Your office building contains all kinds of valuable property, including both physical assets and intellectual property. Keeping all of this property secure isn’t an easy task, especially for large office buildings. Some companies and building owners hire security guards to act as a deterrent and respond to incidents. But security guards come at a significant cost and have their limitations.
Office building surveillance systems are a more effective way to keep buildings safe and secure. Modern systems are making buildings safer than ever, incorporating cutting-edge data processing to take classic video surveillance to the next level. For example, facial and license plate recognition can be used to identify unauthorized intruders. In addition to enhancing security, office building surveillance systems can provide many business benefits, such as lower labor costs, faster response times to emergency situations, and better employee training.
Your Office’s Vigilant Protector
Companies and office building owners have several concerns when it comes to protection. Many concerns can be directly addressed with an office surveillance system.
Office buildings are full of valuable assets that can easily be stolen, and sadly, people stealing from an office building aren’t always unauthorized intruders. They can be authorized visitors or even company employees. Company leaders and building managers should consider the nature and sizes of valuables that could potentially be stolen.
Size is also a concern. With increasing size, securing an office building becomes increasingly complex. Large buildings with multiple access points and a large surface area require much more surveillance than smaller, compact properties. Companies that own a large, expansive property need regular surveillance to ensure that it is kept safe and that liability is minimized.
Unfortunately, vandalism is a common issue. We typically think about vandalism in an urban setting, but it can happen just about anywhere in a facility or on a property. Visible surveillance cameras are a deterrent, and they can be used to catch perpetrators in the act or after the fact.
Companies and office building owners have a responsibility to keep people safe. This responsibility is serious and complicated, especially when it comes to liability. An office surveillance system can be used to proactively address safety issues that pop up. Companies that find themselves the subject of a liability claim can also produce video evidence in their defense if they have a surveillance system.
How It All Works
The type or types of cameras used and the video software are critical to how an office building surveillance system operates. Modern office building surveillance systems have many different features and options.
Understanding the Features
The features of a surveillance system include video management, analytics, and storage.
- Video Management. Video management software allows users to access the system locally or remotely using Internet-connected devices. The software also allows users to quickly scan through hours of footage to locate key events. Some companies use video management software to monitor multiple buildings or locations from one centralized location.
- Analytics. Modern video surveillance systems use analytics to provide all kinds of functionality, such as facial recognition, people count, heat mapping, and point-of-sale integration.
- Storage. Recorded video can be stored on a local server or in the cloud. Video management software is used to access stored video.
- Software updates. Regular updates can be used to fix bugs and add new features to a surveillance system. These help to keep a system modern and functioning properly.
Understanding Your Options
When it comes to options for an office surveillance system, they primarily come down to different camera types. Most of the following cameras come in 720p and 1080p resolutions.
- Fixed. These cameras point at a single predetermined location and use a fixed, varifocal, or zoom lens.
- PTZ (Pan Tilt Zoom). Movable cameras can provide much more coverage than fixed cameras.
- Day-night. Cameras equipped with night vision can capture more detail in low-light conditions.
- Outdoor. Weather-resistant cameras can withstand harsh conditions to maintain surveillance.
- Panoramic. These cameras can provide up to 360 degrees of visibility.
- Thermal. Heat-based imagery provides a lot more detail than visible light cameras.
Why Your Offices Need Real-Time Surveillance
Real-time office surveillance helps with building security, but it can also provide some business benefits.
Round-the-Clock Security
First and foremost, an office surveillance system helps to prevent unauthorized access. Most offices use access control measures to keep out unauthorized personnel, and the surveillance system can provide strong support to access control measures like card swipes and parking lot gates. Video monitoring could be used to confirm the identity of people trying to gain access to a building or restricted area. If a security breach does occur, video recordings could be used to identify intruders and potentially prosecute them.
A surveillance system can also provide better responses to emergencies. In an emergency, time is of the essence. Modern video surveillance systems equipped with video analytics can alert security personnel or building managers when a suspicious event occurs, allowing them to be proactive. As a situation is unfolding, real-time video monitoring can allow security personnel or first responders to decide on a course of action based on what they are seeing. Many video systems are able to share feeds with law enforcement so that dispatchers can direct a well-informed response.
There may be times when someone is hurt, or property is damaged, and evidence needs to be collected. If a modern video surveillance system is being used, investigators can review the recorded footage and use digital tools to quickly identify key clips that can be sent to law enforcement. Being able to assist police can help build stronger relationships with the local police department and make the department more inclined to respond quickly to future incidents.
