Smart building technology designs have already proven able to help owners reduce energy costs, enhance security, and achieve other operational goals. Building owners and operators already know that data can drive more powerful decision-making. Now, owners managing large real estate portfolios are finding that technology capable of delivering portfolio-wide insights – and enabling sweeping action across multiple sites – can generate far greater returns.

Owners already deploying these systems have seen positive results. In fact, one retail operator found that within 90 days of its deployment of an intelligent building platform across nearly two dozen sites, they received a 54% return on their investment. This type of return isn’t simply the result of having access to more data. It comes from thoughtful technology design targeted to address specific operational challenges.

Bigger data delivers bigger value across portfolios

For years, building automation systems have proven valuable for their ability to give building managers deep insight into their buildings’ operating systems. This data has helped operators reduce energy usage, track preventative maintenance, and enhance occupant comfort and safety for buildings of all sizes. However, there have been limits to what these systems can do. These systems have also traditionally limited integration with other building systems, as many automation and energy management systems are proprietary.

Today’s emerging intelligent building software options are designed to pull data from across multiple building systems – like HVAC and plumbing to surveillance and access control – from an owner’s entire portfolio. Moreover, these systems enable two-way communication that allows building operators to rapidly act on data. By giving owners command of all building systems at a global level through a single pane of glass, today’s software solutions make it possible to identify trends across regions and building types.

Among other factors, a portfolio-based view of operations makes it possible to identify proactive maintenance opportunities based on performance trends across all sites. For example, operators can identify specific system irregularities for which to watch. At the earliest sign of these irregularities in operating conditions building managers can schedule proactive maintenance. This also creates an opportunity to perform some remote troubleshooting, potentially reducing maintenance calls.

Owners may also use this data to compare energy demands across buildings of similar size or age. This data can spur the investigation that identifies whether there is a problem to fix, a need for decommissioning, or complementary site or design factors that should influence future real estate purchasing decisions.

Through the two-way communication afforded by new software solutions, owners can also more easily participate in local utilities’ demand response programs. Through these programs, owners gain meaningful savings and cash rebates by proactively reducing their energy consumption at their utilities’ peak operating times. When owners can easily make changes to HVAC setpoints and schedules across their regional footprint, they have the ability to compound gains through more rebates.

Smart building design delivers ongoing returns

New intelligent building software sits atop other software solutions and can be easily integrated with countless other building solutions. The biggest challenge is often determining which integrations to add. Working with the right partner, such as a technology project manager, can help. The right partner may begin the smart building systems design process by asking owners and other building stakeholders to identify operational challenges they’d like to solve. Challenges might range from energy management and sustainability goals to a range of safety and security issues. Understanding those challenges allows system designers to determine the right technology to solve those issues.

The right partner will design a system that addresses these issues and features the appropriate level of cybersecurity to sustain operations. Once the system has been deployed, your partner should help create dashboards that bring in the right data to address your needs. Data is collected in real time and normalized across the enterprise. With some platforms, machine learning models can further optimize operations.

This data should be reevaluated on an ongoing basis as improvements are made. Your partner can help plan for future technology designs, investments, and deployments that may further enhance the value of your platform. Because intelligent building systems work across systems, they give owners the freedom to move away from legacy software that may have locked them into a single proprietary brand.

Through continuous improvement, owners can increase their returns long beyond the initial installation period.

Ready to start multiplying your returns? CRUX can help.

All tribal projects are unique and include many different building types, each one with its own priorities, requirements, and cultural significance. That said, these projects must always serve the tribe, benefit its people, and honor its culture and values.

Tribal project owners take their duty to serve as good stewards of tribal resources seriously. As a result, it’s important that other project stakeholders recognize that every dollar spent must deliver value to the community. But while project owners don’t want to waste money, they are willing to spend more on practical, useful solutions that better serve the community.

This is an area where technology design can prove divisive. Tribal project owners won’t embrace innovation for the sake of being on the leading edge. However, they are generally willing to implement new technology and infrastructure that solves current problems and creates future opportunities. It’s up to architects and project partners to deliver designs that address these challenges and solutions that deliver on their promised value.

To ensure that project owners get the full value of their technology infrastructure, it’s essential to involve a technology consultant upfront. Expertise in this area can help identify not just individual solutions but installation approaches that can maximize system value over the long term.

Deliver new ideas that enhance value

Because tribal project stakeholders take a long-term view of value, project owners want partners to bring in new ideas. They may not always invest in these technology solutions right away, but appreciate when partners offer ideas on how to enhance value.

However, many tribal project owners have proven that they’re willing to adopt advanced technology when their project partners can make the business case for these investments. For example, when the Muscogee (Creek) Nation requested solutions that would support sustainability and cost savings within their 167,000-square-foot Citizen Services Building, they ultimately agreed to invest in a low-voltage intelligent lighting solution. After reviewing options, they found that the right design could also lead to a solution that would lower installation and operating costs and enable greater control over the lighting system. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is now designing this same solution into its future projects.

