5 Ways to Increase Inventory Security During the Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, both opportunities and risks increase when it comes to inventory. With more inventory and staff on hand and more products moving quickly through your operation, securing holiday inventory can be a challenge. How can you meet this challenge? Here are a few ways any business can boost inventory security during the busy time of the year. 

1. Monitor Shipping and Receiving

Much of the attention on security for inventory focuses on that inventory while in storage. But what about the entry and exit points for inventory? Shipping and receiving docks are often very busy during the holidays with both staff and outside vendors. Lots of goods may come and go at the same time. And everything is packed up, so it can be hard to identify individual problems. 

If you have additional eyes and ears in shipping and receiving, this may help shore up these potential weak points. If possible, have independent parties — such as a professional security guard — confirm amounts, check against shipping manifests, and verify that packages are intact and undamaged so you know what has arrived and departed. 

2. Focus on Likely Targets

Not all inventory is equal. Rather than try to secure everything equally, assess how likely it is for various elements to be pilfered or damaged. Large, heavy goods or those with low values are less likely to disappear compared to high-value items someone could easily put in a pocket or a bag. And items stored in upper shelves are less at risk than those on the ground or at eye level. 

As you walk through the specifics of what's in your inventory and warehouse with a security professional, they will help you identify where you can best deploy additional scrutiny or protection to maximize the impact of your security dollars. 

3. Add a Security Patrol

Uniformed security officers add a highly visual element to your security procedures. Simply by patrolling the warehouse, manufacturing floor, and shipping and receiving, they are a deterrent. Even if you don't use a security guard all year long, the holiday season is the time to add their presence.

Patrols are also a good opportunity to check physical security features, talk with your staff, confront strangers in the area, and offer reminders. 

4. Identify Authorized Staff

Do you need to hire additional staff to handle the holiday rush? Along with added staffing, you'll probably also have outside vendors, clients, and outsourced services' staff that will be moving around the manufacturing area. Crowd control and access will be an issue. 

If your business hasn't yet implemented a badge system and other access control measures — or if these aren't regularly enforced — you should do so. Work with professional security staff to create access control through a badge system or other indicators of who should be where. Security staff should also patrol and approach anyone who doesn’t display the proper identification. 

5. Put Safety First

With everyone rushing around to keep up with holiday deliveries and orders, both safety and security may take a backseat. Employees may not put away tools properly or clean up messes promptly. Inventory cages might not be locked between each use. And staff can forget safety procedures in their hurry.

One way you can help prevent these risky situations is to patrol and keep an eye out for potential problems. Outside professionals can often do this job better than employees can because it's their sole focus. 

Can you improve your holiday-inventory management with any of these helpful tips? No matter whether you need to boost physical security, better monitor who's around the warehouse, or ensure that no one puts safety last, an easy solution is to use trained security staff during this time. All State Security can help. Call today to learn how.