By optimizing employees and processes to the best of their abilities, organizations can follow through on the most cost-effective strategies. The same can be said for integrated security systems, as ensuring protective tools perform to their utmost ability will guarantee that businesses only have to invest the minimum amount of cash and still be capable of leveraging effective solutions, according to a SecurityInfoWatch report.

The optimization process should begin with an evaluation of the existing security architecture. At this point, decision-makers should be wary of any underperforming or underused applications, as these can create a ripple effect that negatively affects multiple departments in an organization, the news source said. Security professionals should also be on the lookout for redundancies, as overutilizing solutions can weaken the effectiveness of otherwise efficient technologies.

After evaluating the current state of physical security, decision-makers need to measure how well existing solutions perform. If a company cannot measure functionality, it will be difficult to manage and improve appliances, SecurityInfoWatch noted.

As a result, organizations need to establish a baseline efficiency metric that calculates the efficacy of current video surveillance cameras, access control systems and other security solutions. By using this evaluation, decision-makers can determine if legacy tools need to be upgraded or if they are working up to par, the news source said.

A separate report by the Department of Homeland Security noted that performance evaluations are important and consist of three categories: input, output and outcome measures. Inputs include budgetary, material and human resources needed to ensure the tools function properly, while outputs are the aspects of the tools that can be measured, such as efficiency. Outcome measurements represents the impact the security solutions have an organization's customers or problems.

As technologies continue to evolve, it will become increasingly important for decision-makers to evaluate their current security state, letting them know if any upgrades are necessary.