January 2024 will mark three years that I have been leading PSA. Stepping into the role when integrators faced more headwinds than they had in decades meant we needed to quickly adapt to support our members through tough times. As is often true, we came out stronger.
To future-proof PSA’s systems integrators for economic uncertainty, digital transformation, the proliferation of AI, cybersecurity threats, workforce challenges, etc., PSA has invested in and adapted key areas of our business.
There are lessons for all systems integrators to glean.
Marketing is no longer “nice to have.” In July 2023 PSA launched a marketing agency, Swell, to help our systems integrators with marketing success. Swell provides competitively priced integrated marketing, including branding, thought leadership, digital presence, and demand generation. A generational shift is occurring among end users. A well-designed website with relevant information, good user experience, and search engine optimization (SEO) is now a necessity for digitally inclined decision makers.
In 2024, systems integrators should review their brand and digital presence to ensure they’re telling a compelling story of who they are and what problems they will solve for customers.
Embrace new technologies. We are constantly vetting new manufacturers at PSA to bring onto our line card. While we heavily rely on our systems integrators to tell us which products they want, we also keep the pulse of upcoming technologies that can revolutionize security for our integrators. Cloud-based systems, analytics and machine learning are just a few of the features integrators are now embracing to reduce false alarms and truck rolls, and to be more efficient and accurate in protecting their clients.
Likewise, supply chain challenges of the last few years forced systems integrators to find new manufacturers when they didn’t have access to their legacy systems in a timely manner. To everyone’s surprise adapting to new technologies is easier than we realized. Now, the challenge is for manufacturers to adapt to integrator’s needs.
Workforce development is key. As with our world, the security industry is embracing diversity, and this is crucial for our longevity and success. To attract and retain new, diverse talent, we must have support mechanisms in place for their growth and development. Training matters but demonstrating that you support and care for each individual holistically is crucial as well. We launched PSA University in 2023 and will be adding career paths for many of the job functions our systems integrators have. Likewise, we are creating spaces via PSA committees for our integrators’ employees to share knowledge and support others. Our women’s committee has been an overwhelming success and has grown rapidly.
Training our employees is necessary but showing them you support them and care for them holistically is crucial as well.
Experience will always reign supreme. We continued to discuss companies that provide exceptional customer service. Whether through technology and speed like Amazon, or personalized experiences and caring like Chick-Fil-A, we encourage our systems integrators to identify your customers’ most important needs. In my tenure at PSA, we have tried a few different models in our own customer success team to align with our members’ needs. We’ve learned from our mistakes and been willing to pivot when necessary. We’ve asked for feedback and, most importantly, we’ve listened even when it wasn’t good news.
At the end of the day, it’s as simple as treating people the way you’d want to be treated. You aren’t just being measured against other systems integrators, your customers are measuring you against all of their favorite businesses who understand how to create memorable and remarkable customer experiences.
These are just some of the ways PSA is encouraging our systems integrators to thrive in 2024 and beyond. What items will your organization work on and how can we help?
