Why video analytics will be your critical value creator in 2025 by Martin McGrath, Sales Manager, UK and Ireland at Milestone Systems
In today’s economic climate, it’s understandable if you are hesitating about investing in video analytics. But far from being a cost centre, video analytics can unlock quantifiable benefits that will make it a competitive differentiator for organisations in 2025. In an Omdia survey commissioned by BriefCam, now part of Milestone Systems, more than 85% of organisations in Europe and North America that utilise video analytics see a return on investment (ROI) within just one year. It underscores how security technology is expanding beyond its traditional role to become a cross-functional tool that offers value across operations, sales, marketing, and more.
From a Cost Burden to a Strategic Asset
Historically, the security industry has grappled with the perception of being a "cost centre." Video analytics is transforming that narrative. While safeguarding people and assets remains crucial, modern solutions deliver tangible benefits that resonate with decision-makers across organisations.
Consider the retail banking sector, where nearly all respondents report achieving ROI within 12 months. Similarly, in manufacturing, nine out of ten organisations achieve returns within the same period.
Many Milestone retail customers turn to video analytics to boost loss prevention. Alongside savings in time, resources, and direct costs, organisations report improved security team efficiency, with streamlined reporting and enhanced operational efficiency. Cardholders can be authenticated, blacklisted shoppers can be flagged to ground teams and unusual behaviour can also be highlighted to operators. Missing children can be quickly located, and potentially distressed shoppers can be tended to proactively. Even health and safety can be augmented by video analytics, with technology monitoring compliance such as wearing PPE in stock room/warehouse areas. Analytics can also influence marketing and store layouts with insights into customer behaviour and movements through a space.
This signals a broader shift in how businesses use video security technology. Forward-thinking businesses are now exploring even more advanced applications, such as predictive maintenance, automated quality control, and real-time process optimisation. These operational benefits are often unexpected rewards for organisations that initially adopted the technology for security purposes.
Making the Case to Decision-Makers
As you can see, there are many potential benefits of implementing video analytics. Communicating such benefits to senior stakeholders is vital to gaining buy-in for your investment. When discussions expand beyond security to encompass operational efficiencies, business intelligence, and measurable ROI, they often reach the C-suite. Framing video analytics as a strategic investment, rather than just a security expense, helps elevate its importance within the broader business context.
While traditional priorities like on-site security and staff safety remain vital, video analytics excels at enhancing both. Advanced AI-driven solutions can reduce false alarms, improve response times, and manage complex security tasks more effectively. Automated reporting features save time and increase accuracy, while data-driven insights enable precise resource allocation. These efficiency gains often translate directly into financial savings and with 63% of UK CEOs feeling the pressure to ensure the long-term prosperity of their business, it can be a compelling message to share with them about the potential value of video.
Why ROI is Achieved So Quickly
What drives the rapid ROI for video analytics? The answer lies in its versatility across multiple business functions. While traditional security applications remain critical, modern video analytics solutions are increasingly deployed across diverse use cases. Today’s robust systems offer the ability to:
- Reduce manual monitoring requirements
- Automate incident detection and response
- Simplify investigation processes
- Provide valuable business intelligence
- Support compliance with UK and global regulatory standards
- Enhance operational efficiency
Generating Long-term Value from Video
It’s clear that video analytics offer a transformative opportunity for savvy business leaders.
By aligning video analytics solutions with specific company challenges and objectives, security professionals can deliver measurable, ongoing returns. This shift not only changes how leaders view security technology but also enables sustainable growth tailored to evolving business needs. So, when it comes to video analytics it’s no longer a question of whether to invest, but rather how to maximise the value of this game-changing technology for your organisation.
