The real cost of watching cameras by hand, and how to build an ROI case for AI

Start with the hidden cost

Cameras are usually budgeted as a security expense, but the people who watch them are the bigger cost. If one operator can watch a limited number of screens well, covering every camera live, around the clock, needs several operators per shift, every day of the year.

A quick formula

1. 01
   Operators per shift

   Number of cameras ÷ screens one operator can watch well, rounded up.

2. 02
   Operators in total

   Operators per shift × number of shifts per day.

3. 03
   Annual cost

   Total operators × monthly salary × 12, plus supervision and turnover.

Where AI changes the numbers

• Operators review alerts instead of staring at walls of screens, so one team covers far more cameras.
• Incidents are caught while they happen, which reduces losses, not only investigation time.
• The same cameras produce operational data: footfall, queues, utilization, compliance.
• Searching recorded video for a person or vehicle takes minutes instead of hours.

Building the business case

1. 01
   Pick one problem with a number

   Shrinkage, safety incidents, overtime, refunds or downtime: something finance already tracks.

2. 02
   Run a measured pilot

   A few weeks on real cameras, with a before-and-after comparison.

3. 03
   Show cost per camera

   Management understands cost per camera per month better than a project total.

4. 04
   Add the second benefit

   Security budgets approve faster when operations and marketing also use the data.

Questions we often hear