After the shock, damage and disruption of a crisis have worn off and store managers and associates are returning to work, it’s tempting to breathe a sigh of relief and return to business as usual. However, doing so causes most retail security teams to miss an invaluable opportunity to assess what worked and avoid what didn’t. That’s where an after-action review (AAR) becomes essential. 

When retailers prepare for hurricanes, wildfires, floods or other natural disasters, the focus often goes to the immediate threat: protecting property, communicating closures and keeping people safe. But for multi-location retailers, the bigger operational test often comes after the event.