Ready or not …

We've all known it was coming and, God knows, there have been seminars and articles galore throughout the UK. Yet the security industry has been slow to accept the withdrawal of BS4737 and the introduction of EN50131-1 (PD6662:2004).

In a previous article (April 05 edition) I wrote about the implications of PD6662/prEN50131-1:2004. Since this article, Honeywell has run a series of regional seminars throughout the UK, to provide information on the standards and how it will affect installers and the industry in general.The feedback from installers varied greatly with regards to readiness. However, as the deadline approaches and manufacturers bring products to the market place, the time for talking is over and for action to begin.

I thought it would be of interest to get feedback from the people the standards are now affecting – the installers – and find out how they are approaching this new challenge. I spoke to five installers offering a nationwide or large regional services, to find out if they were ready and what it has been like in the run up to October 1st when the regulations would be in place ...

'Furore in the industry'

Paul Beck, managing director of A1 Security Systems, based in Petersfield said that A1 managers have attended training seminars set up by the NSI, giving them a good opportunity to iron out and address any issues in the run up to the new standard taking effect.

Paul's view is that it has been a big change for the industry. "The ramifications are tearing up the old rule book and replacing it with a new one. Because the new standards are not fully written and, even worse, because the English standards have conflicted so heavily, there are some areas where the old standards are still being used, and there is the interim document PD 6662."

"Probably the biggest single change is that alarm companies are expected to assess the risk of the premises, in respect of the loss risk, in order that we can suggest a particular grade for the system. This has created monumental furore in the industry, with installers arguing that insurance companies have put the onus on them; when they haven't really, because it has always been part of our job. There was a statement in the old BS4737 Code of Practice saying we had to do it. They haven't actually changed the liability. What they've done is slightly more formalised it and brought it out into the open. Professional installers, for example all NSI companies, are obliged to carry liability and wrongful advice insurance cover for that reason.

"The technical details of the system are where more changes have occurred. From an industry point of view it comes down to two and a half grades; 2, 3 and 2x. Grade 1 is not going to be used by the professional installer and there's virtually no equipment available that is suitable for grade 4 yet. We will almost certainly be fitting grade 2 and 2x in the domestic market and grade 3 in the commercial market".

'So much to prepare for'

Kings Security have been ready for the new standards since July. With a member of staff solely tasked to get the organisation ready, they have been extremely fortunate. New specifications and documentation have been written, lists of the new graded equipment prepared, along with up dating the administrative processes to make it easy to order the new equipment. Kings surveyors have been trained, as have all the senior engineers and national accounts managers so everyone knows what they are doing. Getting everything in place for 1st October has taken a lot of preparation, says MD Anthony King.

National accounts managers reported that few installers seemed to be talking to end users about the standards. "We were surprised. We organised an end user seminar in November last year. It was well attended with around 90 retailers. We provided detailed information about the new standards, preparing them a year in advance".

Kings have maintained contact with customers through newsletter updates. Adds Anthony: "This year the main focus has been to ensure the back office is ready for the new standards; there is so much to prepare for and change. For example, the way a surveyor surveys a job has changed completely. The equipment that we order has to be re-evaluated. Any installer who has left it to the last minute will get a bit of a shock now.

"It is exciting to see the industry regenerating itself again. The standards will be good for the industry. They bring in a level playing field and more professionalism that I think has been lacking in the industry for quite a while. The standard brings an element of ownership to surveyors in selling the job properly. It's not just about selling the job for the cheapest possible price.

Everything is price orientated. Installers do not do the customer any favours by selling them a cheap system that might not be up to the job."

'Prices will go up'

Graham Rees, sales director at Security Centres in Swansea says that although the company is ready, they feel the driving force behind the standards is not ready. He refers to rumours about the standards being put back, and that some manufacturers are not ready yet.

Graham says that the NSI has tried to prepare everyone for BS EN50131 and they have organised themselves in house to be ready for the new standards. "It is never as clear though, as they make it out to be. There is a lot of pressure now on installers to be clear and precise with the end user, as to what system they are going to recommend, in the assessment of the premises, considering the risk and the grade. This is where the unscrupulous could try to make life easy for themselves and go in with a cheaper price to try to win the business." He says the end user still sees an intruder alarm as a grudge purchase, and when the tenders come in, nine times out of ten the end user will pick the cheapest one. “We always aim to point out what we think the customer should have and we get them to acknowledge this."