Many tribal project stakeholders have also proven willing to pay more upfront for solutions that reduce the long-term costs of project ownership and maintenance. Research indicates that approximately 70% of a building’s total cost is in its operational expense. Paying more in upfront construction costs to achieve lower maintenance costs is particularly valuable for tribal owners, who will often occupy their buildings for decades.

In building its headquarters, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma ultimately paid to have their network infrastructure redesigned to ensure they had the best solution installed upfront. They recognized that a technology-agnostic design that anticipated how technologies would change in the future would prevent them from spending money chasing technology improvements as they were released. To ensure this flexibility, the half-million square-foot modular facility embedded its all-fiber network and Class 4 power systems under the raised floors and into the walls, using quick-connect cabling. This enables nearly endless reconfiguration for this modern office building – including more than 350 changes since 2018.

Position your team to maximize value

Technology alone doesn’t deliver value. It has to be designed and installed appropriately. That’s why many tribal projects benefit from working with a technology consultant who serves as an extension of their team.

A valuable technology consultant partner takes ownership of a project, treating owner’s priorities as their own. This partner collaborates closely with internal teams to ensure technology is designed to serve the owner’s specific use cases. Your consultant should be continuously looking for opportunities to reduce spending while enhancing project value. Finally, a technology partner should provide highly detailed design drawings and specifications demonstrating exactly how every project component will work and deliver value.

This is the type of partner the Cherokee Nation found in its technology design for the Hastings Hospital in Tahlequah, Okla. This 469,000-square-foot, full-service hospital was set to integrate a wide range of technology solutions. However, the Cherokee project stakeholders realized they did not have the in-house resources to oversee the technology planning for a cutting-edge hospital while managing the technology across their existing portfolio. They needed a multidisciplinary technology consultant who could handle the diversity of systems and enforce the Nation’s design standards.

Childers Architect brought CRUX Solutions onboard to create a design that accounted for every piece of IT equipment in the entire hospital, as well as complex AV systems and a range of security systems. Once onboard, the CRUX team met with every department within the hospital to map out each piece of IT technology equipment. The resulting specification document spelled out the level of integration required between every piece of hardware and software going into the facility to achieve desired use cases.

During this process, the CRUX team began applying the Nation’s IT standards to the design of the hospital’s technology systems. This standardization is essential for ensuring modern solutions work effectively together. It also helps keep technology consistent across the Nation’s healthcare facilities, simplifying system maintenance and operations. Standardization further helps reduce costs by ensuring equipment can be purchased through existing contracts. Ultimately, CRUX was asked to rewrite Cherokee’s technical standards to ensure that vendors’ proposed technology solutions comply with the design standards and that hospital operators would gain the full advantages of their modern technology solution.

Build the case for technology’s value

A holistic approach to low-voltage technology network infrastructure design can help any project owner reduce costs and maximize value. However, architects may find their tribal clients particularly open to technology strategies that can demonstrate how they will serve building occupants. Understanding those use cases begins with open communication with project owners – while delivering that value is best achieved by working with a knowledgeable technology consultant.

This is an area where CRUX can help. From small facilities to tribal headquarters of over 500,000 square feet, CRUX has delivered the benefit of its integrated infrastructure approach to projects for tribal nations from Oklahoma and Arizona to New York and Alaska. To learn more about how we can maximize the value of technology networks designed for tribal projects, contact CRUX today.

As we discussed in Part 1 of our series on what architects and administrators need to know about building safer schools, good architectural design can be a useful strategy for mitigating the potential for violence at schools. However, many of the risks that schools face are the result of human behavior.

For example, many demonstrations have occurred at various universities throughout the US in response to the events occurring in the Middle East. These demonstrations varied from peaceful to violent and destructive. Campus officials must establish clear protocols to follow when incidents occur and regularly train staff on said protocols. It is crucial for all campus and district staff to understand these, as all universities should welcome a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors.

After all, schools and campuses can feature the most sophisticated design and advanced technology in the world, but without training on or adherence to response protocols, those investments are worse than worthless. A lack of clear protocols and consistent training can be downright dangerous.

Below are four key areas where human behavior can create safer school environments.

1. Reliance on security and emergency operations plans 

An emergency operations plan (EOP) – also known as an emergency plan, emergency action plan, emergency response plan or crisis plan, – addresses threats and hazards specific to each school. It addresses safety needs before, during, and after an incident. And, in many states, it’s required.

However, even schools and universities that do have an EOP in place don’t always update or train on this documentation regularly. When CRUX performs school security audits, we frequently find that staff does not know where to find their EOP binder. In other cases, those documents may no longer be applicable because they cite roles that no longer exist. Updating those EOPs on a regularly scheduled basis, and practicing what’s in it, is of paramount importance.

• Resources you can use: EOPs can be aligned with the national approach to preparedness efforts. Presidential Policy Directive (PPD)-8 defines preparedness around five mission areas: Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Schools can take action on prevention, protection and mitigation activities before an incident occurs, although these three mission areas have ongoing activities that can occur throughout an incident. For more information about PPD-8, visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Learn About Presidential Policy Directive-8 webpage.

