Systems integration businesses need only look at their management and control platform to get a good idea of why they are—or aren’t—as profitable at control system design as they should be.
The interface is the customer experience—and it needs to provide control for a variety of services and should be robust enough to add functionality as the facility grows or needs change.
Think about the convenience and information your customer is looking for and deliver it in a single, cloud-hosted interface that offers everything in one place.
Market penetration for smart systems and automation continues to clip along, propelled by easy-to-access apps. In fact, residential is actually becoming an influencing factor on the commercial market, with some of the same technologies fostering ease of use and connectivity transferring to the commercial side.
No need for a separate control platform panel…
Commercial customers want to integrate as many functions in one place so they don’t have to learn different programs and remember multiple pass codes. Many control panels today include intrusion and access built in, yet systems integration businesses think they need to install a separate access control panel.
Why would you want to make your customer manage two separate databases when it isn’t necessary? Even better, why would they want to? They don’t, and it’s a major turnoff for them.
Envision how your end user will feel when they have to slog through three or more different interfaces for the services and devices in their building.
With the changing technology landscape, systems integration businesses need to simplify things for the customer, while adding new services they may need in the future quickly and seamlessly. That boils down to selecting the appropriate management control platform and interface for security and connected systems.
The sales presentation: better than competitors’
Think about your sales associate who visits a potential customer with the value proposition of delivering a single platform to control everything—when the competition can’t.
The presentation may go something like this:
‘I can make all your services work for you with a single control system design. Yes, all of them: intrusion, access control, video, energy management, critical environmental monitoring, mobile credentialing, guard tour and more.
‘No, you won’t need multiple programs or interfaces—you can do all this with one platform using a single login and no software to install or manage.’
What a unique value proposition! Even after entertaining bids from several companies, your prospect will remember that your company can give them one control platform to make systems and services easier to manage.
Related: One System by CCS Presentation Controls All the AV in Lenexa City Center
For systems integration businesses, integrating as many services into a single interface is a far better way to grow RMR and keep customers sticky.
There’s also intrinsic value in standardization. A good interface lets integrators standardize on the platform, yet still customize services while you maintain inventory control and avoid training and retraining technicians.
Also, a complete platform offers a way for dealers to support their customer base remotely through the dealer portal when required.
Control platform interfaces promote managed services…
A single interface that is more manageable for an integrator or more comprehensive for the customer’s IT director can do a better job of integrating or adding new services.
Think about all the possibilities for the different market verticals in which you do business. Integrating multiple services from one control platform or control system design is the perfect way to create managed service opportunities and higher profitability.
One interface can simplify things under one umbrella. Stop complicating your life and the life of your customer. That doesn’t add value. Instead, add services and data customers can use to make sound business decisions. That’s where the real value lies.
