12.18.24 – SSI – Chris Wildfoerster
Success in this environment requires strategic navigation, ensuring your security business thrives by offering integrated solutions.
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, nearly everything—security systems, speakers, cameras, intercoms, access control, video displays, conference rooms and lighting—is interconnected through the network.
Moreover, an increasing number of products now offer connectivity, enabling remote monitoring, configuration and integration. This networked ecosystem presents a unique opportunity for system integrators to boost efficiency, enhance service offerings and deliver comprehensive, future-proof solutions to clients.
Success in this environment requires strategic navigation—ensuring your business not only keeps pace, but thrives by offering integrated solutions that meet the evolving needs of your customers and prospects.
When you hear the term “new business,” you might initially envision hunting for new clients. New clients are an important part of your business but obtaining them does require a significant effort and time investment.
It is possible, and often easier, to increase your business revenue through existing clients. As a trusted partner, you have existing relationships, you understand how the client works, you know their infrastructure and might even have staff on site.
So why not see if there are ways to add more value to their business while expanding your existing relationship and footprint within their organization? There could be additional teams and responsibilities within their organization that could benefit from your expertise.
Expanding your relationship not only increases your value proposition, it could also increase recurring monthly revenue (RMR).
Expand Your Capabilities and Your Security Business
As more customers look for a technology partner to help them manage their network-based solutions, being the lowest bid on a single solution is likely not the answer and certainly short-sighted. To stay ahead in a competitive market, you should consider becoming a complete system integrator.
That is to say, expand your capabilities toward designing, implementing, and managing a holistic solution by bringing together various subsystems, technologies and devices into a unified, functioning system.
This option is especially appealing to clients who are becoming more knowledgeable about what they want in their facilities. As a complete solutions provider, it’s your job to listen to the problems they’re trying to solve and provide solutions that meet their needs.
You’ll serve as the expert and educate clients on things that they may not be aware of. For example, today’s network-based security cameras do much more than provide high-definition images of an event for real-time and forensic review.
They have matured into sensors that collect information and turn it into meta data, helping a facility recognize events and act accordingly before they materialize.
Bridging the Gap Between Security and AV
Complete solutions providers serve as a single point of contact for the consultant/architect and end user, eliminating the dreaded “that doesn’t fall under my scope of work” conundrum that we have all experienced.
By centralizing work, you can save time and elevate your firm’s reputation as the problem solver, further increasing your firm’s value proposition, especially since your expertise will bridge gaps between various teams and projects.
For instance, security and AV projects each require specialized sales and engineering expertise. AV projects tend to focus on providing task-oriented solutions and improving workflow in specific areas of a facility – such as conference rooms, auditoriums and common areas — and consist of public address announcements, and digital signage to help clients conduct business.
Meanwhile, security solutions are designed to monitor the whole facility, including the interior, the exterior, and access points from a control room or security command center (SCC).
Not only are these areas and responsibilities vastly different, most facilities have separate departments responsible for AV and security—and the two may not communicate effectively with one another. In cases where they don’t interact, you might find that the IT department is the common denominator that could help bring both sides together.
Since the IT department is responsible for maintaining system integrity across the company it will be intimately involved with, and a deciding factor in, all network-based solution decisions.
With IT’s buy-in you’ll be able to bridge the challenging gap between Master Format Division 27 and 28. These two standards each incorporate diverse and sometimes shared technologies for various applications, such as mass communications.
Mass communications is a perfect example of why incorporating diverse technologies is so important given its goal to send a cohesive message throughout a facility.
In the event of a facility emergency, notifying those affected by the event – be it weather, seismic activity, active threats, or chemical spills – and instructing them to take the appropriate actions is critical to the safety of occupants and local communities.
Success Through Partnership
When transitioning from a technology-focused firm to a complete solutions provider, partnerships are a valuable tool to multiply your impact. It’s important to choose companies to partner with that provide complementary solutions such as video management systems, cameras, speakers, strobes, access control, intercoms and analytics.
You’ll also want to look for open platform solutions that are designed to integrate seamlessly with each other, which allows you to build a robust, reliable and flexible solution. What’s more, open platform solutions reduce programming time and minimize additional resources required.
When it comes to choosing a manufacturer to partner with, it’s important to do your research. Consider looking for the following:
- Products: Do they have the types of products that you and your clients are looking for? How diverse is their portfolio? In order to make sure that they’re a good fit for you, invite each manufacturer to present their products and see how well they integrate with one another. Also, make sure to ask about their typical inventory position.
- Analytics: Since everyone is considering analytics and AI, ask the manufacturer about what analytics they offer? How do they integrate into their systems? Do they work with ecosystem partners to provide additional analytics options?
- Channel: Make sure you understand how the manufacturer sells their products. Are they loyal to their sales channel? Are they going to be competing with you for sales? Do they sell direct to the client? Is their sales force dedicated or independent?
- Market presence: Understand where they stand within the industry. Are they an innovator that’s driving their industry forward? Do they have regional offices where you can bring your clients to experience their solutions in person?
- Technical training: Does the manufacturer offer onsite or web-based trainings on a regular basis with a dedicated team of educators? Is there a well-defined learning track? Do the trainings reflect your needs and the needs of your customers?
- Sales training: Does the manufacturer’s sales training help you better understand their products? Do they clearly position their technologies within the industry? Is there clear guidance on who to ask questions to and have conversations with?
- Licensing: Do they require special licensing to sell, install and support their technology? Are there clear guidelines?
- Sustainability: Sustainability is becoming more important to clients and can be an important selling point. What level of sustainability has the manufacturer committed to? Are their goals aligned with yours? If you do not have clear sustainability plans, consider looking at the UN’s Global Sustainable Development plan as a place to start.
- Trust and respect: Last but certainly not least, your strategic partnership with a manufacturer should be focused on the long run. You need to trust and respect one another to build a relationship that will be successful.
At the end of the day, in order to be a complete solutions provider, you need to do your homework and take on the mantle of industry expert and trusted advisor. Accordingly, find and vet manufacturers that not only offer a wide range of NDAA-approved solutions, but also have a diverse network of ecosystem partners.
It isn’t enough to have a broad portfolio of network-based solutions, they should also have solid pre- and post-sales support, trainings, warranty, sustainability measures, cybersecurity, design assistance and most importantly, the ability and proven track record of supporting system integrators throughout the life of a project. In other words, they too should be a trusted partner and advisor.
As industries continue to converge, and technologies evolve, our companies must evolve with them. Regardless of the industry your currently serving, whether you’re a security firm or an AV firm, look for complementary technologies that you can support to expand your business and diversify your revenue streams into the future.
Chris Wildfoerster is program manager, audio solutions, at Axis Communications.