Advanced Security wins Supreme award

Our people are the best technology: Advanced Security wins Supreme award at the 2015 AUT Faulty of Business & Law Excellence in Business Support Awards announced on 29 October

Advanced Security Group is an integrated security solutions firm with a reputation for its technological strength, but it credits winning the Supreme Award for constant growth and improvement to its people.

“Our people are the best technology,” said ASG CEO Mike Marr. “There’s no question that we want to ensure we are using all the best technology for our customers – we’ll always push that envelope – but it’s our people – their commitment to our clients and to each other that really makes the difference.”

“Advanced Security Group has consistently produced an excellent set of financial results over a sustained period, with strong growth in revenue, profits and capital. They continue to impress as a company that wishes to extend itself through constant growth and improvement in business support,” said category evaluator and senior lecturer in management at AUT, Dr Roy Smollan.

Mr Marr said that as an integrated security solutions company, Advanced’s focus is on meeting the security needs of its customers. To do this effectively though, he said their customers need to trust that Advanced has their back.

“Trust requires a relationship and you don’t have a relationship with technology. You trust people. So we support our team to take real ownership of customer relationships. Everyone, regardless of their role, is encouraged to foster relationships with our customers. It isn’t someone else’s responsibility – it’s everyone’s responsibility.”

Advanced Security Group’s internal structure is flat, not hierarchical, so everyone has access to the same information which Mr Marr says is designed to support that ownership and customer engagement. But the focus isn’t just on customers. Monthly ‘on us’ team lunches or breakfasts, weekly meetings, regular training and staff newsletters that go to everyone’s home address to keep family informed, are just some of the ways that Advanced works to ensure staff feel valued.

“It’s by focusing on our people that we’ve been able to really develop as a business with an average 30 percent growth per year since we started some 13 years ago. We’ve gone from one office to having 12 offices serving both islands,” Mr Marr said.

“We are delighted to receive this award but it belongs to our staff and reflects their commitment to our customers. Security work isn’t really supposed to get a lot of attention and it usually doesn’t unless something goes wrong. That makes recognition of this sort all the more sweet.”

ENDS

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