If you run a thriving business, you may often feel as if you need to have eyes in the back of your head so that you can keep on top of risks and threats. To make sure that your business is on track and that you avoid as much disruption as possible, you need to have a video surveillance system in place to help with this, but it can be difficult to know how it should be configured. Before you begin, you need to become crystal clear on your objectives, as this will determine what type of CCTV setup you should get. What questions do you need to ask yourself?

Careful Selection

The good news is that CCTV systems can help you avoid losses caused by many different activities, but some systems are better suited for specific tasks than others. You need to begin by outlining your objectives, and don't be surprised if your final list has quite a number of items.

Security

For example, you may want to ensure that your building is as safe as possible after dark. This will help you to avoid trespassing or entry by those who may want to deprive you of goods or equipment. In these cases, your system should help you to identify the perpetrator, rather than just alerting you to their presence.

Productivity

You may work in an industry that runs on very narrow margins, and in this case, productivity is everything. You may need to monitor production lines to ensure that everyone is pulling their weight, including supervisors and line managers. As you pay attention here, you can find some weak spots and make sure that everybody knows their work ethic is being monitored.

Priority

Once you have narrowed down your shopping list you will need to prioritise so that you always get the right solution.

Technology

Modern-day surveillance cameras are very sophisticated. You can choose a solution that can tilt, pan and zoom automatically to gather as much granular detail as possible during any incident. You may need this level of data if you have to take an individual to court but should check with a lawyer in your jurisdiction to see what is admissible and what is not. In particular, don't forget to check the latest data protection regulations emanating from Europe, as they may regulate how you use the information stored in your CCTV system.

Monitoring

Are you going to need a control room to monitor all of these cameras, or should you outsource this to a specialist service? You might be able to do this yourself by using a smart phone app, but either way you must ensure that the authorities are notified immediately in the event of any breach.

Installation

When you're ready to move forward, make sure that you get a qualified and experienced electrician to install your system properly.