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Author: Chris Snell Date: 14/05/2009 16:45
Why is it so important to choose the right security solutions provider? What should you look for? How do you know you are making the right decision?
I don’t believe that any of us can honestly say that we are not concerned with safe-guarding our personal being as well as the safety of those who are under our care. Allowing others access to your physical, intellectual or creative property is your prerogative. After all it is a very natural thing to want to control access to your space, assets, belongings, knowledge and person.
In the past, protection of ones being or belongings was as simple as installing a lock and distributing keys to trusted individuals. These days there is a need for more sophisticated access control measures with many suppliers offering advanced security systems. However, this means placing your trust in a third party which is not always easy to do. For this reason it can sometimes be quite a challenge to choose the right security solutions provider.
Choosing the right partner is very important and should involve evaluation of your needs as well as the various potential service providers’ offerings. Your needs and budget will differ vastly depending on whether you require security for your personal/home security, commercial, and/or industrial (factory and warehousing) use.
For home use your needs may be as basic as intercoms, pin-code digipads, gate-motors, cctv surveillance and alarms. Businesses on the other hand require systems capable of securing large areas which could include office blocks and warehouses. There may also be different levels of security required for personnel with different security clearances.
Implementation of an access control system usually involves the installation of security equipment which could be as basic as card readers or as advanced as bio-metric identification systems. A good service provider will offer time and attendance interfaced software which integrates with access control and payroll systems. Depending on the size and nature of your premises you may also require turnstiles and/or vehicle barriers for perimeter control.
In many cases it is advantageous to use a single supplier capable of meeting all your security requirements. A reputable security supplier will at the very least assemble, install, commission, maintain and customize your security solution. If they are not the manufacturer of the system you should ensure that the products are supplied by reputable manufacturers.
BEE is another important factor when procuring a security system for business use as many organisations have preferential procurement policies and seek out companies with strong BEE credentials.
If your organisation has branches in different provinces you should bear in mind that using a company with a national presence may be preferable. Reducing the number of security service providers minimises risk and could streamline the procurement and contract management process.
One needs to examine a potential security systems service providers offering in terms of cost, variety, technology and versatility. However the two key deciding factors when selecting a service provider should be their reputation and the number of years they have been in business. Successful installation and reference sites should be easily available from your chosen service provide, for reference purposes.
Since security is of such high priority and one which necessitates a high level of trust it is important to choose the correct Security Solutions partner.
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