Consultants in the Security and Monitoring Industries

Contributed by: Peter P. Giacalone, President, Giacalone Associates, LLC, peter@giacaloneassociates.com

I’ve been known to state – “I am not very fond of most consultants”.  That statement was based on a long career of dealing with typical, general business consultants.  Although every industry may have its share of “not so” valuable consultants, I can confidently state that the security and life safety industry offer a variety of high-quality experts.

TMA is fortunate to maintain an active membership of some of the world’s most respected experts focused on the security and life safety industry.  These experts provide a variety of advisory and consultative support services that include:

• Sales Management & Training
• Organization Restructuring & Turnaround
• Strategic Planning
• Expert Witness
• Financial Planning and Forecasting
• Telcom & Network Infrastructure Planning
• Central Station Consolidation & Design
• Acquisitions & Due Diligence
• Compliance & Regulations

Since leaving the operational side of the business, my interaction with my peers through collaboration has been very rewarding.  Many have different areas of core competency and focus.  Just as the potential client base has a variety of requirements of where they seek laser focused expertise.

Existing full service and central station operations frequently engage consultants toward the betterment of their businesses.  This can come in the way of financial, operational or strategic planning.  From the other side of the desk, the financial community including lenders, investors and private equity often leverage the expertise of experts in their path of expansion.  Of course, one of the most common areas for some expert consultant engagement is with litigation when a subject matter expert is required for investigation and communications when it involves systems, monitoring, installations and procedures.

The value that some consultants and advisors provide can be priceless.  It’s a tedious and time-consuming process on deciding on the right fit for any organization when selecting a consultant.  It is worth the investigation time as identifying accurate competencies to meet your goals has the potential for fruitful returns.