Buildings Magazine - December 2016

has complicated many facets of a facility’s day-to-day operations.

These methods can then be adapted
and innovated into other practical applica-
tions as well. One needs to look no further
than at compliance to see where security
systems can make everyday processes
more efficient and simpler for personnel.
Rather than always needing to bring in
inspectors, video capabilities can simplify
the process. Edmunds explains, “In the
arena of compliance, a lot of customers
we’re talking with need to have video and
In particular, FMs working with gov-
ernment agencies that require oversight
and compliance like the FDA can look at
locations on video to regulate and moni-
tor the personnel entering and leaving
certified areas through access control
audit trails.

Edmunds recalls one client who required regular assessments from a specific inspector located in Mexico City.

Flying him to Utah on a regular basis was
inefficient and inconvenient for everyone
involved, so they installed high-definition
cameras that allowed them to do the same
inspection over a conference call.

The university setting has been an especially fruitful venue for innovation along these lines. Edmunds works with universities and has been able to simplify testing schedules and staffing by installing cameras in examination facilities, allowing for proctors to work remotely, with more students and more oversight to ensure intellectual integrity.

Similarly, Ray Bernard, President and Principal Consultant of Ray Bernard Consulting Service in Lake Forest, CA, describes one example where a warehouse was using video analytics to detect when trucks needed to be loaded.

From within the office, account managers could tell when pallet staging spaces were ready to be filled for a shipment and when the trucks had been loaded.

“They were updated on critical shipment statuses without having to keep walking down to the warehouse and back,” Bernard says.

Buildings with high foot traffic over the course of a day can use security technology to move visitors more effectively and to staff personnel more appropriately throughout the day.

“Our visitor management systems can identify the times when the most visitors are anticipated, and we can prepare our staffing to deal with those peak loads,” says Ahrens. “Rather than staffing for a worst case scenario, we can predict staffing needs based on actual visitor load.”

Turner recalls implementing video analytics for a large global bank to not only manage queues and gauge customer service, but also to “achieve tangible cost savings by reducing tellers at low throughput times and adding them at peak times. We were able to measure this over daily, weekly and longer time periods to establish meaningful trends.” Solutions like this can be adapted for any number of similar, high-traffic scenarios. B

Justin Feit justin.feit@buildings.com is assistant editor of BUILDINGS.

During the winter, building opera- tors need to take xtra precautions to ensure that outdoor paths and parking lots are clear of snow and ice to make sure people do not fall and injure themselves.

Reducing liability by mitigating snow and ice buildup is critical during these months.

Ray Bernard, President and
Principal Consultant at Ray
Bernard Consulting Services in
Lake Forest, CA, notes one facil-
ity that needed to stay ahead
of snow removal in the winter:
“They wanted to know how
early to get out there. What
are the parking patterns, and
can they go in and clear off one
section of the lot where more
people are parking early?” So
they used video surveillance to
analyze parking habits and react
quickly to remove the snow.

Located in the Rocky Mountains, Stone Security often works with facilities that receive plenty of snowfall and ice accumulation. Using video surveillance systems, those with outdoor facilities and sidewalks immediately assess winter walking conditions between buildings, parking lots and walkways.

With cameras established in the right areas, users can immediately identify sidewalks, stairs and other locations that can be dangerous when covered in ice and take action promptly to prevent the risk of injury. Any way a user can find multiple uses for a single component of a security system will make the investment more worthwhile.