Although changes in the industry are generally not received with open arms, Graham is confident there will be some parts of the standard that will benefit everyone. The biggest issue is about communicating with the customer and making sure they understand how they are affected.

Will this affect the price of the system?

"I think they will go up in price. Intruder products are still relatively inexpensive compared to CCTV systems. Intruder alarms have always been seen as a low end product. It is not a major hike, but prices will go up. We are ready, there are still some grey areas, but like learning to swim, eventually you've just got to take off the arm bands and get on with it. Before we know it there will be something else to prepare for".

'Been a hard slog'

Mark Rothwell, MD of Preston based installer Black Box, says his company put in a lot of effort in the last few months and now they are ready.

"Everyone seems to have a slightly different interpretation of the standards and what they mean – from the ARC to the installers and the manufacturers – which have created some difficulty. It’s been a hard slog. We have organised lots of installer training, including Honeywell training sessions, although we held back as long as we could to make sure our interpretation of the new standard was correct, and our ARC was up to speed. We have got to make sure that the customer checks with the insurance company, the grade we have given their premises.

“Often the customer will ask for a digital communicator and not want to have a Redcare or Redcare GSM. We give our recommendations but we cannot dictate to the customer their final choice of product, especially if they know what they want. Technically we have got to follow the standards, give our recommendations and give the correct grade of system."

Black Box held their own seminars in early September, inviting major clients to presentations from Redcare, Honeywell, the ARC and the NSI. "We explained what will be happening with the new standards. This was a well attended day and the feedback from our customers was excellent. It is up to us to make sure the customer is aware of the standards, understands them and takes some responsibility to make sure they have the right grade and does not just take the cheapest offer."

'Professionals will come through'

Nationwide installers Aspro Crest have been installing grade 3 panels since August. MD, Nick Robinson believes that the biggest impact the new standards will make is a 'thinning out' of installers, leaving only those capable of doing the job and maintaining to a higher standard.

The big benefit to installation companies is in lifting the game, making installers more professional. "The professional installers will come through this well," says Nick: "Those who have not investigated the standards yet will struggle."

Aspro Crest are using the new remote servicing software with the Honeywell grade 3 panels, he said. "We have been using it since it was released, it is superb. Installers who don't get up to speed with remote servicing and who don't grasp it are going to suffer."

Bringing customers up to speed has been a challenge and Nick describes them 'kicking and screaming' along the way. Why? Because of cost, the prices of jobs have increased and as a result of that Aspro Crest has to explain why the remote signalling has changed. Nick adds: "The landscape is changing and we have the job of raising awareness to our customers. There is a lot of work to do, for example the engineering of the panels is different. We got the Galaxy 144 panel when it came out and we bench tested it to destruction.

“We have made sure it works, and that's what other installers should have been doing. We have a close working relationship with Honeywell and we have been supplied with lots of information to enable us to carry out our own research and training. We have taken full responsibility to make sure we are ready."

"From an installation point of view, the alarms section of the security industry has been run into the ground over the last ten years through price slashing. It is all going to have to stop. There is no way you can install to this new standard on a shoe string budget, because the administration alone on it is excessive. Anyone already not making money is going to drop by the wayside – they are simply not going to be able to afford to do it. That's a fact!"

In conclusion …

It is encouraging to know that many installers are now ready to do business with the new standards in place, and as stated in previous articles, those who have prepared will undoubtedly be better placed to move forward over the coming months.

Change can be daunting, however, we should always embrace the opportunity to raise the standards and professionalism within the security industry in the UK, which has suffered greatly from price cutting over recent years. This was one aim of introducing the European standard. Our task, as a manufacturer, has been to understand this opportunity and provide a better standard of products to the installer. Our goal should always be to strive towards improvements in the industry. This has been the approach taken by Honeywell and so it seems, by the vast majority of installers.