Security System for Warehouses to get Complete Visibility

A guide to choosing the best security system for warehouses

Warehouses are a crucial part of commercial businesses. Trusting these facilities with valuable assets and inventory makes warehouses responsible for their safety, security, and quality maintenance. To maintain a good reputation in the industry and improve customer satisfaction, warehouse owners should invest in warehouses’ security systems.

With large areas to cover and expensive goods to store, warehouses can become easy targets of miscreants trying to steal some goods or cause destruction around the premises. Investing in a security system for warehouses enables employers to get complete visibility of their premises and regulate any unauthorized occurrences. 

Security requirements of a warehouse and logistics facility

Access control

When considering a list of best warehouse security practices, access control takes the lead. Managing who enters the warehouse and gets access to the inventory, you can adjust permissions remotely. Managers can monitor ground operations and stay updated on their regular movements. 

Warehouse managers can use RFID-based door sensors that do not allow entry to personnel without identity verification. Surveillance solutions across all access points regulate the entry of unauthorized people. The system also reduces the possibility of tailgating and social engineering since one needs a pass or ID card to get accessibility.

Supply chain visibility

Over the years, multiple methods of gaining visibility of products and packages have been made easier with the advent of digital systems. Shifting from records based on manually written scripts, today, the use of barcodes, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) have provided an efficient way to scan items. 

Barcodes require the packages to be in the line of sight. They have a limited distance of impact and direct the workforce to scan every individual item. On the other hand, RFID tags do not need products to be in the line of sight. Depending on their types, passive RFID readers have a short read range and require tons of readers to secure the warehouse. While active RFID readers have a great read extent, their use is limited due to high costs and installation complexity. BLE-based Beacon solutions are similar to active RFID readers but operate on Bluetooth Low Energy, making them exceptionally efficient.

Keeping in mind the type of organizational structure and size of the warehouse, you can decide your warehouses’ best security system.

Motion detection

Another significant benefit induced by a security system for warehouses is detecting any unauthorized motion across the site. The sensors attached inside the premises can indicate managers as real-time alerts on the phone or other devices when there is movement on the premises. This solution is essential for warehouses at times when no one should be around.

Remoter notification technology

With fast pacing operations and an equally rapid spread of the pandemic has driven us towards an era of remote monitoring. This solution allows information access anywhere, as long as you have a digital interface and internet connectivity. 

The remote notification technology ensures that managers receive real-time notifications via e-mail or SMS in the attempts of any unauthorized behaviour. This solution doesn’t require managers’ physical presence on-site and provides a more innovative and safer mechanism to regulate the site operations.

Things to keep in mind before investing in a security system for warehouses

Budget

The prices of different CCTV cameras and their complete solutions vary considerably depending on the type of system and features. With quick advancements in technology over the past decade, essential IP camera solutions have become affordable for the majority. However, associated solutions like RFID tracking solutions can promote additional expenditure that a user may or may not be equipped to invest. 

Your budget plays a major deciding factor while choosing the best security system for warehouses and the package (different packages have cloud facilities for different periods). 

Camera resolution

Footage recorded, images and videos captured are only beneficial to users if they show precisely what is happening and who is responsible for it. A highly pixelated video of an intruder entering the warehouse and setting it on fire can leave the warehouse destroyed without indications about the intruder’s identity. 

A camera is only valid as long as its resolution limitations don’t distort the evidence. For warehouses, which can be deemed as high-risk areas, CCTV cameras of a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels are recommended. 

Keep in mind that these cameras are crucial for identifying culprits and assists as evidence in court. 

Field of vision

The field of view is the area that a single camera can cover, depending on the lens’s size or adjustability. Cameras with wide lenses and a fixed field of vision allow users to maintain surveillance over any high-risk areas with moving the focus away. Other cameras with adjustable lenses enable users to pan, tilt, and zoom the camera, replacing multiple camera usage in an area. While these cameras are flexible, they are not the most appropriate for susceptible areas, as their constant movement can lead to blind spots, making the place vulnerable.

Depending on the area’s sensitivity, the budget limitations, and the extent to cover, users can decide on the type of camera they prefer. 

Professional monitoring

Even with technological advancements, owners still put a lot of their trust in man-guarding. Depending on whether your warehousing facility has multiple surveillance staff on ground duty, you can invest in an integrated solution that enables your surveillance staff to monitor the site and ensure its safety without coming in harm’s way. 

Professional CCTV monitoring ensures that the warehouse is being monitored by trained staff in real-time. These security guards receive notifications in unauthorized presence, verify the incident and alert the police if needed.

The integration enables users to control their overall expenditure on security guards and upgrade the premises’ security.

Power supply and backup

Security devices like cameras and sensors need a power source to run. In the event of a power outage, these devices can shut down, leaving the premises vulnerable to intruders. Even a two-minute window would be enough to put the assets and employees in danger. 

Network requirements

IP cameras and smart sensors are cloud-based devices that require network connectivity to transmit data between destinations. Depending on the premise’s bandwidth capabilities, especially in warehouses located on the city’s outskirts, there are limitations to the wireless solutions integrated into such places.

Conclusion

A security system for warehouses drives operations and organizational performance efficiency while creating a peaceful environment for the workforce. 

With multiple solutions available in the market, investors have the complete freedom to customize a solution according to their requirements, enabling superior surveillance.

IGZY’s warehouse security solution enables managers to conduct employee appraisals remotely, anytime. Our solution enhances your productivity by taking away your concern for your warehouse’s security with cloud-based services and edge analytics.

Does the absence of a proactive warehouse solution bother you? We have the perfect solution for you. Contact us today and we’ll walk you through our platform!