In these times of budgetary cuts, how should end users manage their CCTV security expenditure, ensure value for money and really maximise their return on investment? Peter Houlis offers some answers.
The Government’s austerity measures are felt by every one of us, but the safety and security of people and assets remains an important and fundamental issue.
With budgets being cut all the time, how do you manage your CCTV security expenditure? Is it possible to ensure value for money? Can you really maximise your return on investment?
In attempting to answer these questions, your first objective should be a security review to ensure that your surveillance system is fit for purpose and meets with your operational requirements. A system which doesn’t address your issues is neither value for money nor cost-effective.
If you're fortunate enough to be working with a professional service provider that takes their obligations seriously, then they should be willing and able to assist you in a system audit.
If CCTV forms part of your security strategy and it’s not addressing your issues then you need to invest in revamping, upgrading or renewing the system with a suitable replacement which does tackle your security concerns.
Systems must meet their objectives
To ensure value for money and return on investment, you need to spend on a system which fully meets your objectives. To best achieve this, the Home Office Police Scientific Development Branch advises that before a suitable CCTV System can be specified, it’s essential that an initial assessment is undertaken in order to determine the system scope, objectives and requirements Note that these should not be confused with the technical requirements.
Initially, it’s vital to provide answers to the following questions:
- is the system designed to deter, prevent, detect or prosecute?
- is it proactive, reactive or both?
- is the system continually manned or unmanned, and used only after an incident is reported
- to provide post incident information?
- what’s the system’s scope (ie prevention and detection of crime, public safety etc)… it
- should be noted that this is a requirement under the Data Protection Act what are the areas to be covered, and what degree of coverage is required?
BS EN 50132-7:1996 titled ‘Alarm Systems: CCTV Surveillance Systems for Use in Security Applications – Part 7: Application Guidelines’ describes fully the steps to produce an ‘operational requirement’ document. This document should clearly state what the customer expects in terms of the system’s functions. It’s designed to encourage clear thinking about what, where, when and by whom and in particular the why of a CCTV system.
The ‘operational requirement’ presents those with the necessary skills to convert the document into a technical specification and test procedures which form the basis of the system design implementation and operation.
CCTV systems as operational management devices
Should you need to invest in a new or revamped system, check if it could be a useful tool for others in your organisation. This would spread the cost of ownership. The Health and Safety Department could monitor and manage risk on site, while the Marketing Department monitors behavioral patterns. Don’t forget that marketing budgets are usually quite large!
Think more about your CCTV system as a management tool to be used for providing visual information and intelligence data, either for real-time use or for post-incident analysis.
When investing in a new system or revamping an existing one, account should be taken of the advantages to be provided by new technology.
If you’re dealing with a professional service provider, they should be proactive and advise you on new technology or improved methods of Best Practice to reduce costs. For example, new camera models may be cheaper and, with a higher specification than a current model you’re using, a more sensitive camera may negate the use of infrared or additional lighting. Using HD or mega pixel cameras may enable you to cover larger areas with fewer cameras.
If possible, choose equipment with low power consumption and look out for hidden system costs such as high power consumption, the need for air conditioning and taking up valuable space.
Lenses, lighting, recording and storage
With cameras themselves, make sure you choose the correct lens for the views required. Choose the right resolution commensurate with the level of detail and sensitivity demanded on site. A camera with poor sensitivity may result in the need for additional lighting, etc.
If your CCTV is reliant on additional IR lighting (of which there are thousands of systems on the market), a good return on investment can be realised by changing to the new generation of LED lighting which matches low power consumption with long life. Specialist LED lighting can also realize money saving options in both general and security lighting applications.
As we’ve moved into the age of digital recording and storage of CCTV images, it’s important to establish how long you need to archive your video images and at what quality. There can be a considerable cost variance when it comes to recorders and, generally, the more information you archive the greater the expense.
Another area of high cost is the transmission of video, particularly in urban surveillance and on large sites which often rely on telecoms providers’ expensive point-to-point links, tie lines or perhaps extensive civil works. It’s worth exploring whether these could be replaced by alternative free space transmission solutions or wire-free networks. Again, this is an area where your systems provider should be advising and assisting you at all times.
Network video and IP digital cameras address some of the above issues and, in a well-designed system, could help you save money on the cost of cabling and cable containment by using the existing IT infrastructure.
Power over Ethernet: avoiding the pitfalls
The need for power outlets can be reduced by using PoE (Power over Ethernet), but be warned: you need to choose a company with the knowledge and experience in both security and IT to avoid the many pitfalls along this road. That company must be able to work with your IT provider and, importantly, talk their language.
Network video has the advantages of easier and cheaper transmission and distribution of video streams, an ability to integrate with other security and safety systems to increase efficiencies and incorporate video analytics (which, in turn, reduce operator dependence).
Streamlining the operation of any CCTV Control Room is fundamental to cost savings. Can you make the system or operators more efficient? Do all of your cameras either receive or need pro-active monitoring? Could some functional cameras be replaced with megapixel solutions and deployed for evidence gathering and post-incident use to cut down on the number of cameras requiring real-time monitoring?
When it comes to system maintenance, you should ensure you’re receiving a good responsive level of service from your system maintainer. With respect to CCTV, regular preventative maintenance is an efficient way to demonstrate compliance with the Data Protection Act and ensure that your system is fit for purpose.
Depending on the complexity of the system installed, the age of equipment and the degree of security you require, these variables will indicate the relevant number of service visits required. Anything from annually to four times per annum is the accepted norm for most CCTV and electronic security system end users.
You may be able to decrease the number of preventative maintenance visits or divide the system and carry out phased visits. On Visit One, for example, cameras 1,3 and 5 are serviced and, on Visit Two, cameras 2,4,6 and so on. In this way, your engineer’s on site more frequently but for less time, giving you the option of carrying out non-essential repairs on a more regular basis while that engineer’s on site.
Response to fault calls or corrective maintenance visits should also meet your requirements. If, for example, your system is used in a retail environment to spot incidents such as shop lifting, etc, do you need a 24-hour call-out service? Even in a town centre, is it necessary that you receive a round-the-clock service if a camera goes down? Or could you restrict 24-hour service to the loss of the whole or partial system, with next day service for any situation where, say, a camera is off?
Look carefully at all-inclusive contracts
Look carefully at all-inclusive contracts. They may seem like a good idea from a budgeting point of view, but they may not represent best value and could represent a bit of a gamble for both parties.
If the provider has under-budgeted, had to carry out a number of repairs and replace equipment early in the contract, they may have spent their budget and be forced to skimp in other areas. Conversely, if your system produces little trouble the service provider will be well ‘in pocket’ and have probably earned an extravagant profit out of you.
Most companies now offer tailored maintenance packages. Negotiate one that meets your requirements. Remember that cheapest rarely represents best value. Does the maintenance company have the resources in terms of manpower, spares, experience and knowledge of the equipment which makes up your systems?
The above ‘checklist’ is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it gives you food for thought in these lean fiscal times.
Peter Houlis Managing Director of 2020 Vision Systems