2. Forming the right threat assessment team

A school threat assessment team analyzes communication and behaviors to determine whether a student, faculty or staff member, or other individual may pose a threat. The team should serve as a central convening body to ensure that warning signs observed by multiple people are reported and not dismissed as isolated incidents. This body can identify when these warning signs may represent escalating behavior that could present a serious concern. If a student is exhibiting a specific type of behavior, action can be taken ranging from counseling to a psychiatric follow-up outside of school.

Threat assessment team members should include school principals, counselors, employees, medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement personnel, and school resource officers (SROs), where applicable.

A particular challenge here is that not all universities or school districts have access to mental health professionals who can support adolescents and young adults who may demonstrate these warning signs. It’s important to talk with your community partners and state Department of Education to identify resources in the event that action may be warranted.

• Resources you can use: Schoolsafety.gov offers many resources depending upon the age group you’re working with. The Secret Service provides an operational guide targeted towards conducting threat assessments in the school environment.

3. Consistent training for all staff on district and campus safety procedures

Training is critical for ensuring that best practices are followed. We see this training in action in the fire drills schools have been conducting for decades. More recently this has expanded, in accordance with more encompassing EOPs, to include action plans for various natural disasters as well as response to active shooters.

The challenge is that every school district and university campus faces its own specific threats, and may have its own way of responding to these threats. So, in areas with mobile populations of teachers and staff, people may bring familiar practices with them from other campuses. These conflicting practices can send mixed signals to students and fellow staff members. Regular training on district- and campus-specific safety protocols, as guided by the EOP, is critical for ensuring a timely, consistent response to any emerging threat.

• Resources you can use: The “I Love U Guys” foundation offers “standard response protocols” for a range of emergencies that can impact a school campus. Standard response protocols utilize standardized terminology to help everyone better understand the conditions and the appropriate response. Studies have shown that standard response protocols enable rapid response determination during unforeseen events.

This national organization has created a foundation for crisis response programs that is in use at more than 30,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations and communities around the world.

4. Ensuring systems and hardware work at all times

In June 2022, Texas’ Governor Abbott told the state’s education commissioner that school districts should conduct weekly checks of exterior doors to ensure they lock. This is an excellent practice for ensuring exterior doors are secured and functioning properly. However, this practice is only effective in the event that faulty hardware is reported and repaired in a timely manner.

Schools should evaluate their work order process and prioritize the requests. How quickly are repairs typically made? What sort of follow-up processes are in place to verify that repairs are made? Streamlining the work order process using an electronic submission process may be a good first step toward speeding these repairs, but it remains critical to have a verification process in place.

• Resource you can use: The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) offers free guidelines to help school administrators in assessing and prioritizing their school security needs. This includes guidance around door hardware. These guidelines are supported by a checklist that can help determine where security best practices may need to be implemented.

Put sound security practices in place

Schools can’t automate their way to a safer environment. As much as we may want to rely on cameras and card readers and other sophisticated solutions, technology alone can’t solve the problem. While technology can be an effective complement to school security policies, it’s critical to have people who are trained on how to do the right things, at the right time.

Fortunately, there are organizations just as committed to improving campus safety as you are. In addition to the resources noted above, CRUX works hard to help create safer environments for our communities. Contact us to learn more about how we can help your school.

Technology is playing a more central role in buildings of all types, but not every building owner is able to realize the full value of their technology systems. This can be the result of a disconnect between technology design and installation – a disconnect that technology project management can bridge.

Building owners may already have design or construction project managers overseeing their schedule and keeping the project on budget. But as low-voltage technology systems have begun to make inroads in powering sophisticated technology-driven solutions across every aspect of operations, building owners will find these systems require specialized expertise to install, program, and integrate. This is where working with good technology project managers becomes essential.

What is a Technology Project Manager?

Technology project managers serve as liaisons between building owners, designers, and integrators. As with traditional project managers, the technology project manager may perform design work in addition to coordinating communication across project stakeholders, establishing and managing budgets, ensuring project deliverables are on time, and ultimately closing out this portion of the project. However, these specialized experts also help prevent the multitude of potential problems that can occur when installing fast-changing technology-driven systems. A good technology project manager should have knowledge of the low-voltage systems being used to ensure they are being installed, operated, and integrated correctly.

Technical project managers are crucial for the seamless design and installation of technology systems in modern facilities, ensuring their smooth operation post-construction and guiding projects and clients toward innovative solutions. Technology project managers are responsible for overseeing the design and installation of various systems, including structured cabling for telecommunications, audio/visual systems for effective communication, and physical security measures such as access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection to safeguard personnel and property. They also manage the integration of overhead paging systems for critical announcements and emergencies, as well as the deployment of wireless systems to facilitate seamless mobile connectivity. By staying updated on emerging trends, technical project managers contribute significantly to project success and pave the way for future innovation and efficiency in our field, ensuring every project meets the highest standards of functionality and design excellence.

3 Ways Technology Project Managers Deliver Value

Building owners rely on their project managers to keep things running smoothly. Yet adding one more individual into design and construction conversations can feel like bringing in another voice to slow the process down. And with an architect and technology integrator already overseeing technology design and installation, a technology project manager might seem redundant. That is, until something doesn’t operate as expected. However, a technology project manager can bring tremendous value to a project.

