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Video management software ­boosting retail operations

The global retail sector is estimated to have achieved revenues of US$ 22.6 trillion in 2015 and should continue to rise to US$ 28 trillion by 2019, according to Research and Markets. Representing 31% of the world’s GDP, the retail sector employs billions of people throughout the globe. The effective management and safeguarding of this industry is therefore essential.

While CCTV surveillance has played a significant role in preventing theft, loss and shrinkage, technological advancements in video management software is turning surveillance into one of the world’s most effective infrastructure management platforms as well.

New applications for VMS

“IP video management software is providing global retailers with capabilities that prevent stock loss and shrinkage, but also enhance the overall operations of the organisation,” says Gus Brecher, managing director of Cathexis Africa and business development director of Cathexis Technologies. “IP video management capabilities can be applied across all the retail departments, including: operations, stock management, marketing, customer services and staff training.

“With sophisticated intelligence and exceptional integration capabilities, retailers are looking at new ways in which IP video management software can maximise return on surveillance investment by monitoring employee functions as well as consumer behaviour.”

Designed to minimise risk and improve operational efficiencies, CathexisVision provides a range of functionality to meet all the security and infrastructure management needs of the global retail sector, with installations completed in South Africa, the UK, Australia, USA and Dubai.

The ability to scale capacity and performance allows for the support of multiple servers, sites and cameras, across multiple sites, making this the ideal solution for small boutique stores or supermarkets with multiple branches, all monitored from one central location.

Enhancing the control room

The key strengths behind the success of the CathexisVision suite is its ability to offer speed, efficiency, integration capability, and effective real-time monitoring. The software is dynamic in its potential applications, meaning that retailers of all sizes can take advantage of the advanced surveillance solutions.

The fully integrated control room environment, with tools to enhance the operator experience and improve efficiency, minimises the risk for human error while simultaneously enabling the management of notifications from multiple systems concurrently. Additional off-site monitoring functionality means that users can ensure the safety and security of their premises remotely from any location at any time of the day.

Integration and analytics capability

In a market sector that requires constant observation and scrutiny, CathexisVision allows for high-quality real-time video analysis that help track footfall, point-of-sale transactions, and ensure that retailers can proactively prevent crime and other incidents before they arise.

The integration capability is enhanced by predetermined actions upon information received from various systems and the association of specific actions for events. Third-party systems include: access control, point of sale, fire panels, alarm panels, electronic article surveillance systems, fridge / freezer controller and scanning integration.

The Cathexis Point of Sale (POS) integration provides a full database of all POS transactions and associated video footage. A user-friendly interface allows easy viewing of cameras associated with specific tills. With intelligent data mining, a database search engine allows users to find specific transactions or groups of transactions easily, and to play back the transactions synchronised with the associated video footage.

CathexisVision offers a range of video analytics to improve the effectiveness of the system, including: Smart Video Motion Detection, Queue Length Analysis, Traffic Direction, Abandoned Object Analysis, Post Object Search. The system also integrates with several specialised analytics devices. The analytics software provides triggers to the system, which enables it to take user defined actions depending on the specific trigger.

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