The decision to move to an IP-based security platform can be triggered by a variety of things, but one of the driving factors can be a major renovation or expansion to a facility.
Having to make such a significant change in systems or surroundings gives an organization the opportunity to explore the latest technology and make investments in hardware and systems that will serve them well into the future.
When Uniphar, a leader in Ireland’s healthcare and pharmacy sector, constructed a new 180,000 square foot distribution facility, it prompted the company to review its security strategy and replace its analog-based camera system with a new IP solution.
Going hand in hand with Uniphar’s need for a more up-to-date video system was also the desire to get more out of the surveillance platform from both a physical security and a logistics standpoint.
The same cameras and NVRs that ensure the basic security of pharmaceuticals could now be deployed to record and monitor the entire ordering process — something that was important to many of Uniphar’s customers who wanted to ensure the integrity of the order fulfillment system.
Working with its integrator, Pioneer Security, Uniphar selected a suite of Illustra cameras that included mini domes, PTZ domes, bullet cameras, IR domes and fisheyes. When completed, the new installation included more than 250 IP cameras.
Along with the cameras, Uniphar adopted the VideoEdge video management system to allow managers to monitor the order process within the warehouse from the time an order was placed and entered into the system all the way through the picking of the order.
Customers concerned about the handling of certain items, such as drugs that require temperature-controlled conditions, also can be shown how items are handled because the video management solution can easily capture and show that data — either recorded or, if customers were at the warehouse, in real time via dozens of monitors.
For Uniphar, the decision to update their system during a facility expansion showed returns far beyond just more and better cameras. The company now has the ability to review and improve its overall logistics and work with customers on addressing their needs and requirements.
And because the system is forward compatible, Uniphar can be ready for its next expansion opportunity and can easily add in cameras, recorders or monitors as required.
