6 Considerations for Optimizing Your Building’s Physical Security (Southern California Facilities Expo 2025)

Every building owner and facility manager knows keeping people safe is a top-of-mind concern, but aging technologies and turnover in security staffing can make it difficult to achieve that important goal. At the 2025 Southern California Facilities Expo, four security providers shared tips on optimizing security operations.

1. Make Sure Your Systems Talk to Each Other

It seems like an elementary consideration, but integrating your security systems is important, as many buildings have older legacy technologies where one part of the security system doesn’t talk to another part. Jamison Remmers, technology advisor for security integrator Willikins Enterprises, likened the situation to a familiar scenario.

“We all have a million subscriptions. You have to go to this one and pay this bill, or this one to see that,” Remmers said. “You can pay one bill and have a security system where everything talks to each other so you’re not having to go to your camera and try to find the footage of what time something took place. A sensor can let you know, this is the time it took place. It sends you the footage so you don’t have to go searching for it. It’s fewer headaches because everything is in one place.”

2. Balance Security with Convenience

Many people want added convenience—for example, the ease of using a single mobile credential to unlock different areas—but may not realize that this can make the whole building less secure. As a building owner or manager, you may need to have tough conversations with stakeholders to determine the right balance of security and convenience, explained Chris Franza, general manager of BEI Connect, a division of BEI Construction.

“If there is something that’s lacking [with security] or they’re missing the bigger picture, we try to educate and go from there,” Franza said. “You might have a building with different access control systems, but people want to use the one credential. We try to help them understand the security risks. If they still want to make that decision, that’s fine, but we want to make sure they have the information to make that decision.”

3. Look at Long-Term Costs

The cheapest system today may be the most expensive system over time, Franza said. “Try to get a demo to make sure you’re thinking 10 steps ahead—not just today, not just the cheaper price,” Franza added. “Look at it from a long-term perspective. The cost of ownership over a long period of time might be less expensive than the cheaper unit up front.”

4. Replace Old Keys

Do you have any buildings that are still using physical keys? It’s time to upgrade to key fobs or other easy-to-manage technologies, advised Andy Koclanakis, outside sales rep for Golden West Security Supply.

“If someone was to leave their job, if they have keys to the building, you’ve got to go in and rekey that whole building,” Koclanakis said. “It’s easier with an electronic lock—if they have a key fob to get in, you just go in and delete their fob. It’s a much easier process than having to pay a locksmith to come out and rekey the entire building.”

Koclanakis recommends having a master key for you or whoever is in charge of your facilities department, and possibly sub-master keys for long-term employees who can be trusted with them.

5. Look for Red Flags and Gaps in Security Staffing

Buildings that require 24/7 security staffing need a dependable crew that can be trusted to keep the building safe even when the facility manager or property manager isn’t on site, said Keith Ornelas, senior sales manager for Nationwide Security Service. But not all security services are the same.

“If you’re not getting some sort of report with timing, or you’re getting a paper report, that’s a red flag,” Ornelas said. “If you get a variety of staff over and over and over, the turnover is a huge red flag. Also, if they come to you and say, ‘I’m here, what should I do?’ and you’ve had the contract for months, that’s a problem.”

Nationwide Security Service contracts with locally owned and operated security vendors who can pass a stringent vendor vetting process. This allows the company to provide last-minute emergency service in addition to its scheduled security services. Staffers complete reports that are sent to facility or property managers that include images of areas the security personnel have been asked to check. Reports are customizable depending on what the client needs—some like a daily report, some prefer weekly updates, and some only want to be informed when there is an incident.

“What you do best is manage your facility, not manage your security, and that’s where we come in,” Ornelas said.

6. Be Willing to Discuss Your Needs

The word “upgrade” may conjure an image of a budget-busting bill, but that’s not necessarily the case, Remmers said.

“Let’s have the conversation and see what your needs are,” he added. “Some people think it’s out of reach and optimizing security might be out of their budget, but sometimes we’re able to look at different areas of the business to help save money somewhere else so you can optimize cameras. Just don’t count it out. Security is so important—make it a top priority and at least have the conversation. Then you know what the numbers are and what your options are.”