Facility managers and owners typically deploy security cameras for three broad purposes:
- Intrusion
- Loss prevention
- Liability mitigation
As the software technology and resolution associated with cameras and NVRs (Network Video Recorders) continues to evolve exponentially, new highly innovative uses emerge that save significant time, and reduce loss and liability — in many circumstances leveraging the camera equipment you already own.
If the idea of dramatically increasing the return on your camera investment sounds appealing, consider a few questions to evaluate your current facility strategy:
Are Your Cameras Integrated with Other Business Systems?
Cameras can serve as the eyes and ears of systems designed for inventory management, access control, safety monitoring, mass notification, or process improvement.
An administrator can oversee multiple sites from a single control center — or their phone — and get a wealth of data and critical insights to benefit the daily operation of almost any conceivable environment, including:
- Healthcare Facilities
- Daycares / K-12 / Universities
- Manufacturing Sites
- Laboratories / Life Sciences
- Warehouses / Distribution Centers
- Commercial / Retail Outlets
- Military Complexes
- Government
Are Your Cameras AI-Optimized?
AI that is built into the NVR or the camera turns what was once an hours- or days-long footage review into a nearly instantaneous process through advanced recognition and search capabilities.
AI can also monitor for environmental changes, such as fire, unauthorized presence in a restricted area, a loitering individual or vehicle, or a burst pipe. These functions can replace or be a second line of defense for physical sensing devices or security staff.
Can You Detect a Critical Situation Before It Becomes a Crisis?
Cameras of the past provided nothing more than visual observation and archival footage. The intelligent cameras currently on the market can detect a crisis as it is emerging and notify decision makers or first responders.
Incidents such as dropped items, raised hands, falls, or a person holding a gun in a parking lot can all be flagged by the system autonomously and communicated via mass notification systems or targeted alerts to specific users.
Are You Learning From Your Staff / Customers / Users?
Cameras have long been used as passive loss prevention devices in many contexts, but modern analytics can deliver data on customer and employee patterns, offering insights into marketing, human or vehicle flow patterns, or processes.
As one example, a large healthcare facility was able to study their nursing staff’s patterns and response times to reduce unnecessary movements and drive a higher quality of patient care.
Another hospital coupled their cameras and access control systems to verify that soiled linens were going through the appropriate cleaning process and not risking contamination in sterile environments.
These systems can be highly customized to any number of facilities or purposes. Anonymization tools can be used to ensure privacy where necessary.
Are You Getting Critical Data About Who is Entering Your Facility?
Machine learning in a camera system can do more than just alert that someone is in a monitored space. It can match the face of the person entering the area to their badge to verify credentials and permissions. It can also determine whether the person is wearing the appropriate PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or detect anomalous behaviors.
Is Your Parking Lot Safe and Efficient?
License Plate Recognition (LPR) is a relatively new and under-utilized feature of advanced camera systems that can improve safety in the areas surrounding a facility. License plates can be compared to a whitelist/blacklist to determine if vehicles are permitted entry to managed lots.
The data and analytics collected from cameras can also be used to provide insights on traffic flow, average parking duration, manage billing, determine staffing needs, and more.
Summary
The questions covered in this article highlight just some of the benefits and applications that security cameras offer. If your current strategy is limited to intrusion, loss prevention, or liability, there are additional potential benefits offered by your current system or an integrated/upgraded system.
To request a free evaluation of your existing video surveillance system or develop a new camera placement plan tailored to your facility, please complete the form below.
