Ssaib Questions

[Systema]

Hey everyone,

I've been trading as an subcontractor for about 8 months now. Been an engineer for about 8 years for the normal global fire and security companies you know the ones.

I seem to get more and more people call up for intruder and cctv products, but I really would rather not subcontract any more and push my own brand. (Don't we all!)

Now I've looked at nsi, but gold is far beyond my reach at the moment, as for ISO:9001.

But ssaib is cheaper, and I don't need ISO:9001.

My questions are basic ones to be honest, what is your experience with ssaib? I've only ever worked and would only work for gold companies in the past. Would it gain me more customers in the long run.

And does anyone have a list of the standards they inspect, don't get me wrong I always install to a gold standard, as I've been trained to, but standards change and no one is perfect. But it goes a long way to make sure I'm doing everything as it should be.

Many thanks

Andy

[matthew.brough]

Gold standard?

Both SSAIB and NSI inspect to European / British standards. NSI do have some additional codes of practice but the reality is we install alarms to rules not designed by either inspectorates. If you have been trained to a 'gold' level words such as bs8243, pd6662, en50131 should be on the tip of your tongue and you would already know what standards you were to be audited against as if you are currently installing systems for inspectorate approved companies, you should already know how to do it and what those standards are.If you can't, how are the people your subbing for sure that what your doing is compliant with their approval?

Don't be under the illusion that any inspectorate approval will pave the streets with gold, far from it.

Funny enough I had this exact conversation with one of my subbys today and the outcome of that conversation was he could see he would make more money subbing for me than going it alone and all the costs that go with it.

The first question I'd be asking is where are your customers coming from and why would they choose you over the thousands of us that have been there and done that with approval for a long time? New business has to a large degree flatlined in the intruder market so you will have to entice clients from other alarm companies. How you plan to do that would be my first question as with the pricing some of the market is paying would make the cost of acquiring those customers too expensive.

[james.wilson]

Id look it differently. You have worked for an nsi firm. I'm sure you feel you are competent. Problem is my engineers know their bit, and just that. They don't know the whole lot. There is more to it than my guys think there is. Bad bit here is they wont think that.

[matthew.brough]

You have engineers that think they can run an alarm company just because they can fit a panel and connect a digi. Glad it's not just me.

[goncall]

You have engineers that think they can run an alarm company just because they can fit a panel and connect a digi. Glad it's not just me.

Where that puts you god knows...

[Systema]

No single person would know every standard world for word, (not the reg numbers). I know pd:6662 etc, and have my systems audited by firms I work for. But like I said no one is perfect, so I just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Ok the term 'gold standard'i was implying towards I work for nsi gold companies, and work to their standards, I just didn't want to write all pd:6662 etc. so that was laziness on my part.

I think you read my question wrong. But thanks for your input.

Also to add, by things I could miss, I was meaning paper work! Specs etc. not the actual 'technical' work.

Thanks

[matthew.brough]

Specs? If you know pd6662 etc then you will know there is no such thing as a spec. Presumably you are referring to a system design proposal or the as fitted document?

With regards to paperwork. The requirements for documentation are contained in the standards you claim to know therefore as long as you have what is contained in the standards then bobs you're uncle. If working for alarm companies currently most guys I know who went on their own just copied the documents they use from their old company.

In regards to your direct SSAIB question. You will find it considerably less of a challenge to convince them to let you in than NSI. SSAIB will audit your jobs against the standards you claim to install to and that's pretty much it. NSI look more at the person, the business, and would question your competence on a business front considerably more than SSAIB will. SSAIBs background is letting one man bands who want to break away from a proper alarm company to have ago on their own without proving any business competence at all which sounds what you want. Those that make it then seem to want to upgrade to NSI certification later down the track as they want to distinguish themselves from SSAIB companies.

[PeterJames]

Look at NSI silver its the same as SSIAB but upgrading to gold from silver would be less complicated

[matthew.brough]

Look at NSI silver its the same as SSIAB but upgrading to gold from silver would be less complicated

I can see Tony Weeks hopping up and down and wanting to assassinate you for that suggestion.

Whilst I would agree the NSI silver scheme and SSAIB are broadly very similar, NSI have their own additional points to satisfy as a condition of approval of any NSI company which is not a requirement for SSAIB approval. There are companies with SSAIB approval that would not meet sufficient grade to become NSI silver due to the requirements NSI have on member companies and their management.

[Amps]

I've been trading as an subcontractor for about 8 months now. Been an engineer for about 8 years for the normal global fire and security companies you know the ones.

 

 

You find work fairly easy to come by mate? How much work is out there for subbies and how do they normally go about getting it, through an agency, direct, word and mouth?

 

I've worked as a multi discipline engineer for a Nsi Gold national for sixteen years and due family issues i am now contemplating being a subbie. Not necessarily for higher earnings but a more flexible lifestyle. I'd imagine most subbie work is for install but is there much call for a service engineer subbie?

 

You have anything to tell/share about life as a subbie in this trade Systema? If anyone has anything to ad on the subject i'd love to hear