Posted on Tue, Jul 13, 2010
Let’s face it, nothing lasts forever and eventually that super-state-of-the-art security system that you implemented will fail. Your access control system might stop working and lock your employees out of the building. Or maybe your intrusion detection system develops a bug and starts spamming the monitoring company or police with false alarms. Or maybe the camera system that your guards use to remotely patrol your facilities stops broadcasting. No matter how good the system is when you installed it, eventually it’s going to develop a problem. So how do you prepare for this inevitable critical systems failure to minimize the impact it will have on your organization? We will start with the first three of 5 simple tips that you can put into place now to help minimize the damage when the worst happens. Check back on Thursday to see the last two.
1) Have a Service Contract in Place
You probably won’t think about it until something goes horribly awry, but having a service contract in place with a trustworthy, experienced integrator or service provider can go a long way to alleviating headaches and panic when the worst happens. Most service providers will allow you to pre-negotiate emergency service rates and response times so that when an emergency occurs you don’t have to call around looking for the best rate or quickest response– you’ll already know who to call. Additionally, many service companies will allow you to pre-purchase a block of service hours, so if you have a lengthy or complicated purchasing process you don’t have to worry about getting a check cut, or authorizing a credit card, or acquiring a PO before the problem can be corrected.
Bonus Tip: Try negotiating priority service response. Many service companies will allow you to pay for a higher level of service response, meaning that they’ll bump you up the list of people waiting for appointments in front of people with a lower level of response.
2) Post Emergency Service Contact Information and Procedures
You may have a service contract in place to prepare for the worst, or at least know who installed your system, but does everyone else you work with? What happens if you’re away on vacation or out sick when the worst happens? Do your coworkers know what to do? Help alleviate confusion by documenting what steps to take during a critical systems failure, who to call, when to call, and what reference information they may need (the facility address, a service contract number, or the type of system that went down may be needed when you or your coworker calls the service provider). And make sure that you store the documentation in a conspicuous place where everyone knows where it is and can access it.
Bonus Tip: Make sure that you always have access to updated system schematics or designs to help you or your service provider identify exactly where system components are and which ones are affected. Allowing your service provider to keep a copy of these records can allow them come prepared with the right spare parts or other equipment.
3) Have a Back-Up Plan in Place
You have the time now to plan back-up procedures in case your critical systems should fail, so don’t wait until the worst happens to come up with a plan off the hip. If you’re creating a back-up plan in case access control fails, you need to address both the scenario in which your critical access doors cannot be unlocked by the electronic system and the scenario in which all your doors remain unsecured.
Bonus Tip: When planning for an access control failure, you may want to consider hiring temporary guards to physically monitor critical entrances. Many guard companies will rent guards on a daily or even hourly basis for temporary emergencies. Find one service you like and keep their number handy, just in case.
4) Keep Spare Parts On Hand
While most service providers will keep a stock of common repair parts on hand, it’s by no means assured that they’ll have the part you need when you have a major break down. The best option is to keep an inventory of spare parts for your most critical systems on-site. Ask your integrator which parts are mostly like to break and which critical components are mostly likely to cause a major delay in repair through scarcity or long back order/shipping times. These are the two parts you want to keep in stock.
Bonus Tip: Keep an inventory of your spare parts and make sure you replace them when you use them. There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you have an inventory of critical parts, but not having that one part your really need on-hand because you forgot to order a new one the last time one broke down.
5) Don’t Have a System Failure In the First Place
Obviously the best way to react to a critical system failure is to not have one at all. Work with your service provider or integrator to create an ongoing maintenance program to ensure that you keep your system working, identify any possible problems before they occur, and swap out buggy or failing parts before they go down completely. Some people think preventative maintenance is more costly than service, but when you consider how proper maintenance will prolong the life of your system as well as avoid costly risk and litigation liability, it’s easy to see that not performing preventative maintenance is like gambling in Vegas. In the long run, the casino always wins.
