Security companies are in the business of running an organized business. Their organization and attention to detail is what keeps their clients safe. Structure is determined by the culture of the business, size of the organization and managerial style of the company.
A formal security structure may include layers of supervisors assigned to specialty areas. There may be the head security manager who delegates to his assistant managers in charge of loss prevention or investigations. Underneath these supervisors may be another layer of middle management who supervise the security of individual departments such as accounts receivables and financial issues, an information technology security supervisor, a background screener and a fraud investigations specialist. Under these specialists, there may be general security officers and the shift supervisors managing them.
Budget influences organizational structure. Small security companies don’t have the luxury of so many middle managers. They may be structured with the top security manager and several assistant managers or shift supervisors assigned to managerial duties based on their work experience or specialized skills.
It’s not uncommon for a security company to be the brainchild of a retired police or military officer. The structure of these companies can take on a militaristic aspect in the chain of command or a complete invention of the founder based on previous work in the field. There is no set, required company structure in the security industry.
