Since taking the chair at Centuryan Security back in 1999, managing director Bill Philps has revolutionised his corner of the OCS Group. Presiding over a change of name and company culture, Philps is totally focused on the 'Holy Grail' – supplying a truly integrated, wholly professional security solution for the end user.
By his own admission, self-professed 'people person' Bill Philps couldn't have joined the security industry at a better time. With a White Paper on the agenda – the basis of the now rubber-stamped Private Security Industry Act – and talk of adhering to the Working Time Directive and National Minimum Wage, the summer of 1999 was both a demanding and thought-provoking period for security managers the length and breadth of UK plc.

Brought in by parent company the OCS Group to take its manned security arm Centuryan Security onto the next stage of development, 54-year-old Philps immediately recognised that such legislation would have a lasting effect on gross profit margins in the industry. "I wondered what I could do about that," he says. "I had a tough act to follow, because the previous managing director Stephen Phillips had grown the company substantially during his 17 years at the helm."

Working on the maxim that there's always scope for improvement, Philps was keen to make his mark early on – and fast (as befits a man who owns a British Racing Green Morgan). That said, his business brain told him that it would be wise to look, listen and garner a feel for the company and the industry in which it was operating before making any rash changes. By September 1999, Philps was ready to 'do business'.

As a company, Centuryan's success had been based on a local presence. The guarding team was scattered about the country, operating out of 17 regional offices. A system that had served the Croydon-based outfit and its clients well, but one which had to be rationalised. "I decided to create eight regional support centres around the UK, backed up by local satellite support offices," states Philps.

Taking the Cardiff, Bristol and Swansea offices as his starting point, he made Cardiff the regional office and the other two satellites. The result? Significantly reduced overheads.

Looking for true integration
That was merely the prelude to even more fundamental changes, the most important of which hinged on the desire for an integrated security solution. Having visited a major distribution centre where Centuryan was providing a manned presence, quick-thinking Philps came across the germ of an idea.

"I could see that guards on the main gate were obviously a necessity for monitoring vehicle and customer visits," opines Philps, "but at the back of the site there was a lone officer letting in perhaps one delivery lorry every hour. There had to be a better way of doing things for the customer, but we're also duty bound to make the job of a security officer interesting."

Keen to combine manned guarding with electronic security systems in an "holistic solution for clients", Philps started to map out a strategy for doing just that. With the blessing and advice of his mentor Stephen Phillips – who had by now 'moved upstairs' to become chairman – he painstakingly put together a paper on his pet subject to take to the OCS Board for approval. "There was no-one else out there offering manned security and systems as a single-source solution for the end user," adds Philps. The Board liked what was on the table, and gave Philps' ideas the green light.

A new corporate branding was paramount for the revised operation, which combines the renamed Centuryan Security Personnel with electronic partner City Security Systems. In turn, the two became divisions of (then) all-new security provider Galago back in April 2000 (and, as of 1 October, these brand names have been dropped to emphasise the company's integration still further). A Galago is a Bush Baby – complete with big eyes for nocturnal vision – and, like Philps itself it seems, has a natural propensity to protect its immediate surroundings. The perfect message for clients.

In Philps' eyes, delivering an integrated security service (more of which anon) is only possible if the right management structures are in place, and every member of the team is pulling in the same direction.

"My basic management philosophy is all about empowering people," stresses an erudite Philps. "Having worked in the service industry all my life, I've always been someone who believes in close customer contact. At the end of the day it's the clients who keep us in business, so it's crucial we provide them with what they need. Things can go wrong on site, but it's how quickly the contractor reacts to those problems that really counts."

The formative years
Such admirable beliefs have their roots in Philps' early career. With a great many of his relations working in the agricultural sector, he completed the necessary science courses that should have led him to Plumpton Agricultural College. However, school and college vacations had also seen the budding businessman develop a keen interest in the hotel sector.

Indeed, Philps spent many a summer's day slaving in the kitchens of Eastbourne's Chatsworth Hotel, the East Sussex town framing his early life following the family's decision to divorce itself from the hurly burly of the Capital.

Having passed his three-year National Diploma in Catering and Hotel Keeping with distinction courtesy of Brighton Technical College (now Brighton University), the adaptable Philps had learnt more than paper-based theory. Working in several hotels engendered a desire to be involved with the sales side of catering management.

Accepting the offer of a post with contract catering specialist Bateman Catering, the young professional found himself putting together quotes to be touted around by the sales team.

