Can Site Security Support ESG Goals? SOM™ as Part of a More Efficient Security Model

When a company analyses its environmental impact, it most often starts with production, energy, transport, logistics, or the way its buildings are heated. Much less frequently, the security model is subjected to a similar analysis, even though this area also involves vehicles, energy, infrastructure, and employees’ working time.

The 24/7 presence of security personnel, regular patrols and inspections of extensive sites, maintaining guard posts, or operating infrastructure regardless of whether a real threat exists all come at a cost – not only financial, but also in terms of resource consumption.

This raises an increasingly relevant question: can the same or a higher level of security be achieved through more efficient use of energy, transport, and human resources?

This is where modern security technologies can also begin to support sustainability goals.

The Traditional Security Model Also Uses Resources

Protecting a manufacturing plant, logistics centre, construction site, warehouse park, or another extensive facility may require 24/7 supervision and regular inspections of a large area. Depending on the model adopted, this may involve vehicle patrols, walking rounds, guard posts, facilities, and additional infrastructure.

Each of these elements may be necessary if it responds to genuine threats at the site. The problem arises when a particular operating model remains unchanged for years, even though technological development makes it possible to perform some tasks differently.

A modern security system does not have to mean completely eliminating the presence of people. It can, however, make better use of their work and reduce routine activities where part of the supervision can be transferred to a remote model.

What Does SOM™ Change?

SOM™, or Smart Operations Management™, is our proprietary solution, developed since 2002. The system can integrate CCTV monitoring, intrusion detection systems, access control, fire protection systems, public address systems, as well as analogue and IP-based solutions. Everything operates under the supervision of our Operations Centre operators, and the solution can function independently or support traditional physical security.

From the perspective of resource efficiency, the possibility of reducing certain activities that require a constant physical presence on-site is particularly important. Live monitoring, AI-assisted video analytics, and ongoing event verification make it possible to focus attention and response where a situation genuinely requires action.

Instead of checking every part of a site solely through regular walking rounds or vehicle patrols, we can provide 24/7 supervision and respond to specific events detected by the system.

This changes the logic of security. Rather than inspecting an area simply to confirm that nothing has happened, technology can be used to detect situations that require the operator’s attention in real time.

Fewer Unnecessary Journeys, More Precise Responses

Transport is one of the areas in which a change to the security model can influence resource consumption.

If checking a remote part of a large site requires a physical journey every time, thousands of kilometres may be covered each year solely for inspection purposes. Live monitoring and video analytics make it possible to verify some situations remotely and deploy a patrol when a physical response is genuinely required.

This does not mean abandoning patrols. Their role remains important wherever an on-site presence is necessary. What changes is the way available resources are used, as the initial assessment can be carried out by an operator based on images and information provided by the system.

Beta Drone Security™ as Additional Support for Large Sites

Drone technology can be another valuable element on extensive sites. We are also developing SOM™ through autonomous drone platforms that can be remotely controlled by our qualified operators from the 24/7 Operations Centre. This allows selected areas to be verified more thoroughly, including locations where the visibility of fixed cameras is limited.

A drone does not replace the entire security system, but it can reduce the need to send a person solely to inspect a remote part of the site. For a large facility, this means not only an additional perspective, but also a more rational use of time, vehicles, and team resources.

Energy Efficiency Can Also Be Part of the Change

Changing the security model can also influence energy consumption. In our materials concerning SOM™, we indicate that implementing the solution may generate savings, including through reduced energy use.

The effect will not be the same at every site. Everything depends on how the previous security model operated, what infrastructure was being used, and which processes can be optimised.

That is why we do not treat technology as an automatic answer to every problem. The actual needs of the site should first be assessed. Only then can it be determined where security can be combined with more efficient use of resources.

What Does This Have to Do with ESG?

In recent years, companies have started to analyse not only their own operations in greater detail, but also the impact associated with their value chains and purchased services.

Following the changes approved in 2026, the scope of mandatory CSRD reporting was limited to the largest companies meeting specific employment and turnover criteria. At the same time, for companies that remain subject to the regulations, environmental issues and the analysis of relevant elements of the value chain continue to form part of sustainability reporting.

For some organisations, this means growing interest in how their suppliers deliver services. This applies to logistics, transport, facility maintenance, and potentially security as well.

If changing the security model makes it possible to reduce the number of journeys, part of the energy consumption, or the need to maintain specific infrastructure, it may become one element of a broader strategy aimed at improving a company’s environmental efficiency.

ESG Requires Data, Not Green Declarations

If an environmental impact is to be used in ESG reporting or communication, it should be based on specific data.

It is worth comparing the model before and after the change. How many kilometres were previously driven as part of regular inspections? How much energy did the existing infrastructure require? How often was a physical visit necessary solely to verify a situation? How do these parameters change after implementing the new model?

Only such a comparison makes it possible to speak responsibly about the actual impact of a solution.

That is why we do not want to reduce the ESG discussion to the claim that technology is simply “more environmentally friendly.” It is much more important to show which processes can be optimised and what real impact the change has at a specific site.

Security Can Support More Than One Business Objective

For many years, security systems were assessed primarily in terms of two factors: effectiveness and cost. Today, a third factor can increasingly be added – the efficiency of resource use.

If we can reduce unnecessary journeys, make use of existing infrastructure, transfer part of the supervision to a remote model, and initiate a physical response only when it is genuinely needed, security begins to support several areas at the same time.

It can increase control over the site, optimise costs, and reduce the use of certain resources associated with the traditional operating model.

Summary

Security is probably not the first area a company considers when developing an ESG strategy. In large organisations, however, less obvious processes like these can create further opportunities for optimisation.

At SOM™, we combine live monitoring, AI-assisted video analytics, security systems, the work of our operators, and, where appropriate, drone solutions. As a result, some activities traditionally carried out through a permanent on-site presence or regular patrols can be replaced by remote supervision and a response initiated only when it is genuinely required.

Modern security can therefore do more than protect a site. It can also support a more efficient way of operating across the entire organisation.

If you would like to find out whether your current security model can be optimised in terms of safety, costs, and resource use, contact us. We will assess the possibilities of implementing SOM™ based on your company’s needs and existing infrastructure.