The South African security distribution industry is changing. In the past, customers were looking for large distribution houses that could offer everything from one supplier. Today, advances in technology and the complexity of installations are forcing installers, integrators and end users to require more than a simple box mover.
Security & Communication Warehouse (SCW) has been distributing security technology for over 15 years. CEO Pasco Lattuca says the company has realised that to serve its installer and integrator customers better, it needs to become a specialised distributor that adds value to the products it sells.
Understanding the change in market needs, Lattuca says SCW has evolved from a general to a specialised distributor catering to three product tiers. The three tiers can be described as follows:
* Tier 1 products are global brands that are well respected and offer a proven value proposition to consultants, integrators and end users.
* Tier 2 products are aimed at the cost-conscious buyer who wants good value for money, but also wants a reliable product. Many OEM products are located in this tier.
* Tier 3 products are mass-market products that are broadly available and at the lower end of the cost curve.
SCW focuses on the CCTV, access control and fire detection markets with products in all three of these tiers in order to be able to offer specialist services and expertise. It also stocks a range of perimeter and gate solutions, which it sub-distributes in order to be able to provide a full solution to clients.
Expanding south
As part of SCW’s expansion, the company is opening a Johannesburg office in Linbro Park in June this year. Lattuca says the move to Johannesburg is needed as there is a great opportunity in this region for the products and services SCW provides. Currently, the company is well known in Pretoria, Centurion and Midrand where it has been operating for many years, but it is still seen as a small player in the Johannesburg area.
The Linbro office will be a showroom in which clients can view the products live, and they will also have the option to join SCW experts in the design room to obtain assistance in designing their installations in the most effective manner. Lattuca says this will not be a retail-type shop, but has been designed to add value in more complex projects.
Product tiers
In selecting the products it sells and supports, Lattuca says SCW does its homework and looks for products that will deliver good value over the long term from companies that have staying power. SCW has relationships that have lasted over 10 years with most of its suppliers. Their latest being Canon, who came on board in 2013.
The products SCW offers in the Tier 1 space include Canon hardware and Mirasys software. These are both internationally renowned brands. To date, SCW’s largest project has been the installation of Mirasys to manage over 1300 cameras at the University of Johannesburg. In the access control space, Controlsoft is SCW’s tier 1 product; while the Napco range of products is offered for the fire industry.
The products available in Tier 2 include Dynacolor, Digi-IT and HDPro, all reliable, cost-effective surveillance solutions. In the access space, SCW sells the Fingertec range of products.
Lattuca adds that supporting these products is critical to the value-add SCW offers its clients. To this end, the company runs the SCW Training Academy that offers accredited training courses, SCW Turnkey Projects that offers project-based solutions, and SCW Finance which assists in getting clients financing for their projects at the best rates.
With over 15 years in the security distribution game, SCW has built a reputation for delivering quality products and value-adding support services its clients require.
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