Video analysis is a powerful security tool for monitoring the goings-on at your retail business. This security tool is a time and cost saver, and can add substantial value to your business by providing comprehensive, smart security coverage and peace of mind. But how can business owners like you effectively use video analytics to prevent damage and loss to your retail business? Today, we’ll discuss the ins and outs of video analytics and how you can take advantage of this technology to secure your business.
How a Video Analytics System Works
In a nutshell, this is how your system works: cameras strategically placed around your store detect motion, illegal or otherwise, in the monitored area. This movement triggers an alert that is sent via email or text. This alert also informs security officers and/or a business owner of the intrusion, allowing sufficient time to apprehend the intruder and prevent theft.
Features
Some video analytics tech is more powerful than others, with greater functionality and a wider variety of benefits. The following are just a couple popular features available through video analytics.
Facial Recognition: At the robust end of video analytics, there is facial recognition. Should theft or damage occur at your business, a surveillance camera can capture the individual’s face and run it through a system to find and capture the suspect, and even secure a conviction. Another use of facial recognition technology is prohibiting unwanted staff and/or former employees from entering your business. For some users, facial recognition is the primary reason for requesting a video surveillance solution with video analytics.
Employee Monitoring: Video analytics can be a useful tool for monitoring employee behavior. With this tech, you can track employee work levels to see how often “Dan” is taking a coffee break. Tracking employee movement can also highlight areas that can be altered to improve performance. For example, if staff is discovered to be spending most of their shift in an area that dissuades customers from engaging with them, the workspace can be redesigned to encourage better, more frequent interactions between staff and customers. Counting staff and watching their movements can be a time consuming and even monotonous task for a security officer or shift supervisor. Video analytics can do this job for you— and save you a great deal of time and money.
How Video Analytics Can Help Retail Owners
Video analytics can play a powerful role in the retail industry. With this tech, you can simultaneously hinder attempts at shoplifting and better understand shopper behavior. You can identify store bottlenecks and track customer flow, thereby enhancing customers’ shopping experience. Product placement can be improved and high value shelf space identified. Using the information from video analytics, a store can be laid out more effectively, shepherding shoppers throughout the store to areas where sales are less or shoppers rarely go. Video analytics can also help monitor shoppers by age and gender and identify trends in product sales. With this information, business owners and managers can not only improve shopping experience but also increase sales.
At the same time, high theft areas, such as those where large groups of people form, can be monitored to minimize opportunities for shoplifting.
Video analytics is a must for any retail business’s security strategy. In recent years, the cost of such systems has dropped substantially, and when installed and managed by professional security company, the system is easy to maintain and utilize. Video analytics, as implemented as part of a wider, well-planned security solution, is a wise investment that reduces theft, increases safety for employees and customers alike, and improves work operations. There is really no reason why your business should do without.
Interested in learning about how we can help you install a comprehensive video surveillance system at your business? Click here to learn more.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_cta h2=”” shape=”square”]
SMART Security Pros is a provider of armed security services utilizing only active/retired/prior law enforcement officers as well as Remote Guard Video Surveillance services. Shawn Scarlata is the Founder/CEO and the author of this post.[/vc_cta][/vc_column][/vc_row]
