The logistics and transport sectors encompass a wide range of skills aimed at optimizing the processing, storage, and distribution of goods.

These industries are experiencing a continuous economic and technological evolution.

The rise of e-commerce and the environmental constraints have introduced new challenges, particularly in the “last mile” delivery. This phase involves a multiplication of operations and intermediaries, which inevitably increases risks.

Just like the mass retail sector, transport and logistics professionals face inventory discrepancies, also known as “shrinkage,” which refers to the gap between the physical stock and the theoretical (digital) stock.

These discrepancies are partly caused by theft, fraud, and embezzlement of goods, committed by employees or third parties (suppliers, contractors, etc.) in warehouses, stores, or during shipping.

They may also come from poor practices or malfunctions, such as failures in procedures, accounting errors, stock management, etc.

As a trusted partner of mass retail, transport, and logistics companies for decades, Cabinet Arnault International (through its subsidiary GIMAT) has developed proven expertise in implementing effective solutions to combat inventory discrepancies.

Our intervention

Cabinet Arnault International provides its expertise in process control and evidence collection for cases involving theft, malicious acts, or sabotage.

For each identified issue, Cabinet Arnault International can offer a tailored solution such as :

  • Procedure audits
  • Security audits
  • Implementation of anti-shrinkage action plans
  • Evaluation of methods and resources used
  • Inventory counting controls
  • Freight security checks during deliveries
  • Surveillance and tailing
  • Infiltration
Service agreement

For each mission, a contract is drafted, specifying the purpose of the mission, the methodology, the financial terms, and the timeline for execution.

Lead investigator

Your case will be handled by a dedicated lead investigator who’s going to be your only contact, in charge of coordinating and managing the investigations.

Investigation report

At the conclusion of the investigations, a detailed, thorough, and precise investigation report will be drafted. It may be presented, if necessary, before the competent jurisdiction.

Example &
Practical

A logistics company requests our services to attempt to identify the cause of significant inventory discrepancies, suspecting they may be a victim of theft by one of their employees

The implementation of fast audits across operational sectors such as receipt, preparation, and shipping demonstrated that the causes were not related to theft but rather to a real dysfunction in organizational terms and the failure to apply several procedures, resulting in significant stock errors.

A transport company requests our services to confirm its suspicions regarding the misappropriation of its fuel by one of its drivers, an employee of the oil company for ten years.

The implementation of surveillances and tailings demonstrated that the driver concluded his working days by delivering fuel to some individuals unknown to the company.

Benefits of our action

At the end of each of our investigations, a detailed, specific, and precise report can be drafted and, if necessary, submitted before the competent jurisdictions (civil, labor, or criminal courts).

Thus, this report will allow magistrates to assess, subject to the restrictions imposed by Article 1382 of the French Civil Code, the value of the information collected.

jurisprudence

According to Article L.1222-4 of the French Labor Code: “…any information concerning an employee personally cannot be collected by a device that has not been brought to their attention beforehand..”

However, employers may implement this type of devices to identify disloyal behavior, provided that the controls performed are proportional and justified by legitimate interests (Article L.1121-1 of the French Labor Code)

It is also worth recalling that theft is defined as “the fraudulent taking of someone else’s thing” (Article 311-1 of the French Penal Code). If committed in the workplace and to the detriment of the company, theft constitutes grounds for dismissal for serious misconduct (Court of Cassation Social Chamber. March 3, 2009, n°07-43222).