Among other things, experience technology project managers will:

• Make sure building owners get a technology solution that meets their expectations. During the design phase, a technology designer will drill down into the building owner’s expectations for building performance to advise on solutions that best meet their needs. The technology project manager will ensure that the design aligns with the client’s expectations, then may coordinate with the architect, specifier, and system integrator to ensure the proper technology systems are selected, integrated, and efficiently installed. This oversight can help prevent unwanted vendor lock-in on specific systems, duplication in cabling, and other problems that may limit functionality or increase costs.
• Catch potential problems early. An experienced technology project manager will be able to spot design conflicts and prevent installation errors before they happen, keeping projects on schedule. This oversight can also make sure that systems are installed efficiently and safely. After all, small changes in the field can lead to big problems. For example, shifting a cable tray to make room for ductwork may mean longer trays and more cabling is required to connect systems, driving up costs. A technology project manager could recommend a more effective solution.
• Verifies that all systems are integrated appropriately. An experienced technology designer or master systems professional (MSP) will define how each installed building system must interact with other systems to provide the range of integrated functionality building owners expect. This programming can be incredibly complex. An experienced project manager can provide support in ensuring that the design integration is carried out by the installation team.

What to Look for in Technology Project Managers

Technology project managers must be adept at leading teams and guiding people through project challenges. To ensure a project manager has the specialized insight necessary to move your project forward, building owners should consider working with partners who hold trusted certifications that point to project management proficiency.

The Project Management Institute offers a number of credentials to ensure proficiency in project or program management. The expertise required of these credential-holders can give building owners confidence in their technology project manager’s ability to demonstrate leadership in moving a project forward.

Owners may also wish to consider selecting a project manager who holds specialized technology insight. Bicsi, a professional association supporting the advancement of the information and communications technology professional, offers the Registered Telecommunications Project Manager credential. RTPM-certified professionals have demonstrated mastery of technology project management best practices.

Get the Building Experience You Want

Using low-voltage technology in buildings is not new, but it is changing fast and growing to permeate virtually every aspect of building operations today. Given the scale of technology in modern buildings, it makes sense to have a dedicated professional overseeing the efficient design and installation of your connected systems. That said, technology project management is a somewhat new and fast-changing field. By working with a partner who holds demonstrated experience in supporting project teams, and low-voltage systems expertise, building owners can trust that they will get the smarter building experience they and their occupants expect.

To learn more about how technology project managers can support your next project, contact CRUX Solutions.

Paging systems serve every school’s essential life safety function by delivering important information to students, staff, and visitors in and outside the building. Yet, limiting the system to just paging limits the value the system can offer. Traditional analog paging systems serve a specific building or area, and some allow a teacher to talk back through the classroom speaker to a campus administrator. Offering greater versatility, IP-based paging systems have emerged as a valuable, more flexible option for school mass notification systems and allow integration with other systems, creating a “life-safety ecosystem.”

By switching to an IP-based paging system, school districts can bring together a wide range of technology systems to elevate their paging system to a district-wide life safety system. In fact, many schools will find they can gain a vast new range of advantages with minimal additional investment.

What is an IP-based paging system?

Conventional analog paging systems are hardwired using a centrally located amplifier. Speakers are home run from the classroom to the amplifier or are daisy-chained together in common areas such as corridors and cafeterias. A microphone in the main office is directly connected to the system to allow for message delivery. This analog approach requires a lot of wiring and limits speakers’ distance from the main amplifier. Analog paging systems across a school district cannot be networked together without using a network interface, or “gateway” of some kind.

IP-based paging uses network cabling that can support a wide range of additional functionalities. This reduces the cost of installing separate wiring – an added benefit when installing new systems – and can enhance both day-to-day operations and life safety functions. IP systems allow us to put speakers almost anywhere they are needed without worrying about the distance to a central amplifier. Moving to IP-based paging makes integrating systems across multiple school districts’ buildings possible.

How IP-based paging expands functionality

IP paging systems allow the school administration to update functionality as new options become available while enhancing their life safety systems and ensuring compliance with local laws or district policies. The added functionality of this ecosystem of integrated technology may include any combination of the following events:

• More versatile paging. IP paging systems still allow the administration to make announcements from the front office, but with the right integration, proper planning, and design, building-wide paging systems can also become intercoms, point-to-point communication systems, and a critical means of mass communication. With this feature, staff can use the paging system to contact the front office, their school resource officer, or any other specific location.
• Mass notification. Moving to an IP-based system can give administrators greater control over who receives messages. For example, when every school in the district uses the same system, it becomes possible to send messages about weather events to all (or select) campuses from a single source. This includes sending information to parents concerning campus closures due to weather or other natural or manmade events.
• Visual emergency notification. More schools are installing digital signage systems, which can add a visual element to any announcement when integrated with a mass notification system. Integrating paging into a mass communication system allows another method of sending information across the PA system, TV screens, text, and email. An emergency announcement may also trigger multi-colored beacons or strobes that can inform people inside and outside of the building of the specific nature of the emergency. This visual effect increases any announcement’s awareness, even in noisy environments like playgrounds and athletic practice fields.
• Panic and duress functions. Panic buttons can be integrated into the IP-based paging system so that pushing a button triggers a pre-recorded emergency announcement, alerts emergency responders, and even enables two-way voice communication. This system capability ensures compliance with new regulations, such as Alyssa’s Law, a mandate adopted in several states that require schools to install panic alarms linked to district emergency services, local emergency services, or law enforcement.
• Access control. Some “smart” classroom speakers now come with access control capabilities. This allows teachers to initiate a lockdown in their classroom from the paging system through the use of relays or software programming.

