What to Expect from a Video Security Pilot
Why Pilot Before You Buy
A pilot is the single best way to validate vendor claims before committing budget. It reveals real-world performance in your environment — your cameras, your network, your use cases. Districts that skip the pilot phase are 3x more likely to report buyer’s remorse within 18 months.
Scoping the Pilot
- Select 15–30 cameras across 2–3 use cases (entrances, parking, hallways)
- Define a 30–60 day evaluation window
- Identify 3–5 stakeholders who will evaluate the system
- Agree on success criteria before the pilot starts
- Ensure the vendor provides full support during the pilot, not a scaled-down version
What to Measure
| Metric | Target | How to Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Alert accuracy | >90% true positive | Review all alerts for 1 week, categorize each |
| Response time | Alerts within 10 seconds | Timestamp comparison |
| System uptime | >99.5% | Vendor dashboard or logs |
| User adoption | >80% daily active | Login and usage data |
| Search speed | <30 seconds to find clip | Timed user tests |
Red flag: If a vendor resists defining success criteria upfront, or insists on ‘qualitative’ evaluation only, they may not be confident in their system’s measurable performance.
Presenting Results to Decision-Makers
Frame your pilot results around three themes: (1) Does it work? Share the metrics. (2) Will our staff use it? Share adoption data and qualitative feedback. (3) What does it cost? Present the TCO comparison with and without the system, including labor savings from reduced footage review time.
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