Certifications can boost installers’ reputations and bottom lines

Arden Taylor, Certification and Testing Project Manager (Security) at BRE 

It’s vital that the alarm signalling industry takes all the steps necessary to protect people, premises, and possessions, and we're proud to be leading from the front. We have placed significant focus on third party certifications to ensure it is providing validation of the high quality and standards for our portfolio of alarm signalling products. They present the opportunity to further build trust between installers and end-customers, empowering both end customers and installers to purchase products which give them the assurances they need.

We recently announced three new market-leading industry certifications, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to maintaining the highest standards across all our products and services. This includes certification from the world-renowned Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), part of the BRE, for our Essential IP product which completes the LPCB certification across our portfolio. As well as the BSI Kitemark for our Internet of Things (IoT) devices and Secure Digital Applications for the Redcare app and portal, we have Secure Connected Device (SCD) certification for the monitored alarm signalling devices in our portfolio.  

In this blog, we speak to Arden Taylor, Certification and Testing Project Manager (Security) at BRE. We discuss the certification process, why it’s important and the future of certifications and standards.

At its core, BRE aims to reduce loss to life and property. We look at testing and certification and build technical approaches that relate to the product’s application. 

The process to be certified is rigorous, and rightly so. Once the initial application has been received and verified, the product is tested and evaluated in accordance with industry standards by a team of specialists. Then, after the initial reports are constructed, they go through a thorough review. 

Once all elements of the certification process are complete, a certificate can be issued, and the product can be listed on Redbook Live - a listing of all LPCB-certified products and services. Finally, proper installation is central to the success of these products - a product with perfect certifications installed improperly is rendered less effective. 

Critically, we conduct factory visits throughout the process to examine the way the clients’ production line is operating. Specialist auditors can flag any changes that may adversely affect the certification - these flags can lead to suspensions, or at worst, withdrawals of the certificate. This latter element helps consolidate what is known as ‘constancy of performance’, whereby a product’s certification rating still holds up years into the future. 

If your products have been given the green light by a certification body such as LPCB, you can be assured that you are receiving the highest levels of product testing and certification, as we are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to the ISO 17025 and ISO 17065 standards that set the benchmark for testing and certification services. 

This high level of testing and certification gives not only installers and security professionals marketing leverage and reassurance, but also ensures that end user customers receive products that perform reliably. Certifications are a marker of consistency and reliability. 

Product audits are performed roughly every six months to establish that the product line is still performing to the same standards it was at when the products were originally tested.

You leave yourself exposed to legal implications; if someone, or something, is harmed due to your product and it comes to light that you haven’t taken practical steps to demonstrate it has met the applicable standards - you are liable. 

There’s also a practical hinderance, if you don’t have relevant certifications, you’ll likely be omitted from suppliers’ lists - impacting your bottom line. 

If I was an installer at the tail end of the product’s implementation process, and it turns out not to be up to scratch, my reputation would be on the line. Installers want certified products that have undergone rigorous testing to prove the design and reliability before they are placed on the market. 

Focusing education on the right people at the right time across the supply chain is essential. It’s a case of ensuring everyone, including consultants, system designers and integrators, knows the value certifications bring.

The future of alarm signalling certifications is in the hands of the experts who write the standards. And as the industry’s range of products develops, the standards must keep pace and change with it. 

The movement to cloud-based technology will require standards to evolve immensely, even so far as to include cybersecurity. The increased number of potential vulnerabilities in new products must be met with innovative certification requirements.

The evolution of standards and, in turn, our process, will be subject to continued reviews and closely adhere to the technical developments within the industry. 

We pride ourselves in working with likeminded organisations who value the importance of safe and reliable products. BRE has a good working relationship with BT and looks forward to the ongoing process of factory production control and assessing their new innovative products and solutions.

Read more about our three new industry certifications for our Next Generation Portfolio or get in touch with your account manager if you have any questions.