Focus on the outcome with your security projects
Start with the end in mind for your security project needs
If you are in the market for new security systems, you will no doubt start to engage with contractors and suppliers to get proposals for the works. You will already have an idea of what you want to achieve, but probably aren’t sure exactly what you need or how to go about it.
Take your time to evaluate free advice
Each vendor you engage with will make a recommendation to you. Some product vendors will recommend a product or solution to you because that is what they sell. Other recommendations will be based on what is genuinely best for you. The challenge for you will be to determine which is which and ultimately which proposal is best for you.
This is where the confusion often starts.
If you are not particularly strong technically and find it difficult to differentiate between the offers, go back and revisit the specific goals of the project. What exactly was it you wanted to achieve from the new security system?
How do you evaluate your options?
A consultant I met with recently from an allied industry makes all his purchasing decisions on performance rather that product or specification based criteria. The more I think about it, the more I agree with him.
The technologies and brands of equipment used are not particularly important other than they should be of a good standard and fit for purpose. It should only ever be about the outcome.
Example: Retail Security
For example, if you are a retailer and shrinkage is an issue, your outcome could be something like:
Be able to identify and prosecute any person that steals from my store.
Example: Industrial Site Security
For an industrial site, it could be:
Detect any person that enters our storage yard after hours.
What guarantees are you being offered?
Once the project outcome has been clearly defined, ensure the quoting companies understand it. Those companies that are willing to guarantee your outcome are the companies I would recommend you engage with. Exactly how they achieve it is not really important.
As always, if you are unsure, drop me an email or give me a call and I will point you in the right direction.