7 Tips to Improve Warehouse Security

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Warehouse security has become a necessity in recent times, owing to the expansion of facilities across geographies. The need for upgraded surveillance practices that can simultaneously monitor multiple activities across multiple sites has taken over the analog security system of the past. Knowing the security needs of your warehouse & fulfillment center can help you invest in the appropriate warehouse security solution.

A warehouse has always proven to be an easy target for robbers, being large storehouses with not enough security parameters. These units usually have multiple entry & exit points and require continuous movement of people & products across and out of the site. It can often become difficult to monitor every activity, especially around the loading & unloading deck.
Apart from these issues, the idea of a controlled environment (in terms of temperature & humidity) and safety from fire hazards require a more innovative solution that can handle multiple security issues.

Warehouse Security Challenges & Requirements

As a commodity warehouse or a 3PL service provider, every facility used to store goods has some parameters to be followed. These could be with respect to the security of the facility, the goods stored, the employees operating near dock areas, or the overall management of resources across the site.

To ensure that every operation takes place smoothly, various warehouse security measures need to be set in place. Owing to the variety of challenges that a warehousing & logistics company might face on a daily basis, solutions have to be customized. Before we dive into the solution, let’s read a little about the primary warehouse security challenges.

1. Product spoilage

Not every warehouse is wary of the temperature & humidity conditions but specific storage units used for perishables and flammable goods have to ensure that the proper settings are maintained.

2. Fire hazards

More like a continuation of the previous one, fire hazards can often result from flammable products stored in proximity to heat sources. Overheating of machinery, too, can lead to these disasters. Other than these causes, fire hazards can result from the malicious activity of an employee, smoking in a non-smoking zone, etc.

3. Theft

This one’s pretty obvious. These units have been stationed to store different types of products before they are sent out to the delivery sites or other fulfillment centers. It’s safe to assume that the products stored here accumulate to a huge sum, making them targets of miscreants.

4. Inventory displacement

Products moved around the warehouse can end up at the wrong place when employee performance is not monitored. Keeping a check on inventory inwards & outwards flow is necessary to ensure that packages are shipped & delivered at the right time.

5. Accidents due to non-adherence to safety SOP

Dock regions can be dangerous for employees if they fail to follow their safety protocols. It is preferable to monitor these areas before life-threatening situations occur.

6. Internal brawls and harassment

Fights and quarrels between employees are common, but stringent rules must be in place to avoid these from turning physical. In other cases, issues related to bullying subordinates, and sexual harassment against peers should be addressed immediately.

7. Employee theft & pilferage

A majority of theft cases in warehouses are orchestrated by current or ex-employees. This, by itself, is reason enough to monitor employee activities throughout the day. As a business, you must ensure that you know what your employees are doing during their working hours (but must refrain from any surveillance around leisure areas & restrooms).

8. Division between multiple sites

Warehouses are often spread across miles, which means that in the absence of a centralized solution, you’ll have to switch between security solutions for separate sites.
As a business owner, you should prefer monitoring all sites without jumping between different applications. It makes surveillance easier and allows you to monitor your business performance in real-time.

9. Damaged packages shipped out

It doesn’t happen every day, but every now & then, consumers receive packages that are damaged. To find the source of damage, a surveillance solution can put things into perspective. You can find out if the employee packing the product made a mistake or dropped the item anywhere before being shipped. This can help find the accountable employee and take necessary actions.

Besides these, businesses are investing in warehouses with greater capacities and more diversely situated facilities. As the square feet inside a warehouse start expanding, a security solution must also grow along.

Seven Tips to improve Warehouse Security

1. Utilize motion detection

Motion sensors should be installed around perimeters and areas requiring limited access. These sensors can be switched to arm mode at night or during periods when no access is to be granted or authorized. In such cases, the sensor will go off once a presence is detected, notifying the employer and surveillance staff of the same.

2. Utilize glass break sensors

Windows, especially on the ground floor, can be easy access points for outsiders. After working hours, when the surveillance staff is reduced to 1 or 2 guards, a thief can easily break into the premises through a window. Glass break sensors detect any loud noise(like a glass breaking) and vibrations on glass panels, notifying escalations of the same instantly.

3. Utilize video surveillance solution

Warehouse surveillance cameras and their integration over a unified platform are always a safe bet for businesses that handle multiple sites, each of which can be of a substantial size. These cameras can transmit data onto the cloud for real-time retrieval & and verification of footage. The unified platform allows you to monitor multiple sites simultaneously.

4. Utilize remote notification technology

AI & IoT backed surveillance solutions have been a consumer favourite for a very valid reason. Rather than being a solution that records video footage and makes it available for retrieval, the current solutions also provide real-time alerts. These can be incident-based or scheduled as reminders.

When a motion sensor detects a person in a restricted area, it sends real-time notifications to surveillance personnel for verification of the situation.

5. Integrate building access control with your security plan

Smart access control solutions installed outside inventory storage units & server rooms helps keep unauthorized employees outside restricted areas. Employees can access these areas by entering a one-time authentication password or via a Bluetooth based mobile application.

6. Utilize environmental control

Temperature & humidity sensors, air quality and smoke sensors all work together to create a safe environment that works towards increasing the longevity of all products. Especially useful in the case of perishables and reactive materials, these sensors are necessary to ensure that atmospheric conditions do not exceed the pre-defined threshold.

7. Invest in a scalable solution

Your security solution should not just cater to your current requirements but also facilitate future needs. If you ever wish to open a new facility or expand the existing one, you should only invest in new cameras and sensors rather than a complete solution. A cloud-based platform allows you to integrate multiple devices, even those installed at a later date.

IGZY’s warehouse security solution integrates the latest IP cameras & sensors onto a state-of-the-art cloud platform. Our PAN India service centers ensure that you get immediate site support whenever required, while our certified command center monitors your site 24*7 so you can live a peaceful life.