On any given construction site, there might be millions of dollars in assets stored on the property which is why security and safety are major concerns for any construction site manager. For many project managers, security begins and ends with a few cheap security cameras. The expectation is that this is enough to thwart most criminals from their activities.
The reality however is despite being smaller, more powerful, and cheaper than ever before, a few standalone construction cameras won’t be enough to keep your assets safe. Let’s look at a few other expectations site managers may have about construction cameras and what the reality truly is.
Simple isn’t Always Better
A camera system that can be set up easily by anyone following an instruction manual may be cheaper, but it certainly isn’t going to see a high return on investment (ROI). While the expectation of cost savings of a DIY solution is attractive in the short term, the reality is that most of these off-the-shelf solutions cannot stand up to the conditions of a typical construction project. These off-the-shelf solutions are also one-size-fits-all to lower production costs. Unfortunately, not every job site can be effectively monitored by a cookie-cutter camera system.
Once compared to a fully customized job site monitoring solution that can provide much more than simply recording what transpires on a construction site, these off-the-shelf solutions can’t compete in the long term. Finding a solution that can do much more than record video, especially with a managed solution that includes support and additional functionality, is where the biggest ROI comes into play.
Catching Criminals isn’t the Only Goal
You might be forgiven if you think catching criminals is the main reason to employ construction cameras as part of your job site monitoring solution. While it is true that video surveillance can deter crime, modern job site monitoring solutions do quite a bit more. Along with AI and machine learning, modern construction cameras can enable you to use video data recorded by your monitoring solution to help make better decisions, improve safety on a job site, and keep track of valuable inventory.
Construction Cameras can be Long Term or Temporary
The expectation is that fixed placement cameras are best used for long-term surveillance, but the reality is less rigid. Because the initial deployment of the job site monitoring solution may require power and data cables to run, the cost was often prohibitive. Today’s construction site cameras feature technology that allows them to work in a variety of conditions, use alternative power sources, and upload to cloud storage. Technologies that eliminate many of the traditional upfront costs associated with setting up a state-of-the-art job site monitoring platform.
There are many expectations you may have about a remote monitoring solution and construction cameras. Often those expectations are based on outdated technology and poorly executed examples of what a remote monitoring solution can and should be. To get a better idea of what you can and should expect from your remote construction monitoring solution, call SiteKick to schedule a demonstration today.
