🏪 The Business
A Midlands-based independent retailer with 6 sites: three in Wolverhampton, two in Walsall and one in Dudley. Total staff: 48. The business had grown through acquisition — each site had inherited different CCTV equipment from the previous operators, installed at different times between 2009 and 2019.
⚠️ The Problem: Three Systems, No Central View
The operations director described the situation: 'We had three different DVR systems, three different apps, some cameras that hadn't worked for months, and I had no way of seeing what was happening across sites without driving to each one individually.'
- Sites 1–2 (Wolverhampton): Analogue DVR system from 2009. Footage resolution so low that faces were unidentifiable. One camera completely failed.
- Sites 3–4 (Wolverhampton, Walsall): IP system installed 2016. Working but no remote access — the previous IT setup had been removed.
- Sites 5–6 (Walsall, Dudley): Hikvision IP system from 2019. Good quality, app working, but not connected to the others.
Insurance had also flagged concerns: the insurer was requiring an upgrade to the analogue sites as a condition of renewal.
🔍 Survey Findings and Specification
| Site | Cameras Existing | Action Required | Cameras After |
|---|---|---|---|
| WV1 (Wolverhampton) | 6 analogue | Full replacement | 8 Hikvision ColorVu |
| WV2 (Wolverhampton) | 4 analogue | Full replacement | 6 Hikvision ColorVu |
| WV3 (Wolverhampton) | 8 IP (2016) | NVR upgrade + remote access | 8 existing + 2 new |
| WS1 (Walsall) | 6 IP (2016) | NVR upgrade + remote access | 6 existing + 1 new |
| WS2 (Walsall) | 8 Hikvision | Integrate into unified system | 8 existing |
| DY1 (Dudley) | 6 Hikvision | Integrate into unified system | 6 existing + 2 new |
Specification: all sites standardised on Hikvision ColorVu cameras (full-colour night footage) and Hikvision NVRs with Hik-Connect app — allowing a single app login to view all 6 sites simultaneously.
🔧 Installation Approach
Installation was phased over 4 weekends to avoid disruption during trading hours. Each site was completed in a single day — typically a Sunday when footfall was lower. The two full replacement sites (WV1, WV2) required the most time: cable runs to new camera positions, new NVR mounting, and commissioning.
For the 2016-era IP camera sites (WV3, WS1), the existing cameras were compatible with the new Hikvision NVRs — saving significant hardware cost. The NVR was replaced, cameras were remounted or repositioned where coverage gaps were identified, and remote access configured.
✅ Outcome
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Camera resolution | 720p analogue (2 sites) | 4MP colour across all sites |
| Remote viewing | 1 of 6 sites | All 6 sites, single app |
| Night-time colour footage | None | All sites (ColorVu) |
| Working cameras | 37 of 46 | 51 of 51 |
| Insurance compliance | At risk | Confirmed compliant |
| Total project cost | — | £18,400 inc. VAT |
| Monthly monitoring cost | None (unmonitored) | None (remote self-monitor) |
Telexico surveys and upgrades commercial CCTV across the Midlands. Multi-site installations welcome — we standardise everything to one system.
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