Making Dakota Security a finely tuned machine

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Her title is director of operations for systems integration firm Dakota Security, but Bethany Taylor likens her job to being a mechanic who does “regular maintenance and inspection of the business.”

Charged with designing and implementing process-improvement and efficiency initiatives, Taylor uses an annual survey of Dakota's customers to determine what parts of the business need a tune-up.

“Business is like a big machine. If the parts and gears don't match up in one area, it can cause problems for the business as a whole,” Taylor told Security Systems News.

Recently, she completed a communications initiative that ensures that internal and external stakeholders are contacted in a timely manner about projects.

“I like the troubleshooting aspect of my job. Most employees only get to see one tiny corner of a company,” Taylor said. “My job is unique in that I work with individual employees on training and I also get a higher vantage point, working with the company as a whole.”

Taylor joined Dakota Security 12 years ago, shortly after graduating from college. She was hired as a project assistant. She worked with project managers to coordinate schedules and with subcontractors to move along project logistics. “That gave me a perspective on the installation side of the business,” she said.

After two years, she was promoted to a regional office manager role where she got to understand the corporate side of the business and training. She was promoted to her current role in January 2014.

Asked what she likes about the security industry, Taylor said that even though security is not a high profile industry, “we're there in the background, and we're a positive industry.”

“We enable firemen and police to deliver services and protect property and people. Without our systems design and installation expertise, [first responders] would have a lot more difficulty. We're not front and center, but we do a great deal to assist [first responders] and I think that's noble,” she said.

This story is part of a Women in Security special report. For the seventh consecutive year, Security Systems News is highlighting women who are making their mark in the traditionally male-dominated world of security.