The true value of IP-based connectivity

Integrating building systems can provide cost savings for schools required to update systems by eliminating redundant wiring and excessive hardware. However, the biggest advantage of moving to this type of integrated system is the increased capability to communicate via multiple means in an emergency when every second matters.

IP-based paging systems will still be used for conventional reasons, such as morning announcements or student paging. But with more ways to communicate via these networked systems, staff members may find it easier to use it more regularly and become familiar with a system that can speed up action in an emergency. Every school administrator already recognizes the value of this familiarity: fire, lockdown, and tornado drills exist specifically to build familiarity with emergency plans in order to ensure a swift, seamless response in the event of an actual emergency. Integrating emergency and daily communication systems can help ensure staff knows exactly what to do in the event of an emergency.

Schools should first audit their existing systems when considering upgrades to their paging systems. Some may be surprised to find that they already have an IP-based or an IP hybrid system whose functionality is underutilized, while others may need to upgrade their network infrastructure. The next step is to explore the wide range of possibilities for mass communication and for integration with other life safety systems across the district.

If you’re ready to explore these possibilities, please contact our team at CRUX today. We would be happy to guide you through the process and design the right solution for your needs.

Multifamily developers and owners know they need exceptional amenities to compete. With experts predicting an increase in national vacancy rates in response to increased project supply, it’s essential that property owners and managers position themselves to attract and retain residents. Yet this need to invest in amenities is tempered by rising construction and capital costs coupled with rent growth that’s trailing historical averages, according to Fannie Mae.

It’s tough enough for property owners to maintain a profitable net operating income (NOI) without investing in new solutions. However, the right resident technology solutions can actually contribute to NOI. When property owners own and control their technology infrastructure, they can create additional streams of income and provide residents with exceptional amenities.

Investing in your own technology infrastructure isn’t just good for attracting and retaining residents – it can also increase monthly revenue and improve your overall property value.

Technology-based income streams

Traditionally, multifamily property owners contract with an internet or telecom service provider who will run the network cables to each resident’s unit. Once a resident is added to the service, property owners may receive a one-time bonus from the utility to incentivize this ongoing relationship.

One disadvantage to this approach is that property owners have no control over the service delivered. They cannot guarantee high-speed internet, for example, as that lies between residents and the third-party provider. But there are many potential advantages for property owner who invest upfront in installing their own network. By owning the fiber or copper infrastructure, and controlling the services delivered through that cabling, property owners can guarantee a certain level of service quality. They can also now lease service to residents, turning this upfront investment into the means for securing recurring monthly revenue.

Savvy multifamily owners and operators will find that by owning their technology infrastructure, they can monetize a wide range of services – and significantly increase their revenue per square foot. A few of these potential income streams include:

• Internet services: By owning you network infrastructure, you can serve as your residents’ internet service provider and secure the income generated by this utility service. When using a private label for this service, property owners also expand their reputation among residents as a leading-edge provider of resident technology solutions.
• Telecom services: By owning your network infrastructure, you can serve as your residents’ telecom service provider, including voice and internet services, and secure the income generated by these services.
• Apps: Resident apps are growing in popularity. These apps engage communities and elevate offerings by connecting residents with one another and additional services. Some solutions feature concierge marketplaces that allow residents to request additional services – think furniture assembly, TV mounting, or house cleaning – for a fee. Landlords can also implement revenue sharing opportunities for promoting local business owner and service providers on the app.
• Security: Technology innovators have turned to subscription services as a way to elevate their revenue stream after the initial sale. When property owners outfit their units with security systems, they can create an additional revenue stream by offering a subscription service to their residents.
• Automated parking solutions: By integrating parking controls into your building systems, it becomes that much easier for property owners to charge for parking while automating much of the service. Parking automation can also make it easier to sell or lease spaces to non-residents, such as nearby business owners, who wouldn’t have access to the multifamily building itself.

Owning technology infrastructure puts property owners in control of the quality of services they deliver. By owning their infrastructure, property owners gain the ability to scale up service offerings when they’re ready, bringing in new revenue without adding to their operational costs. To further simplify this process, property owners can hire a third-party to manage their resident technology service offerings, should they so desire.

Planning for network infrastructure flexibility

Securing WiredScore certification for your building is another opportunity to expand the value of your network infrastructure. WiredScore certification demonstrates that properties are “tech-enabled and future-ready.” It lays out criteria that helps property owners feel confident that their network infrastructure will be able to meet future digital demands. Scores are based on criteria such as access to multiple internet service providers, designing telecommunications spaces of sufficient size to support future technologies, and designing pathways large enough for all the cabling related to the systems.

