• News
  • NEWS & MEDIA
    DOWNLOADS

  • News

    ABM Investigation Survey 2010: Criminal attacks on organisations' profits increase
    New research shows investigation resources diminishing despite rising crime figures

    > Download the full report <

    Nottingham, 15 June 2010 – A new survey published today by intelligence and investigation management software solutions specialist, ABM, has found that more than half of businesses surveyed experienced an increase in theft (52%) and fraud (49%) over the last two years. Alarmingly however, investigation personnel numbers have decreased for one in four (25%) organisations, while budgets to investigate and reduce incidents have also diminished for three in ten (29%) organisations. Investigation teams continue to face the challenge to do more with less to help protect the bottom-line. Astonishingly however, despite these pressures, two in five (43%) organisations believe their investigative effectiveness has improved over the last two years.
    The study, 'ABM Investigation Survey 2010', surveyed the opinions of 72 investigation professionals from a range of large organisations, including retail and consumer product specialists. The objective was to gain a clearer understanding of businesses' ability to manage investigations by examining what changes have occurred over the last 24 months and their impact on cases.
    Security incidents cost one in five (22%) organisations between £100, 000 and £999,999 per year, with two in five (42%) organisations citing an increase on 2008 figures. Despite this however, only two in ten (16%) budgets were boosted while three in ten (29%) were slashed. Less than one-third (29%) reported a decrease in the cost of security incidents.
    Looking at investigation teams, the majority of organisations (87%) said they have a dedicated internal investigation team. Two in five (40%) teams comprise less than ten members. Despite three in five (60%) organisations reporting a rise in investigation numbers, only one in five (17%) felt the effectiveness in investigating incidents had worsened.
    Three in five (63%) organisations investigate all loss incidents, regardless of value or type. Two in five (44%) organisations experience between 100 and 499 incidents each year, while just 7% investigate less than 100 incidents each year. Organisations that don't investigate every loss incident as standard practice use the monetary value (47%) and the impact it will have on the brand or company (46%) as guidelines for deciding priorities for investigation.
    Commenting on the research, Alastair Luff, Managing Director of ABM says: "It's encouraging to see that over three-quarters (76%) of organisations currently use a software system to record and manage incidents. This could be one of the reasons why they feel better able to manage investigations. Furthermore, with around half (47%) of these organisations planning to implement investigation software in the near future, the case for the vital role that technology plays becomes apparent. Investigators are clearly concerned that budgets and staffing levels will be put under increased pressure over the next two years, so the need to adopt new ways of working and tools to support improved efficiency will be greater than ever."
    The research also showed a divide between organisations on the value of cloud computing with half (50%) saying they would consider a cost effective IT solution as a managed service offering. For those organisations opting against the managed IT service, reasons cited include existing in-house web based solutions, company policy and European privacy laws.
    "Looking forward, the top three challenges facing organisations' ability to investigate incidents are budget constraints, lack of personnel, and an increase in the number of incidents. With a focus on the bottom line, large companies are under pressure to find ways of cutting costs and increasing efficiency.
    "Intelligence and investigation management systems help organisations benefit from better use of their resources, enabling investigation teams to maximise their impact on crime. Highly adaptable and designed to reduce the cost of administration, investigation solutions speed up the investigation process and improve outcomes, offering a proactive way to record, investigate and act upon transgressive, non-compliant, suspicious or illegal incidents. This in turn helps address the bureaucratic overheads and shortcomings of paper-based or spreadsheet systems."
    Download the full report