Integrated security and remote guarding retrofits for Singapore condominiums

Experience and case scope

The company began building this business after he and a manager moved to Singapore. He designed the initial retrofit solution and refined it through delivery. This case spans multiple condominiums and one centre build, rather than a single project with one contract or schedule.

Objectives

• Connect centre and condominium systems for visitor registration, remote door opening, video access and ongoing security service.
• Coordinate implementation, final commissioning and acceptance across projects, alongside procurement, stock and after-sales support.

My role

The company delivered approximately 70 related projects during his tenure. He was responsible for surveys, solution design, construction coordination, final commissioning and acceptance on almost all of them. Installation was carried out with in-house and outsourced crews; platform application services were vendor-deployed.

Key challenges

• Allocating people, tools, equipment and materials across sites, weather changes, site constraints and after-sales needs.
• Integrating video, access, visitor and vehicle workflows with central service while coordinating internal crews and vendors.

Systems and work scope

• Command centre: a 16-screen display system, a small server room, 6 physical servers running Windows Server and the core network. Built and maintained the whole network and deployed/maintained centre equipment. Video platforms progressed from a Hikvision video management platform to HikCentral Professional; platform application services were deployed by the vendor.
• CCTV: surveyed camera counts and positions and chose existing system integration or one-for-one replacement. Mainly used Hikvision equipment and video platforms, connecting over the internet via EHome/ISUP for live viewing and recording retrieval.
• Access and visitors: deployed company-developed terminals at pedestrian entrances, side gates and building entrances. Supported residents' app-based opening, calls to the centre and remote registration/opening. Vehicle workflows included plate pre-registration/capture, on-site iPad registration and barrier access; visitor QR codes had configured validity periods and centre records.
• Barriers and perimeter: planned advertising-barrier replacement and aluminium fencing to close non-designated routes and direct people/vehicles through planned entrances. Following deployment, the company provided on-site and remote guarding on a monthly service basis.

Approach

• Managed an in-house crew of up to 8 people, with members from China, India, Malaysia and Bangladesh, and coordinated 3 outsourced teams; combined peak resources totalled over 20 people. Responsibilities included installation guidance, site allocation, progress, quality, attendance, materials and work scheduling.
• Concurrent condominium projects: usually 2, with a peak of 4. A typical project took around 1.5 months with 2-6 people. Prioritised outdoor work in dry weather and indoor areas such as basement car parks during rain; checked next-day tool/equipment/material needs and prioritised deliveries across sites.
• With two tight-schedule projects, one was held by a key constraint. Concentrated resources on the available site, then moved them back once the constraint cleared; both projects were completed successfully.
• Selected and purchased some equipment from China, managed local stock and replenishment, and supported after-sales work.

Delivery scope

• Established and refined a centre-and-site systems retrofit and delivery approach through actual projects.
• Owned the key technical and delivery stages on almost all of the company's approximately 70 projects.

Confirmed results

• Completed implementation, final commissioning and client acceptance across condominium projects, supporting ongoing on-site and remote security services.
• Completed the two tight-schedule projects through dynamic allocation of shared resources.