Atlas Security Service goes from "good to great"

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.--Full-service security company Atlas Security Service and its UL-listed central station, the Alarm Control Center, moved into new digs in late February for the first time since the southwest Missouri company opened in 1962. The move was facilitated by a lack of sufficient space at its previous location. "You name it, we needed it," Jim Wade, president at the company said. The company's parking lot couldn't even accommodate its entire staff, Wade said. Not only has the move gained the company 2,600 square-feet, the new location in the south side of the city also enables Atlas to expand its customer service department. Wade said, with the move, the majority of changes at the company would center on resources for the central station. Atlas once only serviced and monitored its own accounts, but fell into wholesale monitoring after installing and monitoring a large auto parts chain. The subcontactors hired to do the installation began inquiring about Atlas' central station, Wade said. The company now has more than 4,000 third party accounts and monitors roughly 6,000 of its own accounts. The new facility allows the central to incorporate more elements of the Bold Manitou system. Its former location did not have an up-to-date phone system to handle some of the Manitou's platform services, such as Auto Client. Jon Adams, central station manager, said Auto Client automatically handles specified alarm events without operators. Atlas now can limit and direct signals so they do not pop up on an operator's screen automatically. Atlas also plans to investigate services such as video monitoring for its clients Adams said the new telephone system is also a benefit for the dealers: "With the alarm signals that come in, we can trace the caller ID on it. For example, if we are getting unknown signals, if there is a panel out there that all of a sudden starts giving us signals, we can go back and find out where it is coming from on a certain phone line." Earlier in the year, Wade hired new management teams at the company. The new location, along with the personnel reassignments, will lay the groundwork to go "from good to great," he said, borrowing the "good to great" mantra from Jim Collins, a business and motivational writer. Wade said 2006 would be the year. "The changes allow our efficiencies to increase dramatically in all of our services."