when it comes to security. We consider the access routes, nearby housing, adja— cent industrial premises and we look at open land that may attract unwelcome visit ors. It all forms part of the risk analysis as, eventually, getting this wrong can put our operations at risk."
The investment TNT is making is exemplified in its Vauxhall branch, one ofthe company's largest branch operations, due to its close proximity to London's leading retail centres. “The security systems installed over the last year or have resulted in a significant increase in security levels,” says Norton, "It is evident that our planning and operational procedures are working well. It is same story at Hatfield where electrified fencing. access control systems, CCTV, archway scanners and regular vehicle and personnel checks are all working effectively. These sites are secure against a variety of risks."
But, says Norton, in the end the best security operates from within. “Staff who are alert to the risks we can face, or aware of the weaknesses in our procedures, play an important role in the planning of our defences.”
ANC has a large security team whose sole emphasis is the development f security measures. The company has a high profile securitv department based at N eweasde-unde r-Lyme, backe( I by regional security managers at .d security monitoring teams.
All the company’s hubs are equipped with security cameras to ensure constant monitor-
ing of activities. In addition each depot or sortati n centre is subject to security spot checks of both vehicles and warehouses by the regional sect i ri t v managers.
The security teams at the AN( hubs retain high visibility 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Their role includes security searches and patrols.
To minimise the possibillity of loss or damage all parcels are trunked in resilient steel security cages (luring transit, with tin requiring special handling caged separately. For added security the cages are designed so that they cannot be opened inside trailers. And to provide further security NC track all parcels from collection, throughout their journey, to delivery,
To ensure vehicle security all vehicles arc monitored through the use of Encrypta security seals.
Furthermore. .-NL security staff are menibers of tine ECSA (Epi’css Carriers Security Association), closely associated with tIne police, arid attend quarterly meetings to discuss industry issues such as theft, vehicle and
premises security.
“Over the past 12 months high profile has been given to security at ANC, with the introduction of several new measures which have helped the company to significantly cut risk of loss arid increase its operational efficiency and customer service,” says H lolt. These include:
• introduction of teams, set up to look )k after exp en sive or high security goods such as mobile phones or compute is
• introduction of security and operational audits by regional security managers
• tightening up of operational pro cedures
• increased visits to customers to discuss security issues such as packaging and labelling
• tighter monitoring at the recruitment stage to guarantee all potential employees are thoroughly screened with references being taken up.
The events that took place oti September
tiled to another security aspect of parcel carrying coming under closer scrutiny.
“‘l’N’l’ have had aviation security procedures and operated aviation screening for many years however following the terrorist events of September 11th, 2001 it has invested millions of dollars in x-ray equipment and operator traming, explains
Iatthews. “This provides TNT with additional ability to screen! and secure consignments and ensure they are safe to travel by air.
Its processes and controls exceed all aviation
regulations and the company chairs tile Security Committee of the European
Express Association, which negotiates air cargo regulations with EU countries and applicant states.
The tern rist attacks on September 11 an(l the recent anthrax threats in tile ( S have certainly presented new challenges. According
to IPSs web site. company’s Corporate Security. Health and Safety, and other groups are working with local and federal officials, including the FBI and the ( entres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). to ensure that it is
prepared should there ever he an inci(kilt involving U PS. The c company is reviewing all reasonable measures to protect the security of its services along with the safety of its employees. Due to recet it events. all of’ its pers on ne are on a heightened state of alert. Specific
munications have been issued to all employees reinforcing company procedures f( r I handling suspicious packages. UPS ro utinely captures inf ormation
from the shippers of packages entering its network. Through the use of its technology infrastructure it cain t rack the progress of packages in its network.
st U PS slupments are picked up at our customers business locations. Most UPS deliveries are arriving from orders that the receiver has placed. Once again, one of the best measures that can be implemented to safeguard and insure on-time delivery is to
properly label all packages. The U PS site
stresses that label should contain an individuals name. company name (if applicable).
and coinpkte address for both sender and
receiver. Verify that all components of the address are correct. using a validated postal code. Pre-notifying the receiver that the package has been shipped is always advisable.
U PS encourages its customers to contact R cal law enforcement if they receive a package that appears suspicious