Integrator of the Month: Damar Security Systems
Each month SSI highlights one of the security industry’s most progressive integrators that has participated in the SSI Summit. This month is Damar Security Systems.
This department spotlights some of the security industry’s most progressive integrators that have participated in the SSI Summit. This exclusive, invitation-only event is held annually in conjunction with the Total Tech Summit, which includes hundreds more integrators from the residential and commercial A/V fields.
This month, SSI hears from Damar Security Systems President Chris Currie.
Chris Currie
LEADERSHIP STATEMENT
Damar Security Systems was started by my parents back in 1970 and I joined the company full-time in 1999 after graduating with an IT diploma. That has certainly proven beneficial given how so much of this industry has become networked and connected. I also learned early on that RMR is the lifeblood of our industry and we have worked hard to attach that to everything we do. What I enjoy most about the security industry is the people — both clients and colleagues. I like touring new client facilities to learn more about them and their business. I also know if I ever have a problem or need information I can reach out to industry colleagues who are usually more than willing to help out.
TOP 3 CHALLENGES
1. COVID-19. For the first time we had to lay people off , but thankfully have everyone back after about three months. We have dealt with the pandemic by having as many staff as possible work remotely, with the goal of protecting our monitoring stations as best we could.
2. Attrition related to COVID-19. While we have experienced an increase of cancellations, it thankfully has not been as bad as initially thought. Anytime we have a client looking to cancel due to COVID we have a conversation to try and keep them onboard. If it’s for financial reasons, we offer to defer their payments.
3. Working with reduced client budgets. Once the pandemic hit and businesses started to recognize a reduction or elimination of revenue, we saw several projects put on hold and then ultimately cancelled. We have worked with clients and managed to get projects back on track with a reduced scope of work, but in other cases projects have been cancelled completely.
TOP 3 OPPORTUNITIES
1. Cloud-based solutions. The ability to have hosted or managed solutions in the Cloud will greatly simplify the experience for clients as well as open opportunities that did not exist previously. For example, the reduced upfront capital expenditure by streaming video directly to the Cloud versus a traditional recorder is massive.
2. Video analytics. We are seeing the transition from passive video surveillance to active systems that can detect and trigger alarm events as reliably as traditional motion detectors. This allows viewing and acting on events in real-time rather than the next day.
3. IT & cybersecurity. With the systems we provide becoming network-based it’s a natural evolution to offer network health monitoring and cybersecurity to clients. This also lends itself well to our core focus of generating RMR.
TOP 3 DIFFERENTIATORS
At Damar Security Systems, we operate under the EOS (entrepreneurial operating system) model, and there is a component within EOS called “Three Uniques”. We have identified our “Three Uniques” as “Our People, Our Purpose, and Our Passion.”
Our People. We feel that hands down we have the best people in the industry, and this is reflected in our client reviews. Every time we receive a review that rates us a 9 or a 10 out of 10, the comments are always about our staff, and never about the product or service we have provided to the client. Our staff continuously exceed our clients’ expectations.
Our Purpose. We ensure that we are doing the best job we can for our clients to meet their needs. We have a five-step proven process that we follow when providing solutions to our clients and we follow the proven process every time to help ensure we produce the same result. The first step is the discovery phase, where we meet with the client to do a needs assessment – why are we meeting today? The second step is the design phase, where we take the information we learned in the discovery phase to put the solution together. The third step is the solution presentation phase, where we review the proposed solution to ensure it will meet the client’s needs. After the solution presentation comes the implementation phase and this is when our technicians install the solution. The fifth and final step we feel is the most important one, and that is the follow-up & review phase. Basically, did we do what we said we were going to do for the client, and does the solution address the client’s needs? If we did – awesome! If we missed the mark, then we go back, review and correct.
Our Passion. This identifies our reason for being, why we exist and is aspirational in nature. We have identified our passion as “We Save Lives and Protect Property.” It is important for our staff to remember how important our work is, and we also believe that this is what we can be the best in the world at doing.
For more info on the SSI and Total Tech Summit, which will now feature VIP peer-to-peer networking groups, visit totaltechsummit.com.
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