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Covering Clover

Clover SA has successfully completed a major upgrade and expansion of its CCTV-based risk management and security infrastructure at the group's largest distribution depot in the country.

The Clover SA facility at City Deep, Johannesburg, features more than 13 000 m² of temperature-controlled warehousing. Temperatures within the depot range from a low of -24°C in chiller rooms, through 2°C in cold rooms, to a high of an ambient 10°C throughout the rest of the bulk storage area.

Between 750 and 900 tons of goods are handled on a daily basis with a fleet of 120 refrigerated vehicles covering destinations that range from Welkom in the Free State, Mafikeng in North West Province, the whole of Gauteng, to Middelburg in the east.

Johann van de Venter, central distribution centre manager at the City Deep depot, says the upgrade and expansion of the CCTV security system was focused on enhancing the ability to monitor and manage 'proof of load'.

"The ability to dispatch product orders out of 12 docking bays at the depot and then balance proof of delivery with the customer was proving to be a major problem with 'undisclosed losses' running at unacceptable levels every month.

"The previous system's inability to provide detailed information of what products, in what quantities were being loaded into specific vehicles from the loading cages meant that we could not track or account for 'shrinkage' between products stocked in the depot and delivery to the customer.

"Under these circumstances all investigations into undeclared losses were extremely difficult and complex to conduct and in many cases could not be closed on the basis of conclusive proof of where the loss occurred," he says. "The previous system lacked coverage in terms of what was going on in the depot itself and was particularly weak within the dispatch bays where proof of load is critical. The system could not even provide us with the registration number of the vehicle that had been loaded."

Van de Venter adds that up to 70 investigations a day were being conducted - a process that demanded a full-time staff and that impacted negatively on productivity and operations throughout the distribution chain.

The contract to upgrade and expand the CCTV system was awarded to Deltatronics, a Pretoria-based specialist in CCTV, access control, intruder detection and a business partner of ADI International in South Africa.

Headed up by Charles Nizetich and Olof Vorster, Deltatronics was commissioned to provide 24-hour, realtime CCTV coverage within the depot and to address the challenge of ensuring that 'proof of load' could be substantiated.

"An audit of the old system showed significant gaps in terms of camera densities that severely restricted coverage in critical areas. This problem was compounded by the deployment of cameras that lacked image quality, making it extremely difficult to pick up detail necessary for successful investigations," says Vorster.

The solution designed by Deltatronics involved increasing overall camera density throughout the depot from 112 to 180 units. To address the 'proof of load' requirement, eight cameras were installed in each of the large docking and loading cages with seven each installed in the smaller cages. Existing cameras deployed in the depot were integrated into the new design along with a further 20 PTZs with additional cameras installed in other sections of the depot. Cameras used previously in the cages were redeployed to other applications throughout the depot.

Cabling and trunking of the entire system was terminated in a new facility established by Deltatronics that was specially designed to house an array of 12 Honeywell Fusion 16 channel Advanced Video Integration systems.

"The arrays, supported by a video blaster system and a PC that facilitates the rapid download of video data for immediate review, are accommodated in a room that is entirely separate from the control room to enhance security, reliability and productivity," Vorster says.

The solution was comprehensively integrated into the existing control room that accommodates 12 PC monitors and seven CCTV monitors to provide three duty controllers with views from all 180 cameras across the depot. Coverage from any of the cameras can be called up to the video monitors for detailed viewing.

According to Vorster the installation provided no particular challenges, despite the relatively abnormal environmental conditions associated with cool to extremely cold conditions. "The Samsung cameras supplied by ADI and deployed throughout the upgrade are fitted with aspherical lenses. They are operating well within their environmental design specifications to provide high image clarity."

Fully commissioned towards the end of April, Van de Venter is confident that the upgraded and enhanced system will provide measurable returns on investment within the first month of operation. "Our obvious aim is to reduce undeclared losses to zero. We also expect to see a significant reduction in declared losses, such as those associated with handling damage within the depot."

Van de Venter is delighted with the detail his security team is now able to monitor throughout the depot and is particularly pleased with coverage within the loading cages.

"Coverage in the 12 dispatch cages is excellent, enabling us to monitor and record the movement of product in great detail. We are now able to record vehicle registration numbers and see the process through to the sealing of doors," he says.

"Used in association with additional control measures, such as the implementation of a vehicle weigh bridge at the depot exit, our investment in security and control systems will establish the City Deep as a model for the rest of the group."

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