Why use this tool?
Security decisions are often made under pressure — after an incident, during a contract renewal, or when costs need to come down. The challenge isn't finding a provider, it's knowing what to ask for. This consultant helps you structure your thinking before you engage with anyone.
It explores your situation through intelligent questions, distinguishes what you know from what you're assuming, compares realistic options with their advantages and limitations, and produces a structured report you could present to a management team.
Who should use this?
Before you begin
This is a decision-support tool, not a formal quote or site survey. It helps you organise your thinking, identify gaps and compare options before making a security decision. Reports are designed to be useful internally, whether or not you engage SPS.
Free Business Security
Assessment
Understand your risks, compare your options and decide what security your business actually needs.
Not sure whether you need security officers, CCTV, mobile patrols, access control or a different approach? The SPS Security Assessment helps you explore your site and security concerns, compare appropriate options and understand what to prioritise next.
Powered by the SPS Security Decision Support Consultant
Structured security guidance — not a chatbot
This assessment works like an experienced security consultant. It explores your situation, separates confirmed facts from assumptions, compares realistic options objectively and produces a report you could present internally. It draws on local crime data, benchmarks costs, evaluates whether technical systems could reduce your exposure, and generates questions to ask your existing provider.
What are you trying to decide?
What are you trying to decide?
Describe your situation and the assessment will help you think it through — exploring what's working, what isn't, and what your realistic options are.
Structured guidance — not a formal quote or site survey. 01482 226570
Four stages to practical security guidance
Explore
Tell us about your business, premises and security concerns.
Diagnose
Understand the risks, gaps and operational issues that may matter.
Compare
Explore suitable security approaches and the trade-offs between them.
Advise
Get practical priorities and next steps.
What is a business security assessment?
A business security assessment reviews the risks, vulnerabilities and security arrangements affecting a workplace, premises or site.
It can consider factors such as access, people, operating hours, CCTV, alarms, security officers, patrols, procedures and incident response to help identify areas that may need attention.
What security does my business need?
The right security arrangement depends on the site, operating hours, people, assets, risks and controls already in place.
Some organisations may need security officers. Others may benefit more from CCTV monitoring, mobile patrols, keyholding, access control or a combination of people and technology.
The SPS Security Assessment helps you explore these options before deciding what to prioritise.
Is this a formal security risk assessment?
The SPS online assessment provides structured security guidance based on the information you provide. It can help identify areas worth reviewing and support early security decisions, but it does not replace a detailed site survey or formal professional risk assessment where one is required.
If your site requires a professional physical security risk assessment, contact SPS Security to arrange an on-site review.
Security guidance before you decide what to buy
The assessment is designed to help you understand your security requirements before deciding what approach to take.
Where the tool compares alternatives, it explains the strengths and limitations of different approaches rather than directing you towards a single solution. SPS Security also provides commercial security services, so the tool is designed to be useful regardless of whether you choose to work with SPS.
Compare your security options
The assessment covers the full range of physical and technical security options — comparing them objectively based on your situation, explaining what each does well, where each falls short, and what questions you should ask before committing.
Decision support, not a sales pitch
Thinks like an experienced consultant
Explores your situation, identifies what's missing, explains its reasoning and acknowledges uncertainty — rather than jumping to a recommendation.
Evidence-led, not sales-led
Distinguishes confirmed facts from assumptions. Never recommends more security than the evidence supports. Includes the option of changing nothing.
Connected to every SPS planning tool
Draws on live crime data, cost planners, risk assessments and review frameworks — all behind one conversation instead of separate tools.
Regional knowledge built in
Understands Yorkshire and Lincolnshire — the Humber ports, M62 corridor, industrial estates, retail parks and local risk patterns.
Available 24/7, no waiting
Work through a security decision any time — evenings, weekends, or before a board meeting. No callbacks, no appointments.
Reports worth sharing
Produces structured management reports with findings, options and recommended actions — useful internally even if you never contact SPS.
One assessment, backed by every planning tool we've built
The assessment uses the same risk checks, cost planners and review frameworks you can access independently — orchestrating them behind one conversation, using each one where it adds genuine value to your decision.
Security Review
Full diagnostic of your current security model — gaps, strengths and practical next steps.
Use independentlyLocal Risk Snapshot
Area-level crime and risk context to inform what level of cover your site actually needs.
Use independentlyHybrid Security Review
Test whether a blend of guarding, patrols, monitoring and response could work better than one service alone.
Use independentlySecurity Cost Planner
Build an indicative cost view across patrol, keyholding, guarding and mixed models.
Use independentlyGuarding Estimator
Benchmark likely guarding costs based on shifts, pay basis and site risk.
Use independentlySite Risk Check
Quick site-level risk assessment to sense-check your exposure before a fuller review.
Use independentlySecurity Comparator
Side-by-side comparison of shortlisted service models across cost, resilience and visibility.
Use independentlyMartyn's Law Readiness
Assess protective security readiness for public-facing venues and compliance obligations.
Use independentlySecurity SOP Generator
Create a practical draft security procedure pack, staff checklist and gap review.
