How to increase the security on your business premises.

Securing your business is essential. From property damage to business disruption, the cost of experiencing a burglary is high for affected companies. Eager to protect your investment and business, you may be thinking of ways to increase your company’s security. But where should you start and what security options should you invest in? Here are some of the best ways to keep your business premises secure from criminal activity.

INSURANCE-APPROVED ROLLER SHUTTERS

Whether you own a shop, a warehouse or a salon, roller shutters are a fantastic way to keep your business secure. They act as a shield to physically prevent burglars from entering your premises, helping to keep your business safe and secure. Not only that, but they’re also are a great visual deterrent. They hide your goods from the view of opportunistic thieves, and they will deter intruders by making access to your premises extremely difficult. However, if you want to have your products on show for marketing uses, you can get transparent roller shutters.

One further bonus is that roller shutters could actually reduce the amount of your annual commercial property insurance. In fact, insurers regard insurance-approved roller shutters as a guarantee of the security level of your premises, which could result in significantly reduced property insurance rates.

CCTV AND ALARM SYSTEMS

Installing a good CCTV and alarm system is a must for any business. If your building is obviously well secured with a clearly advertised CCTV and alarm system, burglars will think twice before entering your premises. Should an intruder attempt to gain access, not only will your alarm system inform the authorities but your CCTV system will provide images of the culprits to the police, aiding identification and prosecution.

KNOW YOUR STAFF AND VISITORS

Not all security threats come from intruders breaking into your property, so it’s wise to be aware who’s entering and leaving your business at all times. Start with your employees. Employee theft can happen unfortunately, so always make sure you manage your stock correctly and consider implementing CCTV within your store.

Make sure to keep track of all visitors that enter and leave your building – if you have a manned reception desk, think about implementing a signing in/out book and visitor pass system. If your company has unmanned entry points, a key card system is a good idea. This ensures that only authorised personnel and employees can enter your business premises.

SECURE YOUR VALUABLES

Don’t make it easy for opportunistic thieves, always secure your business valuables. Start by ensuring all portable or mobile devices are always secured or locked away. Laptops, tablets and other mobile devices are easy targets for thieves. Using a property identification system is another good idea. An invisible pen or laser will mark all valuable items, and the make, model and serial number should be recorded. This will help ensure that any stolen valuables can be tracked and returned easily.

THINK ABOUT THE PERIMETER

With so much emphasis on securing the inside of your business, you may forget to secure your perimeter. This can really make a difference in deterring would-be burglars. Security lighting is essential, especially for premises with company car parks. It will ensure your premises are well lit and highly visible, making it harder for intruders to enter without being noticed and will help you staff feel more secure when arriving or leaving in the dark. For businesses with a large enough perimeter, anti-climb fencing is a great idea.

DON’T FORGET INSURANCE

Commercial property insurance is essential for any business although it can prove costly. Insurance-approved security measures will significantly reduce your insurance premiums, and are really worth the additional investment. It’s also important to take regular detailed inventories of all business assets and take pictures of any high-cost valuables. Should a theft or burglary occur, this will ease the process of making an insurance claim.

You can meet Max O'Neill from UK Roller Shutters at Subcon next week - 6-8 June, NEC. Register for a free visitor pass at www.subconshow.co.uk 

Investment in the right technologies and novel supply chain thinking are essential to the future of the UK’s aerospace industry

The UK aerospace industry is built on a proud heritage of pushing boundaries and introducing new technologies that have changed our everyday lives. Today the industry employs around 340,000 people and possesses a significant share of civil aircraft production programmes. In fact, the UK currently boasts the second-largest aerospace industry globally. But does this success hide an underlying lack of investment, which will eventually stifle growth and threaten the industry’s long-term future?

