4.09.2008

10 Qualities Your Systems Integrator Should Have

Reprinted from SecurityMagazine.com April 2008 cover story Goodbye Handshake; Hello Contract
by Bill Zalud
April 1, 2008

According to Noelle Britton of Siemens Building Technologies, Inc., you should expect that your integrator will guide you toward a custom solution tailored to meet your needs.
  1. Desire to develop long-term partnerships. The strength of an integrator is measured by the ability to develop long-term strategic partnerships with you.

  2. Segment-specific knowledge. It is imperative that your integrator knows your business as well as you do.

  3. Certification. Your integrator should promote a culture of continuing education that focuses on bringing value back to you, the customer. Certification assures you that the integrator’s staff has a deep knowledge of the industry and products/platforms.

  4. IT/IP knowledge. With the convergence of physical security and IT, and the abundance of IP products on the market, your integrator must know how to converge these two silos.

  5. Exceptional customer service. It is not enough for your integrator to simply design and install your security system.

  6. Broad organizational capabilities. Your integrator should have the capabilities to deliver a solution on a global, national level and a local level. Integrators with such breadth can share best demonstrated practices between staff and across regions and markets.

  7. Best-in-breed portfolio. Security integrators need to have a robust portfolio of best-in-breed products that can accommodate different customers.

  8. ESP. While no one can predict the future, your integrator should keep a watchful eye on how your business grows and evolves so that your security solution adapts with it.

  9. Financial stability. You are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on a longer-term perspective. To that end, you should take into account the stability of an integrator.

  10. Industry knowledge. It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised at the number of integrators who don’t have an extensive knowledge of the industry.

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