FICS performs investigations for and on behalf of insurance companies, law firms, corporations and other service providers. The opportunities created by the Head Office are shared amongst the franchise network but franchisees are also required to generate work from stakeholders in their allocated geographical areas.

FICS provides quick and cost-effective, fee-based, value-adding investigative services to professional firms, corporations, government and parastatals. These FICS services include Merit Investigations, Quantum Investigations and Specialised Investigations as well as Tracings of beneficiaries for Retirement Funds for pay-outs.

Merit Investigations entail examining all aspects of a case (i.e. a motor vehicle accident), usually shortly after the event occurred. Quantum Investigations probe the amount of money payable to claimants and/or dependents of a deceased person. Key factors in the investigation include employment and earning of the claimant and/or deceased, and verifying the authenticity of the dependants of a deceased worker.

FICS franchises focus mainly on the Road Accident Fund environment and undertake Specialised Investigations countrywide, serving the parastatal and corporate sectors. There is a tremendous need for specialised FICS investigation services which include probing suspicious and fatal claims, tracings unclaimed retirement benefits, Workman Compensation Claims (WCC), payroll audits, and obtaining statements from injured employees.

FICS Head Office provides ongoing support to franchisees on a national basis. Once an applicant has been screened and accepted into the FICS ‘family’, a week-long training programme is scheduled which, amongst other FICS structures and functions, includes services, market income streams, investigation types, the IT system, fee structures, marketing, management, and assessor profiles are facilitated. During training FICS exposes the new franchisees to the theoretical and practical aspects of running a franchise office daily as well as practical field work.

The franchisor also provides franchisees with ongoing national and regional marketing support.

Franchisees will preferably have a background in law, accounting or investigations or have the business acumen to manage it. FICS franchisees need marketing, investigative, reporting, verifying, management and networking skills. A franchise owner must be able to generate work from local clients as well as execute national contract work in the demarcated area.