Merit Medical’s clean-room environments require strict contamination controls that make physical access challenging. Traditional clean-room inspections required personnel to gown up in sterile attire, creating inefficiencies when engineers needed to observe production processes. This protocol consumed valuable time, potentially disrupted operations and limited the company’s ability to quickly identify manufacturing issues. It also made it difficult to highlight Merit’s production capabilities to investors, clients and other stakeholders. 

Merit Medical designed a comprehensive monitoring solution based on AXIS F-Series modular cameras throughout their clean-room manufacturing environments. Working with Stone Security, Merit standardized these and other network cameras from Axis Communications to ensure optimal system performance. The small modular cameras were strategically installed on manufacturing equipment and throughout clean rooms, providing high-resolution video without disrupting sterile environments. The solution was integrated into their existing Milestone XProtect VMS, creating a centralized platform for monitoring manufacturing processes. 

The modular camera system has transformed Merit’s manufacturing operations, improving quality control and operational efficiency. Engineering teams can now monitor production processes remotely, identifying potential issues before they become critical. Additionally, the virtual tour capability has streamlined visitor experiences, allowing Merit to showcase its manufacturing processes without disrupting or compromising clean-room protocols. 

“We can look at a camera view covering six hours, make a major or minor tweak on a machine, and production goes up by percentage points, which is important,” said Craig Meyer, director of global security, Merit Medical. “When we can show return on investment by putting cameras in these areas to increase production for lean manufacturing, that’s significant. It all shows how video technology can directly contribute to our manufacturing performance.”

Strengthening Global Manufacturing Security Through Video & Access Control Integration 

Managing separate video and access control systems created operational inefficiencies for Merit’s team. With operators constantly switching between platforms, incident response times were slower than desired. Visual verification of access credentials required manual coordination between systems, while investigating historical activity meant navigating two separate databases. Additionally, training staff on multiple systems increased onboarding time, and all of this created  the need for a more unified, efficient approach. 

Merit Medical implemented an integrated solution combining Milestone XProtect VMS with their existing S2 NetBox access control system. Working with Stone Security, Merit leveraged the ORBNET Systems connector to unite these platforms, standardizing on network video cameras from Axis Communications throughout their facilities. The solution incorporates door controllers, credential verification and visual recognition into Merit’s existing VMS-based mapping system. This integration provides a single interface for operations, allowing staff to verify identity, control access and review events seamlessly. 

The integrated platform has significantly enhanced Merit’s operational effectiveness and security posture. Staff can now verify credential use against live video, eliminating the need to switch between systems. Investigation times have decreased dramatically, with operators able to quickly retrieve access events and corresponding video data. Visual verification has strengthened perimeter protection and access protocols, while the streamlined system has reduced training requirements for new personnel and improved overall response. 

“We started experiencing some attention-to-detail issues when, instead of momentarily unlocking a door in S2, users were unlocking it and leaving it open, so we’d unknowingly have that access open for hours,” Meyer said. “By switching over to the Milestone platform and bringing S2 into it, we solved that problem pretty quickly.” 

When investigating an event, staff can start with either door access records or video data, then connect the two. If they see unusual access to a restricted area, they can immediately pull up video of who entered. Similarly, if suspicious activity appears on camera, they can instantly check which badges were used nearby. 

“This capability has been a game changer for Merit’s team, saving hours of investigation time while providing indisputable evidence of who accessed which areas and when,” said Andy Schreyer, vice president, security technology and marketing, Stone Security. 

Each access event in the system has a bookmarked video clip, allowing rapid confirmation of who used the credential. This helps identify potential violations such as tailgating, credential sharing or unauthorized access attempts. For a company operating in the regulated medical device industry, this level of documentation and verification provides essential compliance support.  

The system’s verification capabilities extend beyond access control to include complex investigations. When unusual patterns are detected, personnel can rapidly review a person’s movement throughout the facility, matching video evidence with access records to create a complete timeline of events. 

