Retail loss control: New low-cost cloud solution

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: Retail loss control: New low-cost cloud solution.

Lodge Service has launched Transpeye, a low-cost, cloud-based data mining system. It enables retailers to identify avoidable losses in EPoS and other retail systems quickly and easily, whether these result from fraud or non-compliance, when staff fail to carry out data entry or other tasks correctly.

"Transpeye gives retailers the full protection of exception-based data analysis, verified by CCTV video, highly cost-effectively. They can pay just to protect a single till, system device or multiple stores as they choose. It is easy to use - at any time the user is only three clicks away from identifying a potential threat. Whether this is within their EPoS, security or other in-store systems," says Karl Jordan, director of Lodge Service.

"Current systems in the market are expensive. They demand lengthy staff training and have to be applied across the retailer's network, requiring major integration with existing retail systems. Transpeye is much easier to set up."

The launch follows a series of successful trials of Transpeye with retailers. One user was able to identify and stop a series of thefts of cash by a staff member, which could have amounted to many thousands of pounds in losses if they continued undetected, says Karl Jordan:

"Incidents of concern are often related to a trigger event in the EPoS or other systems. This includes when goods are returned, a security alarm sounds, or a fire door is opened for example. It may or may not be an innocent event. Transpeye eliminates the need to check every exception or alarmed event, which is too time-consuming for busy retailers."

Transpeye offers ease of connection over the internet and minimal installation cost. It integrates data from EPoS, EAS, smart shelves, fire doors and alarm and access control systems.

The software offers a simple user-friendly dashboard interface. Retailers can set up alerts for the exceptions and events that they choose, with over 50 policy templates available. If a rule is breached, the system automatically logs it and sends an alert, with a connection to the CCTV system to provide visual confirmation and evidence.

A dynamic dashboard on the user's PC provides real-time status on key system parameters. It generates scheduled reports in PDF format to support further investigation of an incident.

When an event occurs, the user has full transaction data immediately available on-screen for review. This includes the type of policy violation, receipt data, a screenshot of till information that was input and CCTV video of the event, with playback controls.

The Transpeye operational system minimises the impact of data transfer overload in the retailer's own network. It automatically retrieves and copies only relevant small video clips - typically of 30 to 60 seconds duration - associated with each event.

Data security is a major system feature. Servers are hosted in the British Isles, and no credit card data is recorded, transmitted or retained. Transpeye is PCI DSS compliant, with robust data encryption. Further details are at Transpeye.