It’s plain sailing with David Moran, Business Development Manager at Vanderbilt

Can you tell us a little about your role at Vanderbilt?

Having handed over the ACT marketing department at the end of 2016 to Kim Loy and her team I took up the role of Business Development Manager for our seismic detector range of products. The seismic detector monitors mechanical and thermal attacks and is typically deployed in ATM machines, safes and strong rooms.

What do you enjoy most about the role?

The most enjoyable and rewarding part of my job is spending time with our customers. The customer is not only an important source of revenue for Vanderbilt but an extremely important source of knowledge for new product development and operational excellence.

I believe the key to a good customer meeting is to be prepared and ask good questions, then take notes, listen and learn. Too often a salesman or BDM will go straight into “sales pitch mode” where he or she spends thirty minutes selling a product the customer does not need or care about. It is important to arrive with your homework done, ask probing questions to identify the customers need and unlock the opportunity.

What challenges do you face in your role?

The seismic detector is typically sold for use in ATMs, safes and bank vaults. There are however numerous other creative applications where the seismic detector is very well suited to such as gambling machines, bonded warehouses and even military or weapons bases.

The challenge is to educate the marketplace to “Think Seismic!” – the integrator does not always think of using a seismic detector if they aren’t securing a traditional seismic application. It is my job to ensure more integrators are turning to seismic technology when deciding which technology to use.

How do you see the industry changing over the next five years?

Innovation in the security industry over the next five years will be dominated by three key trends:

• Cloud Computing
• Wireless Communication
• Integration

Cloud Computing: Systems that used to be deployed locally will be deployed in the cloud. This offers the installer and the end user convenience, lower cost and remote accessibility.

Wireless Communication: While every installer would prefer their systems to be wired for fault finding and reliability purposed, the reality is that wireless technology has improved dramatically. A typical wireless install can be performed in hours in comparison to days when providing a fully wired solution. The reduction in labour cost and overall project cost cannot be ignored.

Integration: Decision makers want to “future proof” their systems. They want open solutions that are interoperable with other best in class systems. Identifying and partnering with complementary manufacturers (e.g. access control and CCTV) is an excellent way of growing the business and winning projects.

What do you do with your spare time?

I am a big fan of sailing! I’ve sailed since I was 9 years old. For a bit of fun, here is a video from a few years ago of me sailing in Dublin Bay on a very windy day.