Merit’s team can see doors and cameras on the same digital maps, allowing them to quickly help employees who need access while responding faster to potential concerns. When someone needs help at an entrance, the team can immediately see who is there and unlock it with just a few clicks. 

As Merit continues to expand its integrated approach, they are leveraging the flexibility of Milestone’s open platform to create increasingly sophisticated operations. By bringing together video, access control and mapping in a unified system, they have established a solution that scales with their growing global business while maintaining operational simplicity and effectiveness.  

“Our access-integrated VMS-based mapping approach has been fundamental to our success,” Meyer said. “It has allowed us to creatively solve challenges in ways we could not have imagined when we started this journey. The strength of this solution comes from the collaboration with all partners. What’s most impressive is how seamlessly everything works together, providing us with a foundation that continues to evolve as our global operations grow.”

Optimizing Global Security Through Advanced VMS Mapping 

Managing a large-scale global camera deployment presented significant operational challenges for Merit’s security team. With hundreds of cameras in multiple locations and languages, the traditional approach to naming cameras became increasingly complex and time-consuming. New security personnel require extensive training to memorize camera locations and names, while the task of monitoring camera status and maintaining system health across a distributed network posed ongoing operational challenges. 

Merit Medical developed a comprehensive mapping solution based on Milestone XProtect’s built-in Smart Map functionality, once again standardizing on network cameras from Axis Communications to ensure optimal system performance. The solution allows security staff to navigate camera views in layers, starting with a global overview and drilling down into specific facilities and floor plans. They enhanced the map system’s usability with color-coded camera icons to indicate different device types. Integrated health monitoring features automatically alert operators to status issues. 

The mapping system has transformed Merit’s global security operations, improving response times and operational efficiency. New security personnel can now be effectively trained in a fraction of the time previously required, with the intuitive interface enabling them to quickly master the system. The visual status monitoring has significantly enhanced system maintenance, allowing the team to identify and address camera issues very quickly and efficiently. 

“If you hover over a camera icon, it will show you a thumbnail of the view,” Meyer said. “If you double click on it, the system will pull the camera all the way up. It is a fast way to organize and create a graphical representation of where our cameras are.” 

The mapping system’s features extend beyond basic camera locations. Merit’s team has developed a range of advanced capabilities that enhance the system’s use. This includes AXIS PTZ cameras, 180-degree panoramic and fixed cameras, each integrated into the mapping interface with distinct visual identifiers. Different camera types are distinguished by color-coded field-of-view indicators. This approach to camera visualization extends throughout the entire mapping hierarchy. The visual navigation system allows operators to quickly drill down from a view to specific locations. 

“The speed of being able to access cameras visually based on the area of the building is hugely beneficial,” said Ryan Thurgood, security manager, Merit Medical. “Our maps are set up so you can click on a site, then click on a building, then first floor, second floor, and just drill your way up or down.” 

The system also includes robust health monitoring features, valuable for Merit’s 24/7 security operations. Camera icons automatically flash when issues arise, such as connectivity problems or power failures, enabling the security team to respond rapidly. Additionally, the tight integration between AXIS cameras and Milestone XProtect enables detailed device status monitoring and remote configuration. 

“The system shows us immediately which cameras need attention,” Meyer said. “We can spot issues across any site and respond right away. We can even log into the cameras directly through the interface to adjust settings or troubleshoot problems.” 

Merit’s security team has developed thorough processes for maintaining and expanding their mapping system. Working closely with Stone Security, the company has created standardized procedures for adding new cameras and locations, ensuring consistency across their deployment. The team manages most system updates and expansions in-house. 

The team is now expanding their mapping capabilities to incorporate access control features that allow operators to monitor and manage doors directly through the same intuitive interface. 

“Merit has put in time to make their system perform optimally for their needs,” Schreyer said. “Their work has made it a better system for them to use, for us to support, and it perfectly shows the flexibility of the Milestone VMS.”