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Hand identification could stop shrinkage and theft of stock

In the retail sector, shrinkage is a major bugbear and it is estimated that up to 3% of stock can be pilfered by employees and shoppers. Often a significant chunk of theft is due to 'inside jobs'. One way of combating this scourge is to install biometric-based hand geometry units in key areas, which will go a long way towards stamping out shrinkage, as well as increasing security and overall access control.

Hand geometry biometric solutions verify people - not a card, key or PIN that can be easily transferred to someone else. The fact that the units are `tamper-proof' and cannot be transferred, are among the reasons for their added level of security.

By storing handprints of personnel and using hand geometry units in key areas, such as high value storerooms and cash deposit rooms, management can keep a firm handle on staff movements. If, for instance, a stock item - or items - disappear from a particular storeroom, management would know, simply by accessing the hand geometry records, who had access to the storeroom during that period. Levels of control can also be further elevated because the system can be set up so that only certain authorised personnel are allowed entrance to key areas, such as the cash office - and they can only get access by swiping their hand through one of the hand units.

There are three areas where hand readers can be of use to manufacturers or retailers - access control, time and attendance, and for identification. Hand geometry units identify people by measuring more than 90 distinct measurements of the size and shape of their hands. It is one of the most effective methods of identifying people and of knowing who was where, and at what time.

Hand readers also ensure that the person who enters a certain area is not merely carrying someone else's access card or PIN. Besides being able to identify people and their movements - which is a major boom for any retailer or manufacturer - these systems can also be used for time and attendance and for improving payroll accuracy and simplicity by eliminating 'buddy-punching' and providing centralised computer storage with optional networking.

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