Asset Protection | Profit Enhancement | Retail Performance
SPECIAL EDITION
Innovation Solving Retail Challenges with Vision and Leadership
Innovation Special Edition 2022 | V21.5 LossPreventionMedia.com
ENTERPRISE SECURIT Y RISK M A N AG E M ENT R I SK ASSESSM ENTS E X ECUTI V E PROTECTI O N R ESPO NSE SERV I CES WO R K PL ACE V I O LENCE SPECI A L E V ENTS TR AV EL SECUR IT Y A N A LYST PROG R A M S SPECI A LI Z E D PROTECTI O N PROG R A M S TH R E AT M A N AG E M ENT PROG R A M S CO M PLI A NCE & ETH I CS PROG R A M S
Innovation Special Edition 2022
Contents
Features
6 10
Innovate Or Die! By Jack Trlica
30
Innovating for Now and Next
There’s No Shortage of Problems to Solve
Innovation
By Read Hayes, PhD
A Leadership Imperative By Jacque Brittain, LPC
16
Driving Innovation through Solution Provider Partnerships By Jacque Brittain, LPC
If Innovation Is Like Giving Birth, Then What About the Toddler Years? By Stefanie Hoover, CFI
38
22
Retail’s Latest High-Tech Accessory?
36
Body-Worn Cameras Are Getting a Closer Look
Normalizing Innovation from Forced Changes to the New Normal By Tony Paixão, CFE, CFI
By Garett Seivold
Innovation Special Edition 2022
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This special edition of LP Magazine is sponsored by the following partners.
Vladitto / ShutterStock.com
EDITOR'S LETTER
Jack Trlica Editor-in-Chief
O
Terry.Sullivan@losspreventionfoundation.org Vice President Stefanie Hoover, CFI StefanieH@LPportal.com
Co-founder and Senior Consultant James Lee, LPC JimL@LPportal.com
Partnership with solution providers (page 16) ● Changing attitudes toward specific technologies, specifically body-worn cameras (page 22) ● Research to address specific challenges (page 30) ● Promoting collaboration between multiple solution providers (page 36) ● “Forced” innovation that becomes a new normal (page 38) Many of you contributed to our content, for which we are extremely grateful. Forty LPAP leaders answered our survey on innovation with extremely insightful comments. We've included several leaders' quotes at the end of each article. Four of the magazine vendor advisory members offered their input on the role of vendor partners. Others of you have been quoted in several of our articles. This special edition is not meant to be a dissertation on innovation. There is much more we could have discussed. Our hope is that this publication will stimulate new conversations inside your organization and between you, your peers, and your solution partners. Please share it. If you need additional copies, let us know, and we’ll send you however many you need. Direct your requests to editor@lpportal.com with the subject line “Innovation Special Edition.” You can also download a PDF version on our website, LossPreventionMedia.com. Let us know what you think about this as well as our earlier special edition on organized retail crime. We hope you have enjoyed both. Let us know what other topics you would like us to consider for future special editions as we continue to explore this format. ●
INNOVATION
“
Editorial Director Jacque Brittain, LPC JacB@LPportal.com Retail Technology Editor Tom Meehan, CFI TomM@LPportal.com Marketing Consultant Merek Bigelow MerekB@LPportal.com Senior Writer Garett Seivold GarettS@LPportal.com Contributing Writers Read Hayes, PhD, CPP Walter Palmer, CFI, CFE Ben Skidmore Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP David Thompson, CFI Director Of Digital Operations John Selevitch JohnS@LPportal.com Special Projects Justin Kemp, LPQ Kevin McMenimen, LPC Karen Rondeau Design & Production SPARK Publications info@SPARKpublications.com Creative Director Larry Preslar Advertising Strategist Ben Skidmore 972-587-9064 office, 214-597-8168 mobile BenS@LPportal.com Subscription Services New Or Change Of Address LPMsubscription.com or circulation@LPportal.com Postmaster Send change of address forms to Loss Prevention Magazine 128 Fast Lane, Suite 202 Mooresville, NC 28117 Loss Prevention aka LP Magazine aka LPM (USPS 000-710) is published bimonthly by Loss Prevention Magazine, 128 Fast Lane, Suite 202, Mooresville, NC 28117. Print subscriptions are available free to qualified loss prevention and retail professionals in the U.S. and Canada at LPMsubscription.com. The publisher reserves the right to determine qualification standards. For questions about subscriptions, contact circulation@LPportal.com or call 214-662-9548.. Periodicals postage paid at Mooresville, NC, and additional mailing offices.
Loss Prevention, LP Magazine, LP Magazine Europe, LPM, and LossPreventionMedia.com are service marks owned by the publishers and their use is restricted. All editorial content is copyrighted. No article may be reproduced by any means without expressed, written permission from the publisher. Reprints or PDF versions of articles are available by contacting the publisher. Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publishers. Advertising in the publication does not imply endorsement by the publishers. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any article or advertisement.
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Managing Editor Digital Courtney Wolfe CourtneyW@LPportal.com
© 2022 Loss Prevention Foundation
In a world where you need to do more with less, innovation is the force multiplier you need to complete the mission. Innovation Special Edition 2022
President Terry Sullivan, LPC
Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Jack Trlica JackT@LPportal.com
Innovate Or Die! kay, yes, the headline is a bit of an overstatement, but at least I have your attention. This second special edition of Loss Prