Ask any seasoned security professional what their most valuable commodity is, and they’ll likely say “time” (followed closely by “budget” and if they’re optimistic: “Sleep”) will rotate across the top of their ‘Top 10’ concerns regularly. When incidents strike, you need a system that empowers you to act quickly, collaborate efficiently, and demonstrate control, all while being cost effective. Enter the Incident Management System (IMS).
Many security leaders already recognise the need for a fit-for-purpose IMS. It’s not about why anymore, it’s about when. But let’s be honest: the upfront commitment of time, money, and change management can be daunting. With tight budgets, competing priorities, and no shortage of past tech disappointments, pushing the decision down the road can feel like the safest option.
But what does it really cost to implement an IMS? And what’s the cost of not implementing one…?
Pound Foolish: The Hidden Costs of Patchwork Systems
Let’s start with the elephant in the control room: many organisations are still managing critical incidents with a Frankenstein mix of WhatsApp groups, Excel sheets, radio logs, and a prayer. This patchwork approach might seem low-budget, but the real cost lies beneath the surface:
- Time Wasted: A study by Deloitte found that inefficient incident communication can increase response time by up to 40% – that’s time where lives could be at risk and your reputation certainly will be.
- Subscription Overload: One tool for comms, another for mapping, another for tasking, another for logs, another for alerting… before you know it, you’re spending tens of thousands per year on siloed software that doesn’t integrate.
- Training & Complexity: Each tool requires onboarding, updates, licenses, user management and administration. It’s a full-time job just to keep the tech stack standing and with many systems built and supported overseas, or by people that have never worked in your industry, getting help can be a headache.
A modern cloud-based IMS like The Halo System, made in Britain by people from your industry, consolidates all these functions into one secure, centralised platform – streamlining communication and instantly slashing subscription bloat.
“But What About the Upfront IMS Cost?”
Yes, there’s an initial cost in implementing any system. But let’s talk brass tacks.
Our own customer results show us that organisations that implement integrated security platforms see operational cost reductions of up to 30% in the first year. That’s not just through tech consolidation, but through faster response times, better decision-making, more cost-effective resource deployment and reduced administration/downtime.
The upfront investment pays for itself in:
- Reduced hours spent on manual reporting
- Fewer compliance headaches
- Less duplicated effort across teams and agencies
- Lower risk of reputational damage due to avoidable missteps
- Fewer tech platform subscriptions
- Fewer false claims / insurance payouts due to better evidence for defence
- Fewer ‘fear purchases’ by being overstaffed because data driven decisions puts the right people, in the right place, at the right time
In other words, it costs more not have an IMS.
The Legal Cost of Getting It Wrong
With the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (aka Martyn’s Law) now legislation, venues and public-facing organisations are on a two to four year journey to prove they have robust plans and procedures in place, especially for lockdown, invacuation, evacuation and communication. An IMS that can track, evidence, and report on incidents in real time becomes more than helpful – it becomes the ‘black box’ for your business and all the decisions that were made, when, why, how and by whom.
Licensing legislation, Health & Safety, Security Act, and the Protect Duty plus lots of other legislation and guidance means that failure to comply may mean:
- Fines
- Civil litigation
- Criminal charges in severe cases
Not to mention the perception of you and your brand.
All of which make the cost of an IMS look rather friendly by comparison.
Psychological & Social Cost: The “Invisible Budget”
Let’s not forget the toll on people.
- Teams under stress burn out faster.
- Senior leaders facing scrutiny need reliable records to support decisions.
- Public confidence hinges on visible, coordinated responses.