With interest in retail loss prevention at an all time high, store operators are looking for better solutions to cut costly losses from employee and consumer theft. Traditional analog CCTV video systems require store operators to view hours upon hours of recorded tape to locate evidence of loss transactions, which few managers take the time to do. Now, Retail Pro has incorporated a loss-prevention video solution called Remote Manager IP that links Retail Pro to the video camera, integrating specific sales information with a continuous digital surveillance output. The net result is real-time monitoring of every POS workstation keystroke and merchandise scan, synchronized to video images, allowing retailers to quickly and easily view video and sales information on one screen to determine if items were entered or scanned correctly, and call up and view all transactions that may be considered questionable or high-risk.
As part of the Remote Manager IP system, a special cashier monitoring application generates messages from each monitored workstation. The message set has been specifically designed for asset protection to combat retail shrink, and is digitally video synchronized. Messages include: start of transaction; operator check in; operator check out; receipt line data (line by line as the receipt is created); tender record; tender change; account information (credit card information); cash drawer mode; item record (UPC); total amount; and end of transaction.
The Remote Manager IP search menu allows retailers to quickly focus on the most common areas of loss including: price changes; items removed or voided; return receipts; discounts modified; store credits; checks; credits; deposits; cancelled receipts; reversed receipts, etc. The Remote Manager IP playback screen is user friendly and displays line by line receipt information, operator number and transaction date and time.
"Keystroke for keystroke, mouse click for mouse click, the POS station is synchronized with video of the transaction happening at the same time." Says Scott Kreisberg, CEO of One Step Data, Inc., the first and largest distributor of Remote Manager IP. "Retailers can cue up all the questionable transactions for the day, all the discount sales for the day, all the exchange transactions for the day, when employees are checking in and checking out, etc. Basically, Remote Manager IP provides a digital link between the video software that captures the images and the sales information already integrated with Retail Pro. Loss-prevention technology of this detail and sophistication has not been available to retail operations prior."
Remote Manager IP has the ability to store and retrieve information easily and provide remote monitoring. The system uses TCPIP as its backbone to connect video units to the workstations running the digital video management software application with Retail Pro, making easily available extensive options for viewing, such as: viewing information locally at store level; viewing information remotely from any PC with web access; viewing information on a wireless hand-held device; viewing and controlling pan, tilt, zoom (PTZ) cameras remotely; and viewing video along with POS transactions real-time.
Remote Manager IP sells for approximately $6,000 per location. Various training, service and support options are available. More information is available online at www.onestepdata.com.
