Your business collects data on a daily basis. From sales transactions to inventory, companies rely on data they collect to uncover valuable insights and identify opportunities for improvement. The same concept should apply to your security systems. Surveillance footage from CCTV systems can be collected, stored and analysed to improve security in your business.

Unfortunately, many companies disregard footage that doesn't contain any events of interest, such as acts of theft or vandalism. However, all recorded footage can be analysed to detect behavioural patterns, calculate the likelihood of risk and prepare an appropriate response if a risk were to occur on your premises.

Here are several reasons why you should derive value from your recorded surveillance footage. 

1. Identify all risk factors

Threats to your business may occur in many different ways. In addition to thieves, you also face threats from unscrupulous employees, customers and even suppliers. If you simply wait for your CCTV cameras to detect violent or obvious acts of crime, you may not be able to identify all potential risks that your company faces.

Analysing recorded footage is an excellent way of developing a full risk profile of your business. You can use advanced data analysis techniques to analyse long hours of footage and identify potential risks.

For example, smart technology in your CCTV cameras can be used to detect facial features, traffic in certain parts of your business and patterns of movement. You can then use these features to develop algorithms that can uncover valuable insights. 

2. Reduce costs

Once you're fully aware of all the threats you need to deal with, you can develop a cost-effective strategy for keeping your business safer. For example, you may not need to have three security cameras in the parking area of your premises, as one or two may be enough to maintain surveillance.

You can also dedicate more resources to higher-risk areas such as storage rooms or areas where customers are always present. Following a targeted approach to your surveillance strategy allows you to save costs while keeping the business safer.

3. Respond to threats quicker

Analysing surveillance footage gives you accurate insights regarding the threats you might face. You can then use this information to plan for an effective response in case a threat was to happen.

For example, if you know that your business is at risk of an armed robbery, you may decide to hire a private security company that you can contact for an immediate response.