How Multi-Facility Companies Can Roll Out Thermal Monitoring in Phases Without Disrupting Operations
How to Expand Thermal Monitoring Gradually Without Disruption
Rolling out new safety technology across multiple facilities is a challenge. Each site has different layouts, different equipment, different staffing levels, and different priorities. Many organizations want better visibility and earlier detection, but they cannot afford to disrupt operations, halt production, or ask every location to change their workflow all at once.
The good news is that thermal monitoring does not need a full-scale deployment to deliver value. Multi-facility companies can implement it in small, manageable phases, starting with their highest-risk areas and expanding as they are ready. With a flexible platform like iTL, each new camera or sensor simply plugs into the same system, the same alerts, and the same reporting structure.
This phased approach makes it easy to build a long-term monitoring strategy without overwhelming teams or budgets.
Start With High-Risk Areas First
Every facility has zones that carry a higher probability of overheating, smoldering, or developing early fire risk. These may include:
- Waste and recycling piles
- Battery charging or storage areas
- Production equipment
- Electrical rooms
- Conveyors and sorters
- Outdoor storage yards
- Areas with heavy friction or machinery
- After-hours operation zones
By starting with these high-risk areas, each facility gets immediate protection where it matters most without needing a full rollout.
Deploy One or Two Cameras Per Site to Begin
Most multi-facility teams think they need a large deployment to be effective. In reality, many organizations start with one or two cameras per facility as a pilot.
This allows teams to:
Once teams see the visibility and clarity iTL provides, they often expand coverage naturally.
Add Facilities Gradually Without Rebuilding the System
iTL is designed to scale across locations without a full system redesign. Every new facility added:
- Uses the same platform
- Follows the same alerting structure
- Shares the same reporting format
- Fits into the same central dashboard
- Requires no new software or infrastructure
This allows companies to grow their monitoring network one location at a time with minimal technical overhead.
Integrate LoRaWAN Sensors to Fill Coverage Gaps
Some areas are difficult to monitor with thermal cameras alone. Multi-facility companies can integrate LoRaWAN sensors in a phased rollout to expand coverage, including:
All of these can be added later and fed directly into iTL for unified visibility.
Train Each Facility in Small Steps
Training is often the biggest concern for multi-site organizations. A phased approach makes this easy.
Teach teams how to:
Once they understand the basics, the learning curve is simple for additional cameras or sensors.
Use a Centralized Dashboard to Connect All Facilities
One of the strongest benefits of a phased rollout is that leadership still gets complete visibility, even while only some facilities have initial coverage. With a centralized dashboard:
- Each camera across all sites appears in one place
- Leadership sees activity across the entire network
- Alerts follow a consistent routing structure
- Reporting is standardized across locations
- Corporate teams can benchmark performance
As new sites come online, they simply join the existing network.
Expand Coverage When Teams Are Ready
After the initial phase, companies can expand in several ways:
This lets the organization grow its monitoring footprint at a comfortable pace.
Phased Rollout = Less Disruption and More Control
A phased deployment allows companies to:
Avoid downtime
Manage budgets more easily
Build internal support
Reduce training demands
Lower internal resistance
Protect operations without changing daily routines
Most importantly, it ensures that every step delivers value without overwhelming any location or department.
Final Thoughts
Thermal monitoring does not need to be rolled out all at once to be effective. Multi-facility companies can start small, protect their highest-risk areas, and expand when they are ready. With a platform like iTL, every new camera or sensor integrates seamlessly into the same system, making it easy to build a complete monitoring network over time without disrupting operations.
This approach gives organizations the flexibility to move at their own pace while still strengthening safety across all locations.
About moviTHERM
moviTHERM – Advanced Thermography Solutions was founded in 1999. The company offers solutions for plastic welding, package sealing, and non-destructive testing. In addition, moviTHERM provides IoT Cloud monitoring solutions for thermal imaging applications for early fire detection, machine condition monitoring, and other applications. moviTHERM is a Teledyne Flir Premium Partner and master distributor for FLIR Thermal Cameras for automation and science applications.
