This was a question laid to us by the Fleet Surveillance Manager and after taking it to the various groups in LinkedIn and reading all the responses, I found that my opinion of the question was reinforced by what everyone had to say.
At the end of the day, Surveillance or any other retail CCTV operations, is not a profit making or revenue generating department. We are essentially a loss prevention entity, which safeguards assets and ensures minimal to zero loss through proactive monitoring and implementation of various procedures, policies and measures to minimise any form of loss via theft, fraud, cheater activity, etc.
The problem arises in Surveillance and Security are often lumped into the same pot and treated as such. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Each discipline has its own separate paths and operates on two different and distinct levels. To further exacerbate the situation is the lack of awareness and ignorance that other departments have of Surveillance. As far as they are aware, we just sit and ‘watch TV’ while waiting to answer the telephone. Very few senior managers and department heads make the time and effort to educate themselves about Surveillance, its function, purpose and the benefits inherent to having an active and well managed Surveillance Department.
In many instances, Surveillance is seen as the enemy or some kind of evil entity which should be destroyed at the first available opportunity. The misunderstanding and ignorance of the Surveillance function is readily apparent when staff reductions and budget cuts are being discussed. For many the lack of perceived revenue generated overshadows the money saved in terms of litigation, theft, fraud and money saved through preventative measures.
Most of what Surveillance does is intangible. At times no cost or monetary value can be assigned to the relevant function, how can this be assigned to a preventative function/measure? When cost or monetary value is assigned to a certain incident or function, then this is diligently recorded by Surveillance but once again, a lawsuit saved due to surveillance reporting and footage is not recorded as a ‘win’ for Surveillance. So at the end of the day, the accountants/senior management get reports from Surveillance stating that they have saved X amount of money but what is not recorded is the amount of money saved when at litigation and from implemented preventative measures. It is this, sometimes intangible, amount which goes a long way to show that Surveillance is not only necessary but is needed in retaining the profits made.
This opinion does not even touch upon other facets of Surveillance such as ensuring customer safety, safety at work, etc. The Surveillance department is a powerful compliance and auditing tool which when used effectively and understood properly, goes a long way to enhancing a company and all those who interact with it.
At the end of the day, Surveillance or any other retail CCTV operations, is not a profit making or revenue generating department. We are essentially a loss prevention entity, which safeguards assets and ensures minimal to zero loss through proactive monitoring and implementation of various procedures, policies and measures to minimise any form of loss via theft, fraud, cheater activity, etc.
The problem arises in Surveillance and Security are often lumped into the same pot and treated as such. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Each discipline has its own separate paths and operates on two different and distinct levels. To further exacerbate the situation is the lack of awareness and ignorance that other departments have of Surveillance. As far as they are aware, we just sit and ‘watch TV’ while waiting to answer the telephone. Very few senior managers and department heads make the time and effort to educate themselves about Surveillance, its function, purpose and the benefits inherent to having an active and well managed Surveillance Department.
In many instances, Surveillance is seen as the enemy or some kind of evil entity which should be destroyed at the first available opportunity. The misunderstanding and ignorance of the Surveillance function is readily apparent when staff reductions and budget cuts are being discussed. For many the lack of perceived revenue generated overshadows the money saved in terms of litigation, theft, fraud and money saved through preventative measures.
Most of what Surveillance does is intangible. At times no cost or monetary value can be assigned to the relevant function, how can this be assigned to a preventative function/measure? When cost or monetary value is assigned to a certain incident or function, then this is diligently recorded by Surveillance but once again, a lawsuit saved due to surveillance reporting and footage is not recorded as a ‘win’ for Surveillance. So at the end of the day, the accountants/senior management get reports from Surveillance stating that they have saved X amount of money but what is not recorded is the amount of money saved when at litigation and from implemented preventative measures. It is this, sometimes intangible, amount which goes a long way to show that Surveillance is not only necessary but is needed in retaining the profits made.
This opinion does not even touch upon other facets of Surveillance such as ensuring customer safety, safety at work, etc. The Surveillance department is a powerful compliance and auditing tool which when used effectively and understood properly, goes a long way to enhancing a company and all those who interact with it.
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