Boredom soon set in, though, and Philps badgered his manager to let him out of the office and "do some selling". His persistence – a trait to be found in every successful manager – paid off. Having organised and sealed a major contract with mandarins at the London Borough of Southwark, he was promoted to sales executive and then area sales manager.

We are operating in an extremely competitive marketplace, and are having to quote for contracts on the same basis as everyone else. I shy away from clients that haggle over price. It does our company a disservice, diluting our management time

Come 1982, Philps was approached to be group sales director of a family-run cleaning business with a relatively small turnover. It wasn't just any old business, though. This was The Bateman Group – his former employer.

A short decade later and Philps found himself group chief executive of each company in the group, including the cleaning and catering divisions. "We built the company up to a £15 million turnover business," says Philps with obvious affection for the times. "Working with Blue Chip clients all the way, including the BBC and Channel 4 on the media side as well as many of the major banks and finance houses."

A beginning in security
Importantly, it was during his time at The Bateman Group that Philps first encountered the security equation. Philps takes up the story.

"We were asked to tender for a joint contract involving cleaning and security for a prominent client in the Capital. We were forced to subcontract the security provision, but I began to learn about some of the industry's problems, including scheduling, pay and the conditions under which officers have to work."

All of which brings us neatly back to Galago. "One of my main passions is developing the role of the security officer," eschews Philps. "As far as integrated security is concerned, I'm not solely concerned with providing end user solutions that marry electronics to the manned guarding role," he adds.

"Central to my philosophy is that we must multi-skill and multi-task our officers. On their patrols of a building they can deliver the mail, photocopy documents for the office staff and perform reception duties. In this way they begin to feel a kinship with the client, and hopefully start to view the job as a career."

Alas, security remains a grudge purchase for many clients. Adopting his favoured customer-facing persona, Philps isn't slow to point out how the situation might be changed. "To address the issue of clients reducing their security budgets," he says forcefully, "Galago is actively using electronic systems to ensure that the client's security objectives are met, and that the same level of security is provided within those budgetary constraints. This must be achieved without lowering the opportunities available to our guarding workforce."

In line with accepted practice, Philps sources the company's access control and CCTV systems directly from some of the industry's major electronic security equipment manufacturers. Acting as the installer, Galago is large enough to be able to buy direct from the manufacturer. "We can get closer to the systems suppliers," claims Philps, "which leads to a greater understanding for us of how the kit works. We can then pass that knowledge on to the end user as part of an added value regime."

Philps is adamant that he is not making a concerted effort to do away with manned personnel. Far from it. He knows that the 48-hour working week means that more guards will be needed to cover the additional shifts. The problem is that, with unemployment so low, there are far less good quality people to choose from. Attracting them to the industry is also a major headache, with tales of long hours, poor pay and no defined career path very much the norm. Philps wants to make his officers salaried employees, but feels that the culture of the hourly rate "is so ingrained it would take a massive, massive effort."

Stresses Philps: "All of these problems can be traced to the clients. Of course we are operating in an extremely competitive marketplace," he adds, "and we're having to quote for contracts on the same basis as everyone else. I shy away from clients that haggle over price. It does the company a disservice, diluting our management time. In the long run it will also affect the officers' pay and conditions, and the vicious circle begins again. That is not an option."

The lasting impression here is that Philps genuinely cares for the welfare of his officers. He spends much time out on site talking to them, and – crucially – solving any problems that may have arisen via his line managers. "I attend regional management meetings, and many of the sales meetings," adds Philps. "This is a vital part of the job". Indeed it is.

This caring attitude has obviously trickled down to the workforce, as evidenced by officer Prince Gaddu's regional prize in the 'Services to the Customer' section of the 2001 BSIA Annual Security Officer Awards. "The culture here is very much one of bringing officers up through the ranks, and promoting on merit from within. Again, that helps to foster kinship, but this time with the employer as opposed to the end user."

Dig deeper and there is a ruthless streak. There has to be in every businessman if they want to stay afloat. "Margins continue to be so tight that we can't afford to carry passengers at Galago," stresses Philps. "We are selling a management capability, and we must deliver."

The solution? "We need people who can empathise with others and relate to them. If they don't have either of those qualities they shouldn't be working in the security sector."

One wonders what's around the corner for this strong-willed, personable professional? "I want to play a part in changing the industry's mindset," says Philps, who feels that he needs to "bed down" Galago and its new culture among staff and customers alike before thinking about growth by acquisition.