Use independentlyHow the SPS Security Decision Support Consultant Works
Eight structured stages — a consulting methodology delivered through AI, adapting to your objectives.
Explore
Explain your situation in your own words. The consultant asks follow-up questions like an experienced advisor — no forms, no fixed questionnaires.
Select Lens
Based on your objectives, the consultant recommends Advisory Frameworks — structured consulting disciplines tailored to your situation.
Diagnose
Your situation is analysed through the active frameworks — separating confirmed facts from indicators, assumptions and missing information.
Benchmark
Your current operation is compared against recognised good practice and current industry direction across key dimensions.
Model Options
Realistic options are compared through the lens of the active frameworks — advantages, limitations and what you'd need to confirm.
Test Value
Each option is assessed against cost, risk, people and outcomes — considering total cost of ownership, not just unit price.
Advise
Structured recommendations with immediate actions, quick wins, long-term strategy, questions for your provider and a shareable management report.
Measure
KPIs and success criteria are defined so you can measure whether the recommended changes are working — activity, output and outcome.
Understanding your results
The consultation produces a structured management report covering:
An executive summary of your security situation and the decision you face
Key findings — separated into confirmed facts, indicators, assumptions and gaps
An objective comparison of realistic options with advantages and limitations
Prioritised recommendations — immediate, short-term and longer-term
Intelligent questions to ask your existing security provider
Information still required before a firm conclusion can be reached
Limitations: This is decision-support guidance, not a formal site assessment or legal advice. A professional on-site review is recommended before making contractual commitments.
Common mistakes to avoid
Jumping to a solution before diagnosing the problem
Many security decisions fail because the underlying issue wasn't properly understood. This consultant helps you separate symptoms from root causes before comparing options.
Assuming more security is always the answer
Sometimes the answer is better-specified security, or the same security better managed. The consultant considers whether your current provision may be adequate with adjustments.
Not sharing enough context
The more you share about your site, operating pattern, existing arrangements and what's prompted the review, the more specific and useful the advice will be.
Treating the report as a final recommendation
The report is designed as a strong starting point. Site-specific factors that only emerge during a physical review will always add to the picture.
What happens next?
Review the report and identify which findings and recommendations matter most for your site.
Share the report internally to support management discussions or budget approval.
Use the questions generated to challenge your existing provider constructively.
If the report suggests exploring new options, use the SPS planning tools to build cost models.
Contact SPS Security for a formal on-site review and tailored proposal if appropriate.
Free Business Security Assessment — FAQs
A business security assessment reviews the risks, vulnerabilities and security arrangements affecting a workplace, premises or site. It considers factors such as access, people, operating hours, CCTV, alarms, security officers, patrols, procedures and incident response to help identify areas that may need attention.
Start by describing your site, your current security arrangements and what you are trying to achieve. The SPS Security Assessment explores your situation through structured questions, identifies areas that may need attention, compares suitable options and provides practical guidance on what to prioritise.
A physical security assessment evaluates the tangible security measures protecting a premises — including perimeter controls, access points, CCTV, lighting, locks, alarm systems and the presence of security personnel. The SPS online assessment provides structured guidance on these areas based on the information you provide.
A thorough security assessment typically considers site layout and access, perimeter protection, CCTV and monitoring, alarm systems, visitor management, procedures and incident response, staffing and coverage, and out-of-hours arrangements. The depth required depends on the site and the risks involved.
The right security arrangement depends on your site, operating hours, people, assets, risks and controls already in place. Some organisations need security officers, others benefit more from CCTV monitoring, mobile patrols, keyholding, access control or a combination. The SPS Security Assessment helps you explore these options.
Whether you need security guards depends on your site type, risk profile, operating hours and what other controls are in place. For some sites, a visible officer presence is important. For others, mobile patrols, CCTV monitoring or keyholding may provide more proportionate coverage.
Both have strengths. Security officers provide visible deterrence, immediate response and human judgment. CCTV offers continuous coverage and evidence capture. Many sites benefit from a combination. The SPS Security Assessment helps you compare these approaches for your specific situation.
Yes. A hybrid approach — combining security officers with CCTV monitoring, mobile patrols, access control and alarm response — can often deliver better coverage and value than any single service alone. The assessment explores whether this approach suits your site.
The SPS online assessment provides structured security guidance based on the information you provide. It can help identify areas worth reviewing and support early security decisions, but it does not replace a detailed site survey or formal professional risk assessment where one is required.
Yes. The assessment is completely free, requires no login and is available 24/7. It produces structured guidance and a shareable report at no cost and with no obligation.
No. The assessment compares realistic options objectively, including the option of keeping your current arrangements or making no changes. It explains the strengths and limitations of different approaches. SPS services are referenced where they are relevant, but the tool is designed to be useful regardless of which provider you choose.
You receive a structured report covering your situation, key findings, a comparison of suitable options and recommended next steps. You can share the report internally, use it to brief security providers or follow up with the SPS planning tools. There is no obligation to contact SPS.
Services commonly recommended
Based on your results, one or more of these services may strengthen your security arrangements.