Key Points:

• Sensor technologies help businesses avoid damage and disaster
• Environmental monitoring alone can protect against expensive trouble
• The Return on Investment makes sensors especially appealing

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, nothing proves it more than sensor technology. The right devices strategically deployed in the right places can save your business from expensive trouble, at a fraction of the cost

A High-Tech Heads-Up.

Sensor technology is nothing new, but now it’s becoming much more affordable, easier to use, and customized for the specific needs of all kinds of businesses. Sensors offer valuable protection of property and assets in ways that far exceed human capabilities. The days of simply relying on employees to keep an eye out for signs of facility and operational glitches are fading as sensors take over to do a much better job.

Even your most vigilant employees can only do so much to flag damaging problems soon enough to solve them quickly. Workers can’t be everywhere at all times and they often lack visibility into the potential sources of serious problems. Plus, employees have other things to do. Their attention is divided as they focus on their regular responsibilities.

Sensors are specially designed to detect the earliest signs of deteriorating conditions on a granular level, long before human senses pick up on a problem. The devices are also dedicated specifically to the job. They monitor conditions around the clock with no interruption, even when your business is closed and employees are gone for the day or the weekend.

Early detection means a critical head-start in stopping destructive problems before they have a chance to turn into full-blown disasters. On the other end of the spectrum, sensors can also empower businesses to keep their environments and machinery optimized for peak performance, ensuring parts and components stay within acceptable operating ranges at all times.

Environmental Monitoring Detects Universal Appeal.

Sensors can be designed for a huge variety of applications, but a few stand out as essential safeguards for any business with a physical location, whether it’s an office, manufacturing facility, warehouse, hotel, restaurant, or any other type of brick and mortar property. These universal essentials monitor environmental conditions that can directly impact people and resources.

Environmental sensors detect, track and document conditions such as air quality, giving facility managers more control over their space. The devices discover changes immediately and deliver alerts to desktops or mobile devices. Receiving real-time notifications can mean getting to the bottom of a chemical leak, pollution issue, temperature shift, or other invisible problem before it takes a toll on human health or delicate resources. Monitoring air quality can also mean better compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards that require work spaces to be free of airborne dangers.

Air quality also impacts machinery and other electrical equipment. Undetected fluctuations in temperature and humidity can shorten the life of system components and increase maintenance costs with more frequent service calls and parts replacement. Do these conditions really matter? Just look inside your computer. The presence of internal fans built into so many high-tech systems underscores air quality sensitivities and the delicate nature of electronic performance.

In many cases, internal fans are not enough. It’s not uncommon for portable room fans to be used in complex IT settings involving servers and other sensitive technologies. If fans fail and temperatures rise without warning, the results can be expensive damage. Consider the small control rooms next to communications towers in remote locations. Air quality sensors are often the only way to keep a close watch on conditions in between routine maintenance visits.

Sensors focused on monitoring water-related environments can make the difference between a small hiccup that’s easy to tackle and a crisis that sinks a bottom line. A water or sewer leak that goes unnoticed at a business can cause costly pain on top of physical damage. A hotel may need to rebook guests with competitors and send workers home until clean up and repairs are complete. An undetected water temperature drop when a heater starts to fail can also mean moving people out, and even put pipes at risk of freezing in cold weather.

Of course, hotels are not the only prime candidates for the benefits of water sensing technology.  For example, quick detection of an emerging water problem at a restaurant can mean avoiding a shutdown or heading off risks to food supplies and safe eating conditions. Sensors can save the day for just about any brick and mortar business with assets and operations that can be threatened by water. No one wants to interrupt the flow of their business to deal with an emergency that costs money, takes time to repair, and could have been prevented.

An ROI Slam Dunk.

What’s crisis prevention worth to your business? Pricey insurance policies are a lifesaver well worth the money after damage has already been done. But sensors give you a window of opportunity to limit or even prevent damage before it happens. Depending on which sensors you choose, costs can start at less than a traditional smoke alarm. If the technology itself isn’t appealing enough, the return on your investment will convince you to give sensors a try.

As with other technology tools, businesses are often more interested in acquiring sensors through a bundled subscription-based service rather than taking on all the responsibilities that come with purchasing, positioning, and taking care of the devices. Outsourcing to a technology company that will properly locate, install, and maintain sensors is typically a better way to go.

Outsourcing allows you to stay focused on your core business while specialists ensure your sensors are in all the right places and performing correctly around the clock. You’ll also get a timely heads-up when upgrades or new devices are available, and an expert opinion on their potential for your business.

Customization is another benefit of partnering with a technology company. Experts can evaluate your property and operations, and recommend a package of specific sensors tailored to your business, ensuring you have just what you need without the worry of gaps or overspending.