WiredScore certification also helps landlords and developers leverage their digital connectivity to lease properties faster and realize greater value from their property. Research by WiredScore and Moody’s Analytics CRE found vacancy to be, on average, 3.8% lower for certified buildings. And a European Commission report determined that smart buildings can add $0.10 per square foot in lease value and yield 5% to 35% higher sales values.

Even without certification, a knowledgeable network consultant can apply WiredScore principles to lay the groundwork for a flexible technology approach. Alternatively, property owners ready to take the next step can pursue SmartScore certification, which demonstrates best-in-class design and buildings that offer exceptional user experiences and are fully future-ready.

Take control of your technology infrastructure

Residents are recognizing the incredible range of technology-driven amenities available to them. Remote coworking spaces, rich audio-visual experiences from the community room to the rooftop terrace, and a vast range of in-home resident technology offerings are all proving attractive to today’s residents. But it’s primarily those property owners who have a plan for using their technology to grow their NOI who can invest in these cutting-edge solutions for attracting and retaining residents.

While there may be more technology available than ever, it’s also never been easier to own and operate your own network. CRUX Solutions specializes in helping property owners future-proof their physical environment and identify additional streams of income. To learn more about how you can leverage your technology infrastructure, contact us today.

The importance of school security cannot be understated in today’s dynamic landscape. As private school administrators, you shoulder a significant responsibility to not only educate students but keep them safe.

The significance of security in private schools extends far beyond the basic need for safety. A well-structured security plan promotes a conducive learning environment, boosts parents’ confidence and trust, and ultimately enhances the school’s reputation. It’s not just about reacting to incidents but proactively preventing them.

The vast differences across building types, budgetary constraints, and leadership philosophies can make it feel as if there is no clear path toward developing a plan for private school security. However, there are a number of free resources available that can help private schools strengthen their security. Moreover, many of the most essential steps for creating safer schools have little to no cost, as they involve your people and the security processes put in place.

With that in mind, private school administrators must ask themselves: can you afford to compromise on any aspect that could affect your school’s overall success?

Key factors to consider in planning private school security

When it comes to private school security planning, a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. Each school has unique security needs that must be thoroughly assessed and addressed. Below are six critical steps to strengthen your private school security.

1. Conduct a threat assessment

Identifying potential security threats is the starting point of any security plan. This involves studying the school’s surroundings, the socio-political climate, and specific risks related to your student population. For example, schools operating under religious organizations recognize they may face a different level of risk in their community that may drive a more stringent security approach. For help in conducting this assessment, private schools can use free guidelines and a supporting checklist from The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS). The Secret Service also offers a free guide on how to conduct threat assessments.

A threat assessment should investigate risks to not only your facility but also its property and adjacencies to that property. Adjacencies can be particularly challenging for private schools that may not have the acreage available to public schools to create a buffer against nearby properties. Problems at the industrial complex, commercial strip center, bank, or gas station next door could all spill over to your doorstep.

2. Install physical security measures

Technology investments should never drive your private school security planning. Without an understanding of your facility’s unique risks, technology cannot be expected to solve a problem. That said, technology can help address specific risks. Solutions can be as simple as adding motion lights to deter late visitors to more sophisticated alarm systems. From advanced access control that secures entrances and exits to surveillance cameras, the latest technology advancements can bolster your school’s security.

Before installing a physical security measure, private schools operating within a leased property or co-located with other services should discuss these changes with their landlord. A leased facility may add constraints to your security planning, such as limiting the ability to add security fencing or surveillance cameras.

While security systems have become more affordable over the years – and a knowledgeable contractor can potentially integrate multiple systems to help lower costs – federal and other grants may be available to fund these resources.

3. Contract with security personnel

Trained security personnel are the backbone of many schools’ security plans. School resource officers can not only deter potential threats but also respond effectively when incidents occur. Private schools may wish to consider the value of contracting either private security or off-duty police officers to provide this same level of support.

While some schools may see the presence of armed security on campus as a detriment to the learning environment, others find that well-trained school resource officers become a part of their community.

4. Develop and train on an emergency response plan

An effective emergency response plan can mitigate the impact of any incident. This plan should include evacuation procedures, communication channels, and first aid measures and define the involvement of emergency responders. This plan helps ensure everyone in the school, as well as your first responders, understand the appropriate response to unforeseen events.

Unlike public schools, private schools are not required to have an emergency response plan. However, this essential planning can make a critical difference in safely supporting your students through a disaster. Moreover, many organizations provide free resources or templates for developing an emergency response plan, including FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the I Love U Guys Foundation. These documents are well-researched, well-written, and easy to implement. Your state Department of Education may also be able to provide guidance ranging from free plan templates to on-site support.

5. Policies and procedures

While your emergency response plan prescribes action in the face of a security threat, your policies and procedures are essential for maintaining a secure environment every day. These policies can define processes like visitor management, access control, and cybersecurity. For example, a policy against tailgating – when an individual who has authorized access into the school holds the door open to let the person behind them in – or against allowing students or staff to let strangers in via side doors can be an essential security measure. To be effective, policies and procedures must be comprehensive and well-communicated within your school.