Bonus Tip: Build equipment replacement into your maintenance plan. Based on failure rates and product life expectancy, you can estimate the amount of money need to replace failing equipment such as cameras or card readers and plan that into your monthly budget. By replacing parts before they begin to fail with newer, better technology, you’re system will always be in working order and will experience continuous quality improvement as your old technology is replaced with newer, better technology over time.
Critical system failures are always stressful, but with a little forethought and a strong service partner whom you trust, you can mitigate their impact on your organization. Eventually it’s going to happen, but with the proper maintenance and planning, it can seem like a small dip in the road rather than plunging off the edge of the Grand Canyon.
Now tell us about your last critical system failure. How could you have been better prepared for that failure? What do you wish you had known then that you know now? Comment below and join the Great Conversation.
Posted on Thu, Jan 07, 2010
By Michael Rosa
If you manage a large fleet of vehicles you know what a pain it can be to coordinate and provide maintenance for those vehicles. Heck, even if you just own your own car it can sometimes be overwhelming. Oil change every three months. 40,000 mile service. Wait, or is that 60,000 miles? And what about the seals and gaskets, when do those need to be replaced? But despite the work and the cost you do it anyway. Why? Because you know that the last thing you want is to be stranded along side the road with the hood of your car propped open and smoke pouring out.
You’ve made a decision to balance risk versus reward. You’ve decided that the risk of ruining your whole day (and possibly your car too) outweighs the reward of saving that time and money that service costs you. So why aren’t you making that same decision regarding your security systems?
You do know they need maintenance right? Cameras need to be cleaned and adjusted, system databases need to be archived and purged, even intrusion detection systems need the occasional check-up to make sure they are still working properly. But a vast majority of organizations don’t provide any sort of maintenance for their systems. Oh sure, they’ll fix something when it breaks – but that’s like waiting to service your car until you need it towed off the freeway.
So in an effort to help keep your organization running along smoothly (and tow truck free) here are some guidelines to know when you should provide your system some much needed maintenance.
Video Cameras:
Video cameras (both analog and digital) require very little maintenance overall. At the minimum, you should provide a thorough cleaning of the lenses once a year, as well as camera view adjustments to ensure that the camera is still in the proper focus and the field of view hasn’t shifted. Exterior cameras and some cameras in harsh environments may need more frequent repairs, check-ups on heating or cooling systems, or housing repairs or replacement (especially if they are prone to scratching or vandalism).
DVRs:
DVRs are the most maintenance heavy of the Surveillance System components, with the exception of the VCR. Your DVR will need continuous maintenance to ensure that the software and firmware are up to date, camera synchronization and network connections remain stable, hard-drive problems don’t occur, and equipment temperatures remain ideal. Depending on your system, you may also need to frequently archive, backup, or purge information stored on your DRV. Fortunately, most DVR manufacturers provide on-board tools to monitor the system and alert you to any maintenance needs.
Access Control Devices:
Most card readers and door equipment requires little maintenance, but scheduling a yearly check-up to test reader functionality can often identify reader malfunctions before they become major issues. IP and wireless devices may need more monitoring to ensure their network and wireless connections remain stable. More importantly, your access control software will need continuous monitoring and support. These types of software systems often receive numerous patches, updates, and upgrades over the course of a year and improper installation may cause communication or system errors. Additionally card holder data and alarm data needs to be managed on a continuous basis, often needing to be archived, backed up, and purged on a monthly or semi-monthly basis. The first sign of trouble on any access control system is a slowing down of the system in general, which may indicate problems at the door, in the software system, or on the network. We recommend a yearly system check-up and full software upgrade coupled with monthly database management (depending on the size of your system) to keep your access control system running smoothly.
Now I have a question for you: How many of you have a schedule for regular maintenance of your security equipment? Why or why not? Post your answers in the comments, I’d love to talk about what you’re doing to balance risk and reward.