CCTV commissioning and maintenance software

What a CCTV record should cover

BS EN 62676 is the European standard series for video surveillance systems used in security applications, and its application guidelines part is the usual starting point for installers. Which grade and what performance a site needs comes from its operational requirement, so record that requirement and what was agreed with the customer.

A good commissioning record shows what was installed and where: each camera and its position, the recorder and storage, how long footage is kept, that the clocks are correct and that the system was demonstrated to the customer. A maintenance record then shows each check, what failed, and what was done.

Lawful use of the footage is a separate matter for the system owner, and data protection rules apply. Compliar keeps your installation and maintenance records; the engineer and the customer remain responsible for the system and how it is used.

The same system covers 32 system types across fire protection and life safety, security and electrical, so one login handles the whole company. See the full list of disciplines.

Commissioning and maintenance, camera by camera

General guidance only. The BS EN 62676 series is the reference, with its application guidelines part the usual starting point; check your specification and your scheme document. Last reviewed 3 November 2026.

Start from the operational requirement

What a camera has to achieve is set by the operational requirement agreed with the customer: whether an image is for monitoring a space, detecting that something is there, observing, recognising a known person or identifying an unknown one. That decision drives lens choice, mounting height and recording settings, and it is the first thing to record on the commissioning record, because a maintenance engineer three years later needs to know what each camera was for.

Commissioning

• Each camera. Position, field of view against the operational requirement, focus and exposure by day and by night, and a reference image captured and kept.
• Recording. Frame rate and resolution per camera, retention period, storage capacity against that retention, and that recording actually happens on motion or continuously as specified.
• Time and date. Recorder and cameras synchronised and correct, because footage with the wrong time is hard to use as evidence.
• Remote access and alerts. Who can view, from where, and how alarms or events are passed on, with default passwords changed.
• Handover. The customer shown how to review and export footage, and the signed handover and acceptance record.

Maintenance

• Image check per camera against the reference image: drift, dirt, condensation, foliage, a new sign in the view.
• Recorder health. Disks, retention still being met, firmware, any gaps in recording.
• Housings, mounts and cabling, especially external cameras and heaters.
• Defects raised for anything that fails, with a photo, and quoted from the job.

Worked example

On the Harbourview sample site a 12-camera system with one recorder is serviced annually. The engineer opens the asset list on the phone, works through each camera comparing the live view with the stored reference image, and records a result per camera. Camera 9 over the goods yard is out of focus after a mount knock: it is marked Fail with a photo and becomes a defect. The recorder's retention is checked against the 31 days agreed at commissioning. The maintenance record and the open defect go to the customer from the job, and the office raises a quote for the realignment.

Common mistakes

• No reference images. Without them, "camera drifted" is an opinion.
• Retention assumed, not checked. Adding cameras or raising resolution quietly shortens retention.
• Operational requirement never written down. It is the basis for every later judgement about the system.
• Data protection left to chance. Lawful use of footage, signage and who can view it are the system owner's responsibility, but a commissioning record that notes what was agreed helps everyone.