Risk management is a common term used in the security industry. Corporations, schools, healthcare facilities and retailers are consistently looking at the risks they face and tools they can deploy to address them. This can include implementing proper access control systems to keep employees in a building safe, creating a cyber-security program to protect a corporate network, or implementing analytics to reduce shrink in a retail store.
It’s safe to say that risk management needs in the commercial property market can be dynamic. Commercial is a broad term used to encompass a variety of property types, from buildings strictly used as office space to mixed-use properties that encompass residential, retail and offices.
This is one of the main reasons why commercial property managers invest in a video management system, especially for those managing multiple properties located in several geographical areas. A video management system is a multi-faceted solution that can act as a deterrent, provide mapping tools for security guards and deliver overall business intelligence.
Surveillance as a deterrent
It’s common knowledge that people act differently when they know they are being watched, whether it’s by a police officer looking for drivers who are exceeding the speed limit or a surveillance camera used to monitor a property for vandalism or theft. A surveillance system can indicate that a property is actively being monitored, but it also provides access to valuable tools that can alert the proper security personnel when something happens. With a video management system installed, surveillance can be used as an actionable tool as an event unfolds, instead of reactionary after an incident. This can help property managers to quickly address an issue and mitigate risk.
Dynamic tools for security guards
On premise security guards provide in-person protection for properties and people in these locations. However, security guards also need access to tools that can help them do their jobs more effectively. This includes being able to easily and quickly view live video, search video and share that video with the proper authorities in the event of an incident. Mapping tools that are now common as part of a video management system can also provide security guards with critical information on the location of an event detected using analytics, especially for a security guard who may not be familiar with the layout of a specific building.
Overall business intelligence
Over the past few years, business intelligence has become an important focus in the security space. It’s no longer just about using surveillance to monitor a parking lot, it now incorporates using video analytics to analyze surveillance data to provide critical information that goes beyond standard security uses. For a commercial property, this can mean using analytics to monitor foot traffic in front of a first-floor restaurant space. Property managers can use this data to inform a prospective customer that more than 10,000 people walk by this retail space on a given weekend, for example. Or, property managers can leverage heat mapping technology to identify the path people take when walking throughout a building, another valuable tool that can be shared with tenants.
Video management systems have proven to be a valuable, multi-faceted tool for the commercial property market to mitigate risk. Managers can use their video management system to detect and address security problems, while simultaneously providing useful business intelligence to both attract and retain tenants.