6. Train repeatedly and build awareness

Regular training around security and awareness sessions for staff and students is essential. They ensure everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency. Regular drills and frequent training can be essential in driving decisive action in the event of a crisis. Training ensures your policies and procedures are followed and your technology investment is not wasted.

Awareness of safety procedures is also important for parents. Private schools tend to have an advantage when it comes to parent engagement. Leverage this advantage by building a culture of safety and awareness that extends to your entire school community. This begins with frequent, open communication with parents about the value of your school security approach and how they can support it.

Private schools may also wish to borrow an awareness strategy from public schools and create a behavioral threat assessment team focused on students’ behavioral health needs. This is a dedicated team within your school that helps gauge whether a child is simply acting out or may be dealing with deeper issues that need to be addressed. This team often consists of the administrator, teachers at each grade level, a mental health professional (either a school counselor or contracted community partner), and in some cases clergy members as well.

Build a safer future for our children

It can be tempting for private schools to define school shootings and other tragedies as a public school problem. Data from the CATO Institute found that, as of 2018, 94 percent of school shootings occur in public schools compared to 6 in private schools. However, lower risk is not the same as zero risk.

Many parents are considering making a switch to private schools today specifically over concerns around their children’s safety. This makes it even more imperative to have strong processes, well-trained people, and appropriate security technology in your facility.

Private school security planning is a multifaceted process that requires a deep understanding of potential threats, effective strategies, and continuous learning. The question is, are you ready to take this challenge head-on and build a safer school for our children?

If you’re ready to strengthen your workplace security, a security assessment is an excellent place to start. A strong security assessment can identify opportunities for improvement and lead you to the most impactful layers of intentional security design.

Below, we offer six questions a security consultant may ask to better understand your security posture and lead you to a safer operating environment.

1. How will your space be used?

The very first step of a workplace security assessment is to understand how workspaces are being used. Your security consultant would want to know if there will be around-the-clock traffic through the space or if it is accessible only during business hours. Will there be a need to account for special event usage, which may require a secondary security approach? Are there certain areas, where sensitive records or high-value assets are stored, that will require restricted access?

By exploring the function of the space, a security consultant can start to get an idea of the layers of protections that may be required. An industrial facility with shift work will require a different approach to security than an office only open during business hours, and both will be vastly different than a school building that occasionally hosts community or sporting events. All may require multiple approaches to access control.

2. Who is using this space?

Understanding who will need access to your space helps a security consultant gauge the usefulness of various visitor management strategies. For example, in a corporate or industrial environments, organizations may find it useful to have staff members wear credentials. Wearing a photo ID makes it instantly clear that an individual belongs in your operating environment, even if it’s their first day on the job. In addition, many of today’s access control systems can be connected to these credentials to ensure entry to your building and interior spaces are for people who belong there,

Organizations that expect to have visitors coming into their buildings may need to consider additional layers of security such as having a video intercom station at the designated entrance to vet an individual prior to granting access. Another example may include having a visitor management software solution to manage and monitor visitor’s access to the facility. This software can also be used to track who is in a building at any given time, a feature that is helpful in the event of an emergency to ensure everyone is accounted for.

3. Are special considerations needed for securing high-value assets?

Some facilities may require specialized solutions to further restrict access to certain materials. For example, pharmacies and neighborhood clinics may require layers of technology that secure controlled substances from theft. Industrial facility may wish to restrict access to certain chemicals or expensive materials. Many businesses need solutions for safely storing cash or even sensitive documents.

4. How are you currently managing access to your facility?

Whether you’re building new or updating an existing facility, it helps your security consultant to understand the types of physical workplace security measures you’re accustomed to using. This provides a starting point from which to build new layers of security. It may also identify friction points that could be eased by adopting new technologies or updating your security approach.

Among other things, your security consultant will want to know what types of locks you use in your existing facility or other properties, as well as any alarm systems, cameras, access barriers, lighting, or other solutions. Be sure to note whether there are systems you prefer to keep using or you might be open to updating or replacing.

5. Is there certain technology your prefer or are opposed to using?

There have been many exciting advancements in security technology in recent years, but not all facilities will welcome or benefit from these advanced solutions. For example, facilities with privacy concerns may consider cameras too intrusive to put in work spaces. These facilities may benefit from surveillance at entry points, but will need a balanced approach.

Organizations have increasingly been exploring solutions that can detect weapons, gunshots, and even aggression in a person’s voice. If you are considering these types of technologies, it’s important to discuss this with your security consultant to ensure you understand the benefits. For example, weapons and gunshot detection are often used interchangeably, but there are critical differences between the two. Weapons detection systems are proactive measures that can identify the presence of a potential weapon before it is used, whereas gunshot detection systems are reactive measures that indicate shots have already been fired. Both can add value, but may benefit from integration into different solutions.

6. What is your budget?

Today’s off-the-shelf workplace security solutions can achieve a vast range of functions for an effective price. However, the real secret to saving on an effective security approach is in the installation. While in the past it was necessary to install separate intrusion detection, access control, and video management systems, today’s multi-technology sensors can perform many of these functions with fewer devices. These sensors can use the same wiring and infrastructure to deliver a range of input to a central security dashboard.

