Building Security System Design: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Designing a security system must be carefully planned out so that the result will be fully compatible with the physical security needs of your facility. It is important to not get sidetracked when it comes to the purpose of a well-designed security system; it must protect your facility, your data, your assets, and your employees.

Stay clear of expensive gimmicks or time-consuming security projects that are not efficient. Fortunately, hiring a capable security system consultant team can aid you in finding the best solution for your facility or warehouse security to help you break down your security challenges.

Do Not Plan Building Security Design in the Early Stages

Once a crisis occurs, such as an act of theft or vandalism, it is natural to want to prevent this from happening again. The problem with this way of thinking is that decisions can then be made impulsively driven by an overreaction to the situation. This can consequently lead to a security system design that is not useful or appropriate and may be overkill.

Security system design consultants will make sure that the right security principles are being presented to you in real-time to make sure you make a calculated decision that will best serve your facility’s security needs.

Design Security System with Too Little Capacity

Designing a security system with too little capacity poses a potential security risk and can eventually become costly down the line.

For example, if your facility is designed to withstand a 45-card reader capacity because you only have 40 active card users at that given moment. When additional people join the facility over time, you may reach your capacity. This situation can lead to a restructuring of the security system throughout the facility because the current system may not be compatible with newer equipment.

Another situation can occur where facilities design a security system that complies with standard security regulations. Still, these don’t take into account the location of the facility, the goods warehoused, the data stored, or other factors which may require a facility to have a more robust security system in place to meet the challenges.

The solution rests within finding that balance that will safeguard your facility perfectly. It is key for your security system to rise to the challenge and be aware of potential threats or security breaches that may occur at any given time. A security system consultant can help you properly secure your facility with the most up-to-date and suitable security designs according to your facility’s unique needs. It is wise to remember that an inadequate security system can become a cumbersome burden financially and leave your business prone to unnecessary risks.

Design Security System with Too Much Capacity

Another common security system faux pas can be that the design is too complex or contains too much capacity— at which point it can be fiscally burdensome and unnecessary. When designing a security system, it is paramount to recognize your needs and understand that less is more.

For example, imagine a company head office requires an access control system for 40 employees. Then later the CEO of a said company decides that they want to leave room for potential new arrivals and overshoots and adds 1,000 card readers. When the number of people that require access never exceeds 100, this is a classic security mistake that can be costly and complicated in the long run. This type of mistake can then become a real financial crisis when it comes time to update the access controls and hundreds of readers are in excess.

Unfortunately, this issue can also open the door to poorly integrated systems that, when an upgrade needs to be made, makes it quasi-impossible and the whole system needs to be retrofitted or replaced. This can then lead to security breaches, threats, and risks that would never be present if the system had been properly designed to scale.

Poorly integrated security systems or security systems with too much capacity often go unnoticed by upper management until the situation has reached a critical boiling point. The solution is simply to implement a flexible security system platform that is integrated from the ground up from the start.

Ignore the Human Factor

A security design must also take into account the human factor that can play a great role in the implementation of a security system, while also weighing the risks that can occur at the hands of human error.

Many situations can arise from co-workers sharing keys, subsequently losing key cards, writing or sharing passwords in easy-to-find locations, or just accidentally leaving doors open for potential threats to just waltz in.

It is important to train your staff on the appropriate dos and don'ts when it comes to protecting your facility to ensure that no security breaches occur. This ties in directly with prevention and that can bolster your building’s safety by knowing that your staff is properly trained and vigilant to outside threats.

The solution boils down to proper, regular, and informative training sessions with your staff to ensure that everyone is in the know when it comes to safety and security practices. The training sessions must also include different types of scenarios that are directly linked to each specific field. For example, a nuclear facility will not require the same type of safety and security drill as a machinery warehouse.

Design a Security System that Is Too Complicated

This happens frequently, as building managers often opt for top-of-the-line security products that they are underutilized by the staff who may not fully understand the complicated equipment put in place.

A security consultant’s prime duty is to design a system that is efficient and user-friendly to avoid wasting resources. It is important to be sensitive in understanding that not every employee is tech-savvy and may require additional training hours for a system that is perhaps not entirely needed. A sophisticated security system must only be put in place if it falls in line with the building security design needs.

Underestimate Proper Security System Integration

A building security design must take into consideration the flexibility of the security system in terms of integration. When running two or more systems conformity issues can undoubtedly arise, which is why it is key to turn to experts. Security design consultants who can properly integrate a video surveillance system with an access control system seamlessly to ensure the best results.

Not Take Full Advantage of the Security System Installed

Building security design can transform your warehouse into a state-of-the-art secure facility, however, if the security products are not properly utilized then you may be throwing your money out of the window. It is important not to simply have a security system but rather have a security system that works for you to reap the benefits of this precious investment. It is important to make sure that your staff is well-versed in using the security system in place.

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, common mistakes in building security designs are easily prevented by choosing the right security system consultant team. When you need experts that can design the perfect security system and ensure smooth integration between all your different types of security systems, turn to our team at Forbel!