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RF radio: securing the retail space

Maintaining adequate levels of security within the retail environment is no mean feat.

Given the daily presence of thousands of shoppers and hundreds of suppliers, delivery agents and retail employees, retail security is as much about monitoring potential threats and curtailing theft-related losses as it is about effective people and asset tracking.

Variable access: a multi-faceted retail security challenge

The retail security challenge presents itself in the need for variable access. Shopping hours constitutes the highest risk window, as it is during this timeframe that the retail space is accessed by the largest number of people, for the widest range of reasons.

Effective security measures within shopping centres depend heavily on effective communication between roaming security personnel and central control centres. Whereas stock warehousing and supply chain storage operations can rely more heavily on modular circuit-type security systems and RFID technologies to safeguard assets and track routine perimeter or route patrolling, this type of systems approach cannot guarantee security within the retail shopping space.

Although retailers invest millions on centralised surveillance systems, high installation costs mean that these cannot be implemented in every nook and cranny - and without the support of an integrated security framework, these systems are far from foolproof. Two key operational challenges stem from this, namely personnel tracking and asset location management, with the need for an effective communication platform informing both.

Monitoring personnel and asset location

As a retail communications medium, two-way radio addresses both these security challenges in a cost-effective fashion. Roaming security personnel can communicate their location and receive ongoing deployment or security instructions from a centralised control unit, whilst also reporting on the movements of high-value assets such as cellphones or electronic equipment being delivered or transported from storage facilities within the retail facility.

Security: your reputation is on the line

The higher the LSM of the shopping centre, the higher the cash-in-transit and reputational stakes become. Flagship shopping and lifestyle centres can ill-afford the negative publicity of an attempted armed robbery; and given the presence of high-value goods and large sums of cash on these premises, such retail operators should be most vigilant and proactive in their approach to security issues.

Cash and asset transporters already make very effective use of RF radio technologies, with the scope for systems integration with retail operators having obvious benefits for both.

Addressing the need for product innovation

Yet while RF radio technology for years had proven its worth as a cost-effective mobile communication solution, historical issues such as battery life, awkward or bulky product design, lengthy re-charging times and that signature stop-start communication style hampered the technology's full potential.

A reliable radio communications system plays a pivotal role in securing the retail space, with modern product enhancements contributing to an ever-greater return on investment.

Current levels of product innovation in radio manufacturing have seen this technology making an unexpected comeback as the communications backbone of choice for retail operators. And given the scope for synergy between retail and security service providers, it would seem that two-way's sign is once again rising.

Global radio manufacturers such as HYT, hailing from China, have responded to the market demand for a more sophisticated product by developing a range of advanced two-way radios and accessories ideally suited to use in the retail space.

Featuring a robust double-injection moulding process and ergonomically advanced design, combined with Class IP66 water and dust-proof certification, models such as the TC-610 offer a new level of reliability and exceptionally high drop-proof performance and prolonged radio life within the retail context.

Retail is a noisy business, hence the TC-610 comes equipped with an exceptionally powerful 45 mm speaker (compared to the standard 36 mm on many other models) for crisp clear sound. Its high-powered 5 W transmission output (for UHF frequency band) also ensures wide communication coverage, especially in noisy environments such as malls.

A range of standard battery and charger accessories has been complemented by the introduction of a range of in-ear and behind-ear earphones, multi-unit, rapid charge docks and universal chest-packs, all geared for use in the retail security industry.

Another shortcoming of the traditional non-display radio, being the lack of a battery level indicator, was also addressed through the addition of a button-activated tricolour LED battery gauge. This feature lends itself towards proactive security planning, as radio operators have ample forewarning on when to recharge the unit.

Manie Steyn is the sales director at Spectrum Communications.

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