Blog - Enterprising Solutions

Over the years, I have noticed that punch lists get longer and longer, often through no fault of the integrator, the equipment, or the installation. The reasons for this are varied, but I suspect the main one is a reluctance to let the integrator move on.

When specifying a project, the term "or approved equal" (OAE) comes up often. We frequently find it easier to describe a specific make and model than force the bidder to decide what we are looking for from a detailed list of specifications.

I didn't attend ASIS 2011, and I suspect many of you didn't either. No, I didn't boycott the show, and I think it's a great industry event. But, like you, I have had to focus on why I attend trade shows and how many of them I need to attend.

I received an E-mail blast from a CCTV manufacturer today describing a new five-point plan aimed to overhaul its technical support and customer service. Four of the five points were in line with expectations for a high-end company in the electronic security industry, but I suspect that the bulk of the objections the manufacturer hears will come from just one of the points it mentions.

It seems to me that clients often measure the performance of an integrator by how well the company cleans up the metaphorical messes its made. I suspect that this is one, if not THE most important, factor when considering job performance and customer satisfaction. In fact, for many, this defines the actual quality of the installation.

Based on some comments I have received from a surprising number of manufacturers, I'm going to write a "CCTV 101" type blog.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned that innovation seemed in short supply at ISC West this year. That's not to say there wasn't anything new, just that you had to dig further to find it. So, digging I went ...

In this blog, Grossman tackles what integrators can do when confronted with a bad RFP developed by a consultant ...

I'm a big fan of the ISC West trade show, which is held in Las Vegas each year at the beginning of April. That being said, the show this year, at least for me, was more about what wasn't there ...

In an upcoming study featured in SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION's April 2011 issue, research shows integrators are still using coax in 39 percent of new installations, so there is going to be a lot of coax out there for the near future ...