UN

LOCK

ED

Five Tips For Beginning a Campus Security Project from Convergint’s Micah Carlson

This is an excerpt from the UNLOCKED podcast, a series from ASSA ABLOY about campus physical security. Listen to the whole episode and learn how to start and budget for your physical security project at www.intelligentopenings.com/unlocked

Start by answering the questions:

Which departments will be affected? Which departments have budget for this type of project?

Involve them from the start.

#1

Walk around and do a quality check on your own before engaging an outsider.

Look for older facilities; they can come with difficulties, especially for doors and access controls.

Take note of the condition of hinges, doors and locks; time and 18- to 24-year-olds can do a number on them.

#2

Next, talk with a security expert you can trust.

They might not be easy to find, but they’ll be incredibly valuable.

Find someone who is in the industry, goes to the security shows, talks to manufacturers, knows the standards and keeps up with industry trends.

#3

Basic cost estimates are easy to get from providers.

But there’s so much more that goes into large-scale security projects. A decent amount of due diligence is required; there is no one-size-fits-all.

Everything’s custom in this industry. And it requires a lot more legwork than most end users are prepared for.

#4

Finally, watch out for factors that will impact your timeline.

Just the color of the lock alone can immediately bring in all types of variables that weren’t otherwise foreseen.

Not only can this impact the budget, it can also significantly impact the schedule, depending on manufacturer’s lead times.

#5

UN

LOCK

ED

Listen to the UNLOCKED podcast and learn how to start and budget for your campus physical security project at www.intelligentopenings.com/unlocked