Due to the long lifecycle of civil aircraft, any loss of market position is only likely to become apparent over time as existing platforms with UK content are retired and those with less enter into service. This may seem like a dim and distant prospect as a new tranche of re-engined narrowbodies enter into service but in a market where it typically takes nearly 10 years to take an aircraft design through testing to first delivery, companies must take a long-term view. Indeed Boeing is widely reported to be reviewing the launch of a brand new narrowbody aircraft to enter service in 2025. 

"By working in collaboration, the UK aerospace sector 

is still well positioned to make vital investments in advanced

technologies and skills." 

Paul Adams

So how might the UK fare competing for a place on a major new aircraft launch? Many argue that retaining a design capability is key to securing high value packages of work. This is true to an extent, but Boeing has made a deliberate move away from sharing design responsibility on the 777-X and has even bought major systems such as wings, nacelles and pylons back in-house. Airbus has suffered high-profile supplier issues on the A350-XWB and is likely to think carefully about which systems to retain in house in the future.

This leaves the UK supply chain considering the best way to compete and investment decision making will become a critical success factor. UK firms do not have the capital to invest widely across multiple technologies in the way that government-subsidised, low-cost competitors can. Firms must therefore focus on their core capabilities and use their supply chain to support in complementary areas. This will require the rejection of 'old fashioned' ways of doing things, which are based on an 'I win, you lose' mentality, in favour of deep collaborations across technologies.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the world of additive manufacturing, where a true understanding of aspects such as design, machine capability, powder metallurgy and finishing processes is required to make the most of this exciting technology. Indeed, it is likely that those who collaborate successfully across their supply chains will reap significant rewards. The UK Government has a key role to play in this area, not just through funding but also by providing the support needed through organisations such as the technology catapult centres to foster collaboration.

By working in collaboration, the UK aerospace sector is still well positioned to make vital investments in advanced technologies and skills. This must be a priority, however, to avoid losing our position of industry strength and to preserve growth opportunities for the future.

Paul Adams is head of aerospace at supply chain firm, Vendigital. He is presenting ‘Additive, Brexit and Aerospace Supply Chains’ at 11:30 on Thursday 8 June at Subcon. 

Register now for your free pass to Subcon, The Engineer Design & Innovation Show and Advanced Manufacturing Show at www.subconshow.co.uk 

Quarter of manufacturing companies plan to appoint subcontractors in next 12 months

Subcon, the UK’s only dedicated event for subcontract manufacturing returns to the NEC, Birmingham, next week with the manufacturing sector on a high and looking for new suppliers.

The latest research by Subcon shows that 23% of companies plan to appoint new subcontractors in the next 12 months. And with 400 exhibitors from all sectors and across all technologies, Subcon 2017 will provide visitors with the ideal opportunity to get face to face with potential suppliers.

With companies having to keep a clear strategic focus on their core competencies, the trend towards outsourcing some or all manufacturing processes is accelerating.

According to the survey, the key reasons for subcontracting manufacturing processes rather than carrying them out in-house were: only wanting to focus on core competencies (47%), not having enough capacity in-house (45%) and gaining access to processes (41%) and expertise (38%) they don’t have themselves.

According to the survey results, 15% of manufacturers have increased the amount of work they place with subcontractors in the past 12 months and 20% expect to increase it further in the coming year.

This is good news for UK manufacturing as 10% of companies asked had re-shored work to the UK in the past 12 months and 27% expected the proportion of work placed with UK suppliers to increase in the next three years. The key factors here were quality (71%), logistical considerations (59%), response time (46%) and cost (46%).

Subcon 2017 runs from 6 to 8 June alongside The Advanced Manufacturing Show and The Engineer Design & Innovation Show. Together the three shows cover the complete manufacturing cycle from concept to component, bringing together design engineering, product development, in-house production and outsourced supply chains.

Subcon is the UK’s only event dedicated to outsourced manufacturing. It serves all sectors and all processes – from machining, sheet metalworking, casting and forging, to plastic moulding, composites and electronics.

