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Technology enhances chain store efficiency

Retail operations can be a complex task for executives who want to ensure each one of their chain of stores operates at maximum efficiency and profitability. The benefits of a chain store operation is that brand promotion can be done across a range of stores at the same time, while logistics and warehousing costs can be reduced by serving multiple stores, enhancing the brand’s competitive edge.

With a successful chain of stores operating nationwide, or even internationally, there are definite challenges in terms of management and security. Executives at headquarters want the latest information about current conditions in each branch in near real time, which is not easy. In addition, each branch manager also wants the same information about their stores at their fingertips in order to take whatever action is required.

According to Gino de Oliveira, TVT sales manager at Forbatt SA, TVT has designed a retail-focused solution after much input from retailers and chain store executives the world over.

For branch stores, De Oliveira suggests installing a bullet or dome camera for access monitoring, calculating the flow of people, and collecting data for decision making. At point-of-sale stations and other counters, TVT supplies dome cameras with two-way audio for remote management, and training.

In the warehouse situation, he suggests smart bullet or dome cameras with functions like area intrusion and item care to easily provide alarms and pre-alarm warnings when certain conditions are picked up by the analytical technology.

Storage concerns

An issue every surveillance solution needs to address is how and where to store the video it collects and how easy it is to access and extract information from that data. In TVT’s case, De Oliveira suggests using the company’s range of NVRs to connect your IP cameras to different types of sensors and alarm devices.

If the retailer wants to centralise its video control and data at their head office, this can be done with TVT’s NVMS5000. This NVR offers a range of access permission layers to allow employees in different branches to access the video and analytic data, with each individual authorised to access only the data they have previously been granted the right to see and use. This includes real-time preview, playback, remote search and backup. They can also make use of the NVMS5000 to supervise employees and conduct remote training.

Customer benefits

Using surveillance technology to ensure the smooth running of a chain of stores not only improves security and management, it allows the company to ensure its customers are receiving the best shopping experience. The effective use of the information available from what was previously only a security solution improves management efficiency, allows executives to remotely check the current conditions of a shop and much more.

Other benefits include decreasing operating costs since adopting smart analysis technology can effectively bring down the cost of operations. And of course, you are also able to more effectively control shrinkage from the shop floor as well as behind the scenes in the storage areas.

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