Data collection, analysis, planning, and operations are components of every decisionmaking procedure, but an informal process often fails to supply sufficient facts or neglects planning. For security operations, the most important component is data collection. Information must be current, accurate, and useful. Each security department must design a collection instrument that meets its particular needs, categorizing data by reporting party/victim, incident, property, and security. The security administrator can analyze data from many incident reports by posting important information, such as time of day and location, onto a log for each type of incident or problem. These logs should contain only information that reveals patterns and trends. Trends help pinpoint solutions in advance and assist the security manager in spending the minimum amount of money necessary to resolve a problem. Graphs, based on data from incident reports and logs, can demonstrate how security operations reduce losses by comparing the cost of the solution with the cost of the problem. An example is the costs of a guard to check employees' bags and containers as they leave versus the costs of employee theft. Security managers can also use their data collection program to evaluate a solution to a problem and modify collection instruments if more information is needed. Sample forms and graphs are included.