Note: For privacy, security and confidentiality reasons, the name of the client company will not be disclosed.
Background
The company featured in this case is a well-known international brand operating in thehigh-end furniture industry.
Recognized for quality craftsmanship, exclusive design and extreme attention to detail, the company produces iconic collections for luxury residences, boutique hotels and prestigious corporate spaces worldwide.
With an intricate logistics network, numerous warehouses, and distribution on a global scale, supply chain management is a strategic and sensitive element in protecting brand value and integrity.
The critical issue that emerged
During a routine inventory check, the company found a significant discrepancy between the recorded inventory and the actual goods in the warehouse.
The selective and recurrent nature of the shortfalls made management suspicious, leading them to speculate on a possible internal and organized dynamic, rather than simple management errors or administrative misalignments.
Why ASI (an SSI group company) was chosen.
The company decided to entrust the investigative assignment to ASI, a company of the SSI – Società Servizi Italia group, for several strategic reasons:
- The ability to integrate investigative activities with operational skills in the field
- Theconfidential, professional and non-invasive approach that is essential to maintain business continuity and protect brand image
- The presence of a national network of operators and specialistscapable of acting simultaneously on multiple sites
- Proven experience in luxury, logistics and corporate asset protection
ASI has been recognized as a partner that can ensure documentable results, traceability of evidence and risk management in full synergy with management.
The investigative intervention
The ASI team initiated a two-level activity:
- Field control
- Discrete observation of logistic flows
- Verification of loading, unloading and handling procedures
- Identification of abnormal behavior and out-of-protocol accesses
- Digital intelligence
- monitoring of marketplaces and online platforms
- tracking of suspicious items
- Simulation of purchases to trace back to sellers
The investigation confirmed the existence of a structured dynamic of internal theft, in which logistics personnel were able to steal batches of goods by taking advantage of procedural weaknesses.
The uncovered resale channel
Through open source intelligence (OSINT) activities and purchase simulations, ASI traced some of the stolen goods to unauthorized online sales platforms.
Through investigative methodology and discrete evidence collection, it was possible:
- Accurately identify those involved
- Document the provenance of the assets
- Provide the company and authorities with a complete picture of the illicit supply chain
Outcome and measures
The activities resulted in:
- Dismissal for causeof theemployees involved
- initiation of criminal proceedingswiththe competent authorities
- internal review of logistics security processes
- Enhancement of access control, video surveillance and document tracking systems
Result
Thanks to ASI’s timely and integrated intervention, the company was able to:
- Limit economic damage and protect brand reputation
- Reconstruct the dynamics of events with concrete and legally valid evidence
- Prevent future breaches by strengthening its procedures and security culture
Conclusion
This case demonstrates how the collaboration between company and qualified investigative partner is decisive in addressing and resolving incidents of corporate infidelity.
When the integrity of a luxury brand is at stake, timeliness, expertise, and investigative method are essential to restore control and turn a crisis into an opportunity for structural improvement.
