Hundreds of loss prevention and asset protection professionals converged on Denver last week for the RILA Asset Protection Conference. The conversations were familiar:
- Recruiting and retaining talent continue to be a challenge.
- LP/AP teams are doing more with less.
- A surge of violent incidents and brazen organized retail crime in stores presents new challenges.
Performance of LP/AP teams is more critical than ever in light of the nature of new crimes. Yet overcoming new challenges with existing or even declining resources is a seemingly impossible endeavor.
That’s where technology comes in. While technology was not the headline topic at the sessions presented at RILA, it is definitely at the heart of the solution to challenges that LP/AP faces.
Advanced technologies like AI are critical to generating meaningful insights from multiple systems in a way that is much faster and more comprehensive than previously possible. Facial recognition technologies can help prevent incidents before they cause loss. Cloud-based technologies can arm law enforcement with vital information in real time in case of a life-threatening event.
So how can LP/AP professionals advance their technology, when they are up to their elbows in challenges, loss cases and firedrills? Here are some ideas that may help.
- Talk to your peers – At events, at conferences and online. Listen to podcasts and monitor LP associations like the Loss Prevention Research Council and the Loss Prevention Foundation to find out what others are doing and what’s working and not working. LP is a unique practice within retail that is not competitive. Success for one LP team is a tide that lifts all boats. Communicate with your peers.
- Go for unified – Systems are most beneficial when they are unified. Unified systems maximize the value of each individual device. Video is great, but it’s even more valuable when coupled with data from access control, heat mapping or AI technologies. Even if you have legacy equipment in place, you can start mapping the path toward a unified physical security solution now.
- Partner with IT – Your in-house IT team has a strong understanding of the strategic technology vision of your organization. They understand the intricacies of implementing new technologies and have great insights for you to consider as you weigh deployments of new technologies. Partner with them for overall success and you may even be able to access additional budget to fund your investment!
- Identify valuable partners – Technology providers are not just there to sell piecemeal solutions. They are also constantly developing use cases, collaborating with other technology providers, and solving complex business problems. Time spent with vendors and integrators is not just about hearing a sales pitch. With qualified partners, it’s a problem-solving conversation.
Telaid has many best practices and findings from the field to share. Visit our website to explore the latest technologies and insights on physical security. Or we can put together a personalized tour with our best-of-breed technology partners whose solutions best meet your needs. It would be our pleasure to serve you.
