When it comes to protecting our businesses, we want to make sure that we have the best security protocols in place. We want to know that all our bases are covered and our assets are safe at all times. And that’s where security surveillance comes in.
Depending on your budget, type of business and security needs, you may need to decide between on-site or off-site security surveillance measures. We’ll be looking at the differences between the two security options in the hopes that it will provide clarity for which surveillance option you should invest in for your business.
Defining on-site and off-site surveillance
When we talk about on-site surveillance, we’re referring to security guards, security gates and any other security measure that has a physical presence at a company’s building. Off-site surveillance, on the other hand, are your cameras and remote surveillance systems that oversee the operations within, and the security of the business and building.
There are benefits to both security practices and there are many factors that will influence which surveillance a company chooses to implement. But the benefits of security surveillance in a business are undeniable. Employees have been known to increase their productivity and improve their performance when a monitoring system is in place as they feel safer as well as, well, monitored. Security surveillance also protects the assets of a company and, along with insurance, ensure that any loss or damage is at a minimum.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of on-site
We’ll start with the advantages of on-site surveillance.
- Power in physical presence: Having security guards at the front door is intimidating for people with a criminal intent and comforting for the people who work there. Knowing that there is a physical body one has to go through in order to get away with a security breach, makes one less inclined to want to go through the trouble of, well, getting into trouble.
- Immediate response: Another benefit of having security bodies in the room is that they have the ability to immediately respond to a security issue on-site. There’s no waiting for a response company to process and react to a call, the security force is already there to take action.
- Portable security: The last advantage of on-site security we’ll be discussing is that of portability. Should your company host an event and require security services, who better to trust than your own on-site business security personnel? They can be wherever you need them to be whenever you need them to be there.
The disadvantages, of course, are that on-site security will never have a complete view of every nook and cranny on the business site (unless you have hundreds of security guards on patrol). And while their presence may be a deterrent to some, it may also present a challenge to others, in which case their lives will be endangered.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of off-site
Now we look to off-site surveillance, the best of technological surveillance. The advantages of off-site surveillance include:
- Every nook and cranny: CCTV cameras are eyes in the sky that can be strategically placed so that every nook and cranny of a company’s building is visible and being watched from a control room.
- Always watching: Surveillance cameras are always on and recording. This is a crime deterrent as criminals are likely to be caught and identified through the footage. CCTV cameras see everything as it’s happening and this also helps companies to constantly be aware of what’s happening.
- Increased productivity: And because everything can be seen at all times in real time, employees are inclined to be more productive at work. They also can work knowing that their safety is being considered and taken care of.
- Cost-effective: Off-site surveillance is also more cost-effective than on-site as it usually requires a once off cost of installing the cameras and designing the security control room furniture and layout (video control room furniture and the layout thereof is an important aspect of control room functionality). The monthly costs will involve the hiring of one or two people to man the control room (which is more affordable than hiring a squad of security guards).
But there are some obvious disadvantages with off-site surveillance as well. First of all, should there be a security breach or incident, there is no immediate response as security companies will need to be notified and called to the scene. Another disadvantage is that some employees may feel that all the security cameras are an invasion of privacy.
How to decide for your company
For your company, you may want to invest in both on and off-site surveillance. Not because of paranoia, but because it’s the better option for the company. The best of both will ensure that all your bases are covered, there are security people who can respond as it happens and there is video evidence that can be accessed if needed.
When you consider surveillance in the workplace you need to think about your business’ assets, your employees and what the best investment option will be.