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Solutions not product

Loss prevention managers looking for creative security solutions.

It seems that the price sensitive world of retail security has an emerging creative side, according to IMS Research’s latest end-user research on video surveillance and security in the retail market.

Historically, the retail market has been characterised by low prices and basic, easy-to-use security solutions. Although these remain critical success factors for the market, increasingly loss prevention managers are looking for creative, customised solutions to the key risks they deal with on a day-to-day basis.

According to report author, Ewan Lamont, “When we asked end-users what they were looking for in a systems integrator, the majority would say they were looking for companies that took the time to understand their business, ask them about their needs and provide specific solutions to their specific problems: making them feel valued. The biggest concern was regarding companies just pushing equipment sales and not looking at the bigger picture.

“Retailers look to the integrator – the security specialist – to take care of security so that they can continue selling and making money. They want a total solution, not just a security camera. Many retailers felt that integrators were falling short on meeting their specific needs, defaulting to generic security solutions, reducing the effectiveness and perceived success of a solution.”

This was a common concern from end-users throughout each of the vertical markets covered in the Vertical Insights report series, but was particularly prominent in the retail sector. With the systems integration market in retail estimated at around $5,5 billion worldwide in 2010, systems integrators that can provide more creative security solutions will have a great opportunity to take a bigger slice of this market.

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