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Securing vanishing stock

Cabinator catches sticky fingers in the cabinet door.

In a country where theft from your employer is considered a perk of any job, preventing pilfering has become a full time occupation for those tasked with security.

Stock losses from cabinets and cupboards are a problem in many markets, especially in the medical industry where valuable drugs placed on consignment are a sought-after item. Sticky-fingered employees often help themselves to stock in hospitals, resulting in a conflict between the supplier and the customer as to what consignment stock was delivered, what was sold and what vanished without trace. In many instances, without proper stock management, the supplier ends up carrying the loss while the stolen goods are sold for a fortune on the black market. This is a common issue in government hospitals.

Beyond Wireless, a local provider of machine-to-machine communication technology and services intends to resolve this problem and has entered the security market with a new product called The Cabinator.

Ian Lester, MD of Beyond Wireless explains that the Cabinator is a standard metal cabinet that manages stock levels remotely. “An RFID reader is installed in the cabinet, which is matched to the stock held in the cabinet on which is an RFID tag. Every time the cabinet is opened, the event is logged along with the product removed and the change in stock levels noted on a remote server at the supplier’s head office.”

Each cabinet also has an IP camera installed, which records an image of the person opening the door. This ensures those responsible for removing stock cannot claim they were not involved. It also adds a psychological aspect to the process of removing something, knowing you will be photographed and the whole procedure will be audited.

Managers can download reports as required to monitor their stock levels and act on any losses.

A further benefit of the Cabinator is a panic button on the cabinet itself. In quiet locations, staff are often vulnerable to attack. The panic button will allow them to call for help in case of an emergency. The IP camera is also equipped with audio capabilities should it be required.

Security as a service

Instead of buying the physical components of the solution, the customers’ fees cover the hardware, software and services involved in running and monitoring the Cabinator. Clients, such as medical suppliers, can concentrate on their core businesses while Beyond Wireless provides the cabinet and associated technology and monitoring services on a rental basis. This makes managing stock simpler and more accurate, reducing losses due to crime.

Lester adds that the mining industry is also showing interest in the Cabinator. Mines carry costly spare parts which are a target for criminals. Theft of parts is usually only discovered when parts are needed and requested, resulting in unnecessary delays in repairing the systems. And in the mining industry, idle systems means losing substantial revenues. The Cabinator solution addresses this issue by accurately establishing which parts are in stock and which need to be ordered.

He adds that any industry with high-value products that are easy prey for criminals can benefit from the Cabinator. Beyond Wireless currently monitors the temperatures of blood stock for the South African National Blood Service. The Cabinator will be able to assist the organisation in keeping tabs on its stock levels to ensure blood types that are running low are replenished.

The Cabinator is a locally developed solution and is available now.

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