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Security in the retail sector

End-user focus makes the difference

An end-user focused approach to the dynamic and pervasive challenges of security in the global retail environment is what has secured GE Infrastructure's Security division's place in the global retail security industry.

"Our goal is to always have a positive answer ready whenever the customer is facing a problem, by analysing their needs and creating innovative solutions with ease-of-use and enhanced functionality in mind," says Brett Birch, managing director of GE Infrastructure's Security division in South Africa, adding that retailing is a very dynamic, competitive business with specific challenges, both in South Africa and elsewhere.

"It is by definition an open environment with free public access - so retailers must protect their assets while also quickly addressing constantly changing requirements in terms of consumer preferences and market trends," he explains.

"Furthermore, the security system has a lot of territory to cover, from the front entrance, the sales floor and the stock rooms, to the checkout lines and loading docks."

He points out that retailers need a partner who can help them and their security systems integrators identify the risks that their retail outlets face.

"A good retail security solution provider can assist retailers to build a system that covers their business from end-to-end, reducing the time it takes to perform tasks and enabling them to meet the most important retail security challenges - even effectively manage remote systems from a central location."

GE Security provides the following portfolio of products to the retail sector: CCTV (specifically Digital Video products such as the StoreSafe solution); and the ATS Master Integrated Access Control and Intrusion System (including GE Security's specialised Alarm-over-IP solution).

"Today's digital CCTV systems provide retailers with advanced weapons in battling crime, saving management valuable time in investigating common sources of shrinkage, such as no sale purchases and substitute scanning at the point of sale.

"By using these solutions, loss prevention personnel can determine whether or not a transaction was genuine - or a costly fraud - within seconds," Birch points out.

"More specifically within the CCTV retail arena, Storesafe was one of the first products that resulted from our end-user focused approach. By receiving direct feedback from a worldwide restaurant chain, we decided to modify and improve our existing video products in line with this end-user's request.

"Thanks to the flexibility of the ATS Master system, the installer now has the capability to create an affordable security system that combines intrusion detection, access control and video surveillance. The system integrates these technologies in such a way that it increases the capabilities and the user-friendliness of the system at the same time."

According to Birch, GE Security's installed base is already well-established in a variety of different customers. "Large retailers such as Ahold, Boots, Lidl, Footlocker, Starbucks, Mitchell's and Butlers, Pizza Hut & Taco Bell are using our security systems. We do consider that the differentiating factor for our customers is the ability to offer them complete, holistic and fully integrated security solutions across all the applicable product ranges including CCTV, intrusion, access control and fire detection," Birch concludes.

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