Any user, as a rule, initially ignores the fact that the video monitoring system requires maintenance. They don’t think about it and don’t include video surveillance systems maintenance costs (planned and unscheduled). I want to tell you about seven factors you need to pay attention to save money on service work.
Most of the technicians’ calls occur due to the elimination of errors made during the design and installation of the system. Does it mean that the user pays 2-3 times for the same work and equipment? Yes! How to kill the video monitoring system during installation is described in detail here.
Also, it is necessary to regularly prevent possible defects, which, in the future, may cause severe malfunctions in the system.
In some cases, it is necessary to upgrade or scale the system.
The most unpleasant expenses for video surveillance owners is system flaws elimination which arose during operation. Basically, in practice, users face the following problems:
The primary means of prevention is maintaining the cleanliness and serviceability of the glazing of the cameras. We are talking about lenses, glasses that separate the lens and IR illumination, light filters and other optics.
What heavy dirt and scratches case:
Preventive measures will include:
A modern video monitoring system should be easy to develop, upgrade and scale. For example, we are talking about replacing black-and-white cameras with colour ones, increasing equipment resolution (from 380 to 600 TVL), adding new equipment to the system.
Initially, the development of the system should be planned at the design stage.
Users of analog systems should call technicians to update and adjust the system. At the same time, network cameras + progressive software like Faceter are capable of automatic updates.
Thus, the maintenance of video surveillance systems can be quite costly.
The main factors affecting the cost of maintaining video monitoring systems and seven rules for saving on the service:
Each consumer may have his criteria for choosing equipment and its manufacturer. We do not recommend buying cheap, no-name equipment on AliExpress.
Since the video monitoring system consists of many elements and devices, to minimize maintenance costs, you need to choose the manufacturer that gives the most prolonged warranty period. You also need to pay attention to the location of service centres.
Similar selection criteria should apply to the selection of additional materials and equipment.
As the foundation of the system, the video surveillance project must consider the goals and objectives of the consumer. You also need to take into account the possibilities of maximum loads and scaling.
It is better to pay once for the system’s professional installation and its adjustment than to overpay for the alteration, agree?
If you do not include maximum loads in the control system, you can fail when they occur. Such problems often occur during the cold and dark seasons, when heating and backlighting are off. Testing an already installed system is the key to success.
It is crucial to train staff to work competently. Problems appear due to incorrect operation and untimely service.
Let’s be honest: any technically complex system requires maintenance, mainly if it includes optics. Video surveillance is no exception. Timeliness of prevention and service during the operation of video surveillance systems is a production necessity that requires individual costs. It will be best if you are prepared for them.