The Advanced Manufacturing Show covers every aspect of production technology. including machine tools, workholding and accessories, software, additive manufacturing and metrology. Exhibitors including XYZ Machine Tools, Hurco, Renishaw, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Autodesk, Faro and 1^st MTA.

The third piece in the jigsaw is The Engineer Design and Innovation Show. This offers everything a design engineer needs to create innovative new products – from CAD and simulation software to prototyping and components. Exhibitors include Bowman Additive Manufacturing, Laser Lines, Johnson Matthey, Ricoh Imaging and Schunk Intec.

Complementing the shows, two free-to-attend conference streams will address key industry issues including additive manufacturing, Industry 4.0, the Apprenticeship Levy and lightweight components.

Subcon event director Gordon Kirk said: “To succeed in volatile and keenly competitive markets, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on what they do best. This means working with subcontract manufacturing partners who are experts at what they do, have access to the latest technology and possess unique know-how. Subcon is the ideal opportunity for them to find the right suppliers for their outsourcing requirement.

“At the same time, the Advanced Manufacturing Show and The Engineer Design and Innovation Show give them access to the design and production tools that are vital to their core operations. Together, the three shows are an unmissable proposition for UK manufacturers.”

Register now to attend at www.subconshow.co.uk , www.advancedmanufacturingshow.co.uk and www.theengineer-designinnovationshow.co.uk .

Meet the speakers: In conversation with... Alan Pendry and Dr Junfeng Yang at Birmingham City University

In conversation with… Alan Pendry, Associate Professor of Advanced Systems Engineering, and Dr Junfeng Yang, Lecturer in Automotive Engineering, Birmingham City University.

Alan Pendry and Dr Junfeng Yang will be discussing how to ‘tap into new potential for lightweight components via STEAM innovation’ at Subcon on 8 June at 10:45.

Please sum up your conference session in one sentence:

Birmingham City University has teamed up with Meridian Lightweight Technologies UK to research and develop processes and systems for the production and use of magnesium alloys: we present here an overview of our 15 research threads and invite others to join our Magnesium Innovation Group.

"The environment - greenhouse gas reduction and climate change mitigation - is the biggest challenge facing the industry this year."

What practical tips will visitors pick up from your presentation?  

How magnesium can replace heavier and more carbon-intensive materials for automotive and aerospace applications. How smaller-scale designers and manufacturers can find cost-effective magnesium solutions. How Birmingham City University can help your business develop and grow.

What's the biggest opportunity facing the industry?

Building a design-driven culture to create and safeguard design and manufacturing jobs throughout the UK.

Is leaving the EU good or bad for UK manufacturing?  

Very bad in the short-to-medium term: difficult to evaluate in the long term.

Do you think the industry will suffer if leaving the EU restricts free movement of labour?

Very much in the short term: difficult to evaluate in the medium term.

Do you think the Apprentice Levy is a good thing?

Apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships are an excellent opportunity for UK companies to grow the essential skills needed by our growing manufacturing industry and to take us into the 4^th Industrial Revolution.

If you were in Government, what would you do to encourage more women and young people to work in the engineering and manufacturing industries?

Get rid of “career politicians” and replace the cabinet with engineers: 50% male and 50% female; educate school teachers as to what engineering and manufacturing in the 21^st century is; promote positive action without the perceived fear of discrimination in the appointment of women to engineering posts: Include flexible working and career progression following absence (e.g. following childbirth).

What are your thoughts on Industry 4.0?

It is a plethora of exciting opportunities and is coming, whether we want it or not: don’t let us lose out through complacency like we did with our motorcycle and steel industries!

What are you most looking forward to about Subcon 2017?

Meeting creative, forward-looking individuals who can join us on this exciting journey.

Don’t miss Alan Pendry and Dr Junfeng Yang at Subcon – they will be discussing how to ‘tap into new potential for lightweight components via STEAM innovation’ on 8 June at 10:45. You can register for a free pass at www.subconshow.co.uk