What mistakes do systems integrators often make?

Systems integrators (SI), by the very nature of their business, are representatives that manufacturers rely on to reach the end users. Depending on how the SI chooses to present a principal’s products, end users will have an impression on the manufacturer and their products.

As such, this means the SI’s business is a balancing act, between understanding the offerings of the manufacturer and the satisfying the requirements of the customer. This is not easy, given that the former keeps innovating with new products almost every other day and the latter demands lower cost and higher value.

With such pressure over them, it is inevitable that SIs make some mistakes in their approaches towards fulfilling projects. These can either be technical or in terms of their business strategies, but what is important is that at times such mistakes can prove to be crucial in a work environment. Fortunately, manufacturers themselves are willing to provide certain guidelines pointing out where the usual mistakes are and how they can be corrected.

For this article, we asked several manufacturers what they would like to see SIs do less and why. The answers were interesting and here we present them to you.

Training too few

The training that manufacturers offer is quite important for the SI. For this reason, most SIs send their employees to the solution providers to be up to date with the latest in technology and business. However, some SIs tend to limit the training to a few technicians according to Tyco Security Products. This can prove costly in short and long term as it is critical that all the technicians at an SI’s business receive ample training to stay on top of the latest technology.

“Integrators sometimes feel that having a few technicians in their organization trained is sufficient, as it is often a decision to sacrifice time spent in the field in favor of time in the classroom for training,” Perry Levine, Sr. Product Manager, Software House at Tyco Security Products. “It is crucial that ALL technicians are properly trained and certified, for both installations and future service calls. It can be assumed that, if they are trained on one product, they are knowledgeable on all products, and if they were trained on an older version, no additional training is required. As security solutions become more IT-centric, it is necessary to stay current with the latest upgrades and new technology. To continue to serve customers well and to grow their business, it is important that integrators continue to invest in ongoing training for all technicians.”

Give importance to standards over value

In today’s security industry, there is a lot of stress on standards-based solutions. Although this is key to taking the industry forward, such debates often overshadow the importance of providing value to the customer.Marwan Khoury, Regional Marketing Manager at Axis Communications pointed this out as he explained his perspectives on what SIs should be doing less of.

“To focus less on standards and data sheets when offering customers options and instead focus more on the value of quality that is placed during all phases of design to production and delivery of the technology,” said Khoury. “This focus better positions SIs in ensuring customers receive products that enjoy expanded lifetimes with a lower total cost of ownership with minimized business disruptions."

Delay in contacting manufacturers

It is natural for SIs run into difficulties in their line of work, especially in terms of the technical aspects at hand. Ideally, when hitting a roadblock SIs should contact the manufacturer as early as possible so that issues can be resolved efficiently. However, Mitchell Kane, President of Vanderbilt Industries pointed out that this is not always the case. At times, SIs bring up the issues too late and this causes unnecessary complications. Kane added that this becomes even more catastrophic if the technicians that the SI sends are not well-educated on the topic.

“In some instances, it may take too long to escalate issues,” Kane said. “ Often, manufacturers are not contacted for assistance until the end user has reached a boiling point. Most issues can be resolved in short order if the manufacturer is engaged right away. Additionally, SI’s may not consult the manufacturer during the scoping phase of a custom interface or third-party integration, which may have an effect on delivery. Underestimated efforts serve no one’s best interest. Finally, at times SI’s dispatch untrained technicians to a client’s site, which can be a recipe for disaster.”

Kane added that many manufacturers have both online and in-person training programs in place to help avoid potential problems, and SI’s should take full advantage of these opportunities. This supplements the the first point from Tyco that all technicians in an SI business should receive training.

Sell technology over solutions

Security is no longer about a bunch of cameras placed around a site connected to a recorder. The industry has moved much beyond that, to the extent that security solutions are now the answers to several non-security challenges. In many cases, security installations are key to a business’ performance and hence the priority is high. SIs should understand these while providing service and focus on solutions, according to Verint Systems.

“Often times, integrators are still too focused on selling technology (the speeds and feeds) rather than selling solutions,” Kevin Wine, Vice President of Marketing at Verint Systems. “In today’s market, the word ‘security’ no longer means installing cameras on the perimeter of a building. Rather, it involves securing corporate networks, personnel, and sensitive data. Therefore, it is imperative that systems integrators invest in IT expertise and continuing education across their business lines so they can specify comprehensive solutions that can help solve customer challenges today and into the future."

Ensuring right solutions under challenging conditions

These, by no means, are easy times for systems integrators. Technological advancements are moving at a fast pace and customers are increasingly being exposed to them, creating ever-complex demands from the market. Unfortunately there is an ambiguity with regards to how the SIs should function.

This means that it is ever-more easy for the SI to make mistakes. Manufacturers, however, are ready to help SIs in this regard as helping the latter helps their businesses too. As more technological developments like IoT and deep learning strengthen their hold over the security industry, it would be interesting to see how SIs deal with the challenges and difficulties.