A surveillance system can also help address illegal dumping. People looking to dispose of large items or excessive trash often target office building dumpsters. For example, public works crews in Oakland, Calif., responded to 46,000 incidents of illegal dumping from 2021 to 2022. Illegal dumping incidents can range from being a nuisance to costly to dangerous, depending on the volume and nature of materials being dumped. An office building surveillance system can help companies stop illegal dumping as it’s taking place. If an illegal dumping event can’t be prevented, video recordings can be used to quickly identify perpetrators so they can face the consequences.
Safety is another issue that benefits from a surveillance system. People can be careless, and they often do things that make an office building unsafe. For example, someone blocking an emergency exit with a heavy object or load of materials could lead to a deadly situation if a fire suddenly broke out. An office building surveillance system can help to prevent these unsafe situations. A video surveillance system can also be used to review instances of safety violations and hold people accountable.
An office building surveillance system can also support greater parking and driveway safety. The parking lots and driveways around an office building tend to see a lot of traffic, especially during business hours. These areas can be a source of liability, and building owners must do their best to ensure these areas are kept safe. However, current accidents happen despite the best mentions, and a video surveillance system can help protect building owners and companies from wrongful claims. Video recordings can also be used to analyze accidents and take steps to prevent similar accidents from happening in the future.
Business Benefits
Office building surveillance systems require a significant investment, but this investment can provide significant benefits in return.
First and foremost, an office building surveillance system will provide better security for less than it would cost using security guards alone. Whether it’s used to replace guards or supplement a security team, a surveillance system will make a building more secure. It can also be used to cover more property in real-time than any live security team ever could. In fact, just the presence of surveillance cameras can act as a deterrent. Research has shown that people are much less likely to commit crimes if they see security cameras.
Video surveillance can also make existing security staff more effective. Typically, on-premise security guards are expected to handle multiple tasks that go beyond basic monitoring of a property. They might be expected to perform reception duties or light maintenance. If these personnel are backed up by an office building surveillance system, they can handle any secondary duties without compromising surveillance of the property.
An office building real-time surveillance system can allow company leaders to monitor the behavior of their employees in real-time and record teachable moments for future coaching sessions. In some office buildings, entrance security personnel are expected to check the credentials of people coming into the building. When a building receives a lot of traffic, it’s easy for door staff to get complacent and with people through without checking them. Video surveillance can be used to make sure entrance staff members remain vigilant and check every person who comes through the door. If they are not, video recordings can be used for retraining sessions.
This benefit is also particularly relevant for in-person customer service. Customers can be difficult from time to time, and video recordings can be used to show employees how to handle difficult situations. Company leaders can record and save good and bad examples of customer interactions for training sessions and future reference.
A video surveillance system can also help to address situations involving employees doing other things when they are supposed to be working. To be fair, it’s unrealistic to expect employees to be giving 100 percent effort throughout their entire shift. People need occasional mental and physical breaks from their work to remain fresh and focused.
That said, employees shouldn’t be scrolling through social media or shopping online when they ought to be earning a paycheck. Large office buildings also have many spaces where employees can hide and literally avoid doing work. When used fairly and responsibly, video surveillance can help company leaders prevent “time theft” and make sure employees are meeting expectations when it comes to productivity.
Office building surveillance also supports cleaner facilities. It may not be the most dazzling benefit of an office building surveillance system, but a network of video cameras can help with routine maintenance of our building and its grounds.
Building owners are having a hard enough time trying to fill office space with the switch to remote work. When facilities are kept clean, they look a lot more attractive to prospective tenants. Not keeping up with regular maintenance can be costly. Unkempt landscaping and food trash can attract rodents and other pests. Leaky roofs and exteriors can result in major water damage.
A clean environment also has benefits for employees. People just feel better and more productive when they’re surrounded by a tidy environment. They also feel safer. A video surveillance system can help to quickly identify safety hazards like wet floors or new parking lot potholes.
A video surveillance system can also help to identify litterbugs and people who contribute to a messy environment. It’s hard to deny that you didn’t clean up spilled liquid or trash can when you’re caught on videotape walking away from the scene of the incident.
Security Solutions for All Industries
Different industries have different requirements when it comes to security. Surveillance systems use an open platform approach that allows for interchangeable components to be used together, regardless of brand. This allows companies to design a custom-fit solution that addresses all of their unique surveillance challenges. For example, companies can choose a closed-circuit CCTV system or an internet-based system with IP cameras, depending on what best suits their needs.
Contact Taylored Systems Today and Keep Your Office Secure
At Taylored Systems, we have decades of experience with video surveillance solutions and have been providing them to businesses in central Indiana. If you have questions about video surveillance, contact us today to discuss them or set up a consultation for a more in-depth conversation about your options for a video surveillance system.
