What Surveillance System Features Does Your Business Need?

If you own a business or a business property, you need some level of surveillance.  The type and complexity of surveillance will depend on your business, location, and assets at the site. Certain types of businesses require more surveillance than others but surveillance is an advantage for any business, regardless of industry or location.

First, the most basic surveillance involves some strategically placed cameras.  These cameras are not necessary monitored at all times but they take video if motion is sensed and either store it for a certain length of time, alert the owner of activity, or some combination.  If for no other reason, it can be advantageous to have this so that, should something happen with an employee, you have a video record.  Whether there is an employee that falls, something is missing, or you just want to see when they came in, you will have that ability with a basic surveillance system.  These surveillance are discreet, professional installation is easy and quick, and many, if not most, are able to be accessed remotely from any device with secure WiFi access.

If your business has a warehouse or retail storefront where there is a large amount of product, you will likely need a robust surveillance system.  Additionally, if you have a lot of IT equipment, servers, or other sensitive information, you may need additional surveillance capabilities.  Surveillance systems can be integrated into your audio/video automation, integrated with other surveillance system elements, and more.  Regardless of your industry or security needs, we all want to believe that everyone is totally honest and accountable but unfortunately, we know that isn’t necessarily the truth.  As Small Business Trends points out, surveillance can offer a lot of accountability and information that you might not otherwise have, “In fact, there could be as many as 275 million incidents of retail theft globally each year, reports Matt Pillar…But of those, only an estimated 1 in 46 arrests are ever made in connection with those thefts. More concerning, however, is the fact that about 1/6 of those arrested, about 1 million total, are employees. Of course, non-retail businesses face the threat of theft too. This includes everything from theft of company property to theft of intellectual property. So these are all factors a business owner must weigh…When Ryan Elmore installed video surveillance at his restaurant a few years ago, the results were huge, reports CNN Money. Elmore is co-owner of Pepper Jack’s Neighborhood Grill in Erie, Col. With the new surveillance, Elmore discovered his manager in charge was ducking out of his responsibilities. He also discovered that employees were giving away free meals to friends. They were also taking multiple smoking breaks and texting instead of working while he was gone, he says…On top of everything else, Elmore discovered his restaurant was overstaffed. By adjusting work schedules, he cut his labor costs by 5 percent. And by clamping down on free meals, he decreased food costs by 3 percent.”