This is where a security consultant can provide tremendous value. By looking at your project holistically, they can advise on the most impactful integrations to include. This could eliminate the need to install three separate systems and reduce the cost and complexity of managing them. When solutions work well and are easy to use, your building occupants are more likely to use those systems, ensuring a positive return on your investment.

Better still, these integrated solutions can strengthen your overall building security by working together to gather information about potential threats and drive an automated response.

If you’re ready to strengthen your workplace security, CRUX can help. Contact us to explore your options.

Wrapping up on May 29th, the 88th Texas Legislative session stands as a milestone, introducing legislative progress regarding school safety and security since the 86th session back in 2019. In response to a significant school tragedy in our State and incidents in other states, the Governor and other key State leaders dedicated considerable focus to enhancing school safety and security in the 88th Texas Legislative session.

This summary serves as a valuable reference guide to the comprehensive collection of bills and rule sections related to school safety and security. The goal of this summary is to assist school officials in understanding the vital information they need.

CRUX is here to help. Let our risk management and security professionals think through your options and develop a strategy that’s right for you.

Read the full report here: 88th Texas Legislative Session CRUX Summary

Few network systems are tasked with doing more with less than those systems found in modern healthcare facilities. In addition to basic demands for network connectivity, modern hospitals must integrate a range of more advanced solutions for patient monitoring, safety and security. These might range from safety and security applications, such as patient wandering and infant protection systems, to the essential infrastructure on which staff relies, from workstations to pneumatic tubes. Add to the critical systems that support patient care – from headwalls to radiology systems to surgical assistance robotics – and it’s easy to understand how healthcare network design can rapidly become overwhelming.

When healthcare technology designs are done well, high-performing hospitals can find ways to integrate some of these systems on the backend. However, the massive number of components that designers must account for makes it all too easy to overlook one or more of these elements in the design phase. By selecting a partner who holds expertise and experience in planning, coordinating, and designing advanced technology systems, healthcare facilities can trust they’ll gain more reliable systems at a reduced overall cost.

The risk of omission in healthcare technology design

The sheer range of systems going into hospitals today makes it essential for health systems to plan what will be included within their network before ever getting out of the design phase. Without this upfront planning and coordination around technology systems design, healthcare facilities risk incomplete design documents that can lead to costly change orders during construction and potential delays to opening day.

It’s unfortunately common for spaces to be designed too small to house all required technology components or power supplies unable to accommodate for future growth. A lack of coordination on healthcare technology design can also lead hospitals to leave out certain systems where needed – or overspend on technology in areas it’s not needed.

Worse yet, poorly integrated systems can lead to operational or maintenance issues. End users expect a new or updated facility to eliminate pain points, not add to them. Effective technology solutions should be integrated in such a way as to make it easier to maintain, update, operate, and secure needed data from systems.

Are your partners adding to your risk?

As network design becomes more complex, it becomes more important that architects and hospital stakeholders partner with a consultant that has specialized experience in technology system design. When this work instead falls upon traditional partners, a range of additional risks emerge:

• Electrical engineers: When hospitals lean on electrical engineers to design and implement technology systems, there’s a higher risk of system redundancy. For example, it’s not uncommon for electrical engineers to advise using category cable alongside passive optical or fiber networks. In addition, electrical engineers who lack specialized knowledge on how to integrate systems on the backend can add to complexity in operation. While occupancy sensors and security systems, for example, may be able to share hardware elements, electrical engineers may be less likely to identify these redundancies. As a result, owners are less likely to reap potential cost-saving and efficiency advantages.
• Internal teams: Hospital architecture, construction, and IT teams can provide a big-picture vision of what codes and end-user must-haves to include in network design. However, it’s unrealistic to expect these professionals to provide the specialized knowledge required to account for the hundred of technology components needed to make the building operational.
• Vendors: When it comes to designing and implementing more complex systems, it can be tempting to lean on technology system vendors for critical insight. The chief challenge here is that not all technology systems are designed to speak to one another. As a result, hospitals may find themselves investing in a range of systems delivered by a single vendor, making it more difficult to upgrade individual components in the future. Hospitals that aim to circumvent this by investing in a range of systems from different vendors will typically require the help of a technology consultant who can securely and effectively integrate systems.

How a network design partner can help

Working in the early design phase with an experience low voltage consultant that specializes in healthcare projects can ensure hospitals have all needed systems included in their design and integrated during construction. A technology consultant can achieve this through discussions with users within each healthcare department to uncover end users’ needs and pain points. Technology designers who are brand agnostic can also better recommend certain systems or functionalities.

A dedicated technology consultant can also take on the time-consuming task of building a bill of all materials that includes telephones, computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, and other technology end points, and countless other devices that it takes to run a hospital. This partner can also create healthcare technology design drawings and master schedules for ordering equipment, down to the individual part number.

Moreover, a technology design consultant ensures that the selected systems operate as intended. A hospital can’t afford a steep learning curve or nonoperational systems after handoff. Systems must work as expected to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.

To discover additional ways that a network design consultant can help your project outperform your expectation, contact CRUX Solutions.