Responsibilities of the Security Manager - Term Paper Example

Facility Manager vs. Security Manager Name Institution Name Date Introduction The purpose of the paper is to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the facility manager and security manager. The paper begins with the definition of the facility manager and security manager. It is then followed by discussion on roles and responsibilities of the facility manager followed by roles and responsibilities of the security manager. The paper then concludes by providing recommendations on how a facility should be managed. Definition of Facility Manager and Security Manager A facility manager is an individual who does strategic planning who assist in organizing daily activities of the business and ensuring the premises operates based on predetermined requirements (El-Haram & Agapiou, 2002). The facility manager is required to oversee different components of a company’s operations through management of vendors and contractors and also to arrange lowering the costs and also maintaining the property (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011). A facility manager should also be able to multitask across numerous responsibilities. On the other hand, a security manager ensures the property and premise are secured and mechanisms in place to guarantee the safety of persons and assets within the building (Weise et al., 2014; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). The security managers also ensure the assets and personal effects of visitors are taken care. These two managers play an important role in ensuring the facility is managed effectively. Role and Responsibility of Facility Manager Management A facility manager should oversee and lead the maintenance employees on the property (Weise et al., 2014). The facility manager organizes the employees and encourages teamwork towards achieving the predetermined goals of the business (Gilleard & Wong, 2004; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). In addition, the facility manager is involved in formulation and implementation of employee schedules and addressing any challenges that may arise among the employees (Baldwin, 1994). A facility manager should also adhere to sate and local safety and operational requirements for the property including security of the premises, facility inspections and employee training (Jones, 2000). Maintenance Maintenance incorporates numerous components that include the equipment, premises and building (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011; Weise et al., 2014). The facility manager understands it is an important component in their portfolio and ensures these areas are kept in good working condition and properly maintained (Becker, 1990). The facility manager should champion cleanliness of the property, maintaining any catering or vending and ensuring the property meets code requirements and also in management of the property to be utilized efficiently (Gilleard & Wong, 2004; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Contracts Facility managers are responsible for negotiation of contracts with vendors and clients who are involved in the way the company property is used (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011). The contracts range from catering, lawn care to advertising (El-Haram & Agapiou, 2002; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). A facility manager should be effective in decision making and be able to collect diverse information and review numerous contracts before deciding, which contract gives the property the maximum benefit of money spent (El-Haram & Agapiou, 2002). After a price agreement has been agreed upon, the facility manager is responsible for reviewing the information, drafting the contract, preparation of documentation, and presentation of the idea to the company owners (Gilleard & Yiqun, 1999; Weise et al., 2014). After the agreement with company owners is fulfilled, the facility manager should supervise and ensure the work on the contract is completed according and based on the information on the agreement (Gilleard & Wong, 2004; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Operational costs A facility manager should be responsible for the management of the operational costs. A facility manager should cut costs and ensure the premise activities continues as usual. The manager should be able to create a budget and determine expense throughout the year based on the created budget and adjusting the budget based on emergency basis (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011; Weise et al., 2014). The facility manager should ensure the budget fulfills assigned tasks, and the environment works efficiently (Tay & Ooi, 2001; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Therefore, operational costs management is crucial for a facility manager to ensure activities are accomplished accordingly. Role and Responsibility of Security Manager Management A security manager manages a team of security guards (Kincaid, 1994). The security manager advices on the appropriate security guard, qualification of the guards and assigning duties based on their respective capabilities (Reese, 2010). The security manager also manages job schedules and determines who should work at what time, location in the building and area that the security guard should cover (William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). The security manager should address complaints from the employees and visitors. For example, conflict between employees should be addressed promptly to prevent degeneration of the problem (Gilleard & Wong, 2004; Weise et al., 2014). In addition, the security manager should address complaints from visitors and people working on the premise and propose appropriate strategies to mitigate the problem (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Regulations and Procedures The security manager should understand the regulations and procedures that govern security requirements (Lützkendorf et al., 2005). The security manager should be familiar with numerous field’s procedures, practices and concepts (Reinema, 2001). The security manager liaises with important departments on security needs, procedures and measures (Kincaid, 1994; Weise et al., 2014). The security manager key responsibility is championing the security of the premise and activities that takes place and liaising with different departments ensures the right decisions are made based on the requirements of these departments (Bandy, 2002). The security officer awareness of the state and regional security requirements is also crucial (William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). The decisions made and any action undertaken should be based on the legislations that govern the state and other important regulatory local directives (Lützkendorf et al., 2005). Therefore, the security manager should be well