When it comes to workplace theft, few forms of criminality represent such a hefty potential drain on company resources than a steady flow of inventory disappearing from your warehouse. It might start out with a few small losses here and there, raising mild alarm but getting swept aside as running the business is prioritized. However, this kind of industrial theft can escalate quickly—especially when the perpetrators think getting away with the loot is an easy mark. Employees steal $50 billion from U.S. businesses every year, and if your numbers aren’t adding up, then you’ve just become part of that statistic.
For the HR team or CFO of any enterprise blighted by warehouse losses, it can soon seem as if the problem is out of hand with no solution in sight. Catching thieves red handed can be challenging for those whose role is already demanding enough. In these instances, an industrial theft investigator offers a port in the storm. But how exactly does this specialist private investigator tackle occurrences of industrial theft? Today, let’s look at red flags associated with this problem and how a PI can help restore honesty to your back end team.
Raising the Alarm on Warehouse Theft
Long before you decide to put that industrial theft investigator on speed dial, you likely went through the experience of beginning to smell a rat, before becoming confident that something untoward was afoot. Perhaps you’re still in the middle of that transition—and if so, what are the red flags that you might look out for?
Of course, the most textbook issue arising is an awareness that your stock level inventories don’t match your sales records. But, there are more nuanced signals, too.
You might spot that sales seem to drop off on days when certain members of your team are on duty or that invoices are missing. Maybe you keep finding stock sitting near loading bays or outside exits, while rumors begin to swirl or morale takes a tumble. You might notice that certain team members are reluctant to take their accrued leave, while showcasing increasing purchasing power or nipping off for clandestine meetings during working hours. All of these indicators should raise the hairs on the back of your neck, but without proof, what can you do?
How an Industrial Theft Investigator Closes the Door On Warehouse Theft
So, the warning signs are there and you know you have to act quickly. It’s time to bring in a professional to nip this issue in the bud, and it’s a specialist industrial theft investigator that you need. There are a number of ways that this type of PI can help you—and sometimes, the mere presence of an industrial theft investigator may lead perpetrators to stop dead in their tracks. But, the goal here is to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
An industrial theft investigator will combine a number of strategies. They will begin a careful investigation of the thefts that have already occurred to illuminate the facts. This may include tactics such as surveillance, interviews, investigating individuals, and conducting digital forensics. Simultaneously, they will be able to introduce background checks and employee screening to ensure you don’t have any more nefarious actors entering your workforce. Finally, they will be able to conduct a thorough physical and procedural risk assessment of your warehouse, providing you with the opportunity to make key updates to your infrastructure, company policy, security protocols, and more.
Are disappearances from your warehouse taking chunks out of your bottom line? An industrial theft investigator can put a stop to stock hemorrhaging today—so why not reach out for a no-obligation consultation and discuss the support you need. The industrial theft investigations team at Lauth Investigations International is always only a phone call or a message away.