Are your Lines Getting Crossed? Here’s why it’s a Good Thing

Never before have we seen such a rapid synthesis of business processes, technologies and goals as the one that is taking place in this digital age. At ISC East, there was a lot of discussion about how clear lines around roles and responsibilities of physically security/LP/AP and IT are being crossed. While this shift of traditional roles and responsibilities is the source of some discomfort and a significant learning curve, this line-crossing is maximizing technology for benefits across the entire organization and helping companies prepare to grapple with the next generation of security challenges.

Consider video, for example. Historically used almost exclusively in the security realm and notoriously reactionary (think scanning through hours and hours of recorded video to identify the 30-second incident of interest), video is quickly becoming one of the most widely used sources of data for the entire retail organization. The transformation has been a long time coming, but video has finally arrived! Robust video management systems (VMS) make video accessible via mobile devices in real time, and enable auto-alerts when video footage meets a given criteria. Today video is interactive, valuable and available to users across retail. Security teams are able to see incidents as they happen. Analytics are able to extract new value from video for marketing, operations, merchandising and more. Previously locked in a tower of unusability, video has been set free with the power of analytics and the momentum continues to build. More manufacturers compete to make smart video applications, and as more advanced technologies become available, more retailers invest in them. With this momentum, the industry continues to push the envelope.

Just as these advanced technologies are delivering novel solutions, they are also opening the door to new challenges. Cybersecurity is among the most daunting problems for retail. The threat of cyberattacks is putting extreme pressure on LP and IT to collaborate on cyber security and it’s pulling everyone out of their comfort zone. LP/AP teams must ensure that their technologies are carefully vetted with an eye toward security, that they are on top of the latest operating system updates, patches, fixes and alerts that may indicate breaches. IT needs to learn from LP/AP’s strengths in investigations, lock-down protocols and other best practices that should be in place to prevent damage in case of a breach.

Technology is not only changing the information that is available, but it’s changing the way departments communicate and collaborate. The best thing that employees can do is embrace change and be willing - even eager - to cross traditional role lines. This type of collaboration delivers better results and successful deployments. Don’t be afraid to cross the lines.

Read more about the alignment of various stakeholders when it comes to video technology.