LACK OF PERSONNEL TO VET AND ONBOARD SOLUTIONS
By Chris Wilson, Chief Technology Officer/Principal, MxV Security Solutions
[EXCERPT] Historically, commercial real estate has underinvested in security technology due to a lack of skilled professionals to vet and onboard these solutions, which has been driven by both a wide range of solutions and the rapid, ever-changing nature of technology. It’s a lot for anyone in the industry to stay up to date with, let alone personnel that hasn’t been in the industry for years.
Personnel in the corporate security space have come from the public sector where they understand operational risk but struggle to translate that to the vast technologies that are needed on their properties – things such as access control, video surveillance, and video analytics. Often, personnel responsible for the technology are coming from operations and facilities backgrounds and need assistance with understanding the complexities of the technologies they are now being asked to manage.
Understanding the why behind when a system, solution, or technology is deployed will help them to navigate the interoperability that is often needed but may or may not be available. Additional assistance might be needed in selecting the best vendor to meet their need and helping to filter through the various players in the space, both the incumbents and newer entrants to the market.
The commercial real estate space can benefit from industry training to educate their team not only to be a more informed buyer but also to be more engaged with the daily functions of their system(s). Options available like manufacturer training on their specific platform, general industry-specific training content, as well as consultants for hire to provide specialized training unique to the team’s needs and environment.
Further, consultants can be a valuable way to bridge the gap to not only help carry the technology discussion in the short term but also train the team to then own the discussion and decision-making going forward. Often, the consultant can then remain available, helping to answer the more nuanced details and ensure the property has the best solution in place for its unique and specific needs.