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Our clients ask us to
support the bid process for their Electronic Security Systems (CCTV, Access
Control, Alarm Point Monitoring) to ensure they get what they need (and pay for).
This section includes article on assessing bids and integrators to help your
project succeed.
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Please note that this is copyrighted material
and is presented here for your personal use. Reprint information is
available from the respective publications. |
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format, you will need a copy of Adobe® Reader® 6.0 or
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Matchmaker, Matchmaker...by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
May
2007 --
In operating a consulting company,
one of my challenges is to find suitable partners for our clients. It’s not
about arranging marriages (or other encounters); the aim is to identify the
right integrators to bid on a project.
The goal is to get as many qualified
bidders as possible to ensure the process is competitive and the quality
level will be roughly comparable regardless of the vendor selected. |
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Casino System Leaves Nothing to Chance by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
September
2007 --
The video surveillance installation
at Odawa Casino, located near the waters of Lake Michigan in Petoskey,
Mich., was such a project. The design included two control rooms and
auxiliary monitoring locations, encompassing a new casino, parking
structure, special events area and a remote waste water treatment plant. All
of it secured with full integration between video, access control and other
gaming systems. While I’d like to say I was pleasantly surprised, all of us
involved with this project genuinely knew it would succeed from the start. |
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When Not Just any Integrator Will Do by Robert Grossman,
Campus Safety Magazine,
July/August 2007 --
As a CCTV and other security consulting
company that often works with hospitals, schools and universities, our goal
is to get as many qualified integrators so the process of bidding on a
safety and security project is competitive and the quality level will be
roughly comparable, regardless of the vendor selected. |
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Picking a Partner...Harmoniously by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
June
2007 --
Last month’s column (“Matchmaker,
Matchmaker …”) focused on the first steps involved in choosing the right
integrator for your project. I reviewed the process of selecting prospective
bidders for your bid list and outlined how to ensure participation. As
promised, this month I’ll take the discussion to its logical conclusion:
supporting the bid process, evaluating the bids and selecting a partner. |
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Interview is Critical to Vendor Selection
by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
July
2006 --
Last month, we discussed the increasing use of the RFQ,
or “Request for Qualifications,” process by end users in the CCTV business to whittle down the
number of consultants, integrators and even manufacturers they’re willing to
consider on their project. Often, the RFQ leads to a request that a proposal
for services is submitted, but there’s often one more step: the interview.
In fact, the interview is a critical part of almost every vendor selection
process. Sometimes it takes the form of a sales call, a meeting at a trade
show, or a telephone conversation, but there’s no escaping the need for a
personal exchange. |
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Writing and Responding to RFQs
by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
June
2006
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More and more CCTV projects are issuing “Requests for
Qualifications” (RFQs) to whittle down the number of consultants,
integrators and even manufacturers they’re willing to consider on their
project. Let's take a look at how to evaluate what data is meaningful as an
end-user and how much information a respondent may want to provide. |
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Narrowing the Field by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
March 2006 --
Narrowing the field of prospective vendors and integrators
for the Mystic Lake Casino Digital CCTV System installation. |
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Trust Me
- A Guide to Honest Salespeople
by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
November 2005 --
A CCTV salesperson is at odds with the end user. As the
salesperson's job is not necessarily to help solve problems as it is to sell
a video surveillance system product. This column will help guide you to spot
the right salesperson to fit your needs. |
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Subcontracting - Friend or Foe
by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
October 2005 --
When hiring an integrator to install your video surveillance system, they
may not be doing the installation alone - they may hire subcontractors. Find
out how this can be positive and negative. |
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Look
for the Hidden Costs in Contracts
by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
April 2005
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A contract is there to ensure both parties understand and agree to the work
that needs to be done, that expectations are met and the end user gets the
value they are looking for. |
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Checking References Takes A Personal Touch by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
December 2004
-- Surprisingly, few end users know what to check for when asking for
references — if they bother checking them at all. This is perhaps the
greatest opportunity to separate the winners from the losers, and easily the
one used least frequently. |
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Warranties and Service Contracts: To Buy
or Not to Buy? by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
August 2004
-- We are in a golden age of electronics. Never have
there been so many features packed into products that cost so little and
work so well. And, since this trend has been building for many years,
there’s every reason to believe it will continue. Consider this when
evaluating service plans, extended warranties and maintenance contracts. |
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What the Sales Pitch Won't Tell You About
Digital Needs
by Robert Grossman,
Security Sales & Integration,
July 2004 -- Forget about pixels, file sizes and bandwidth for a
moment, and concentrate on the things that will matter when you justify your
investment. Your application will determine what is important to you and
what compromises you’ll make. |
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Consultants: Time to End the
Confusion
by Robert Grossman, Security Sales & Integration,
March 2004 -- Webster’s Dictionary defines a “consultant” as “a
person who gives professional or expert advice.” But, with that definition,
isn’t just about everyone a consultant? |
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