informed in the way they accomplish their varied obligations (Gilleard & Wong, 2004). Coordination of Security Matters The security manager should coordinate investigation of any losses or acts of crime that occurs in the premise (Hodges, 2005). The incident may occur to staff, guests, businesses and other components that form the facility (Gheisari & Irizarry, 2011; Weise et al., 2014). The security manager should assist in the collection of information regarding the incident and with the help of other stakeholder propose the way forward (Lützkendorf et al., 2005). Moreover, the security officer is required to advice stakeholders and ensures the incident is solved accordingly (Bandy, 2002). In addition, the security officer is required to advice on measures to be undertaken to prevent reoccurrence of the problem (Arditi & Nawakorawit, 1999; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Control of Facility A security manager develops clear guidelines for managing security of the facility such as determining levels of access and how permissions are sought for access. Some areas in facilities are limited to a certain level of security permissions, and a security manager should be able to adhere to the requirements. The security manager determines when to access certain regions in the facility through formulating and implementing security-related policies (El-Haram & Agapiou, 2002; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). In addition, the security manager should regulate ownership of the keys and other components that allow individuals to enter restricted areas. The security manager addresses emergency related problems and is supposed to lead the staff and other persons within the facility to safety. This can be achieved by opening access routes and spaces within the shortest time possible (Lützkendorf et al., 2005; Weise et al., 2014). Furthermore, a security manager analyzes and reviews status of the facility in terms of equipments for emergency, any noticeable intrusion, and suspicious components, and advices accordingly (Bandy, 2002). Training and Development Training and development are an integral component for a security manager (Kincaid, 1994). The security manager requires information that is an update based on the requirements occurring across the world (Bacik, 2008). The security officer is supposed to train and develop other security guards to understand security changes and how these changes can be addressed (Lützkendorf et al., 2005; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). The security guards should be informed of new threats and how the threats can be suppressed (William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012; Weise et al., 2014). Therefore, the security manager should also collect information from other stakeholders and use the information to formulate and implement appropriate security measures to sustain how the business operates (Reid, 2005). Facility Manager vs. Security Manager Facility manager and security should liaise to ensure the property is managed effectively (Hodges, 2005). Even though the facility manager is responsible for the entire building/property, the security manager is important because they bring expertise of security (William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). Both of them work hand in hand in formulating security measures, even though, the security manager reports to the facility manager. The two are supposed to work together and ensure the property, visitors and vendors operate effectively (Arditi & Nawakorawit, 1999; Weise et al., 2014). This is the integration of their respective roles and responsibilities (Kincaid, 1994). The facility manager and the security manager should interact in those activities that are aimed at improving the way the building is management (Lützkendorf et al., 2005). This can be achieved through the exchange of ideas and views and utilized in improving the facility experience (El-Haram & Agapiou, 2002). Each of these individuals has different expertise levels and they are supposed to interact in a manner that sustains and improves the facility status relative to contractual obligations, operational requirements and competitiveness (CFM & CFM, 2009; Weise et al., 2014). Therefore, the facility manager and security manage should work together and become a great team to fulfill the managerial obligations (Arditi & Nawakorawit, 1999; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). However, the roles and responsibilities of a facility manager and a security manager are different (Turner, 2014). A facility manager addresses most of the operations while a security manager addresses security measures of the building (Kincaid, 1994; William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). A facility manager should not make a decision in security matters without consulting the security manager (William, Nisbet, & Liebich, 2012). It means that some of their roles and responsibilities are interdependent, and each should play their different respective roles (Hodges, 2005; Weise et al., 2014). Conclusion In conclusion, facilities require effective management to ensure the requirements of different stakeholders are achieved. Facility manager manages the facility, liaises with different stakeholders, formulates and implements contracts and ensures the facility operates effectively. On the other hand, the security manager supervises and coordinates security measures within the facility. The security manager liaises with the facility manager and advises security manager and owner of premises on security measures. The security manager manages security guards, controls access, addresses security related complaints, and provides mechanisms for emergency incidents. It is recommended that the different entities that make up a facility should operate together to the benefit of the facility. The facility manager and security manager should cooperate and coordinate activities within the facility. The two managers should share decision-making and address issues promptly. The decisions should be prompt and based on data, and each of these individuals should play their respective roles conclusively. Reference Arditi, D., & Nawakorawit, M. (1999). Issues in building maintenance: property managers' perspective. Journal of Architectural Engineering, 5(4), 117-132. Bacik, S. (2008). Building an effective information security policy architecture. CRC Press. Baldwin, G. (1994). Property management in Hong Kong: an overview. Property Management, 12(4), 18-23. Bandy, N. M. (2002). Setting service standards: a structured approach to delivering outstanding customer service for the facility manager. Journal of Facilities Management, 1(4), 322-336. Becker, F. (1990). Facility management: a cutting-edge field?. Property Management, 8(2), 108-116. CFM, K. O. R., & CFM, R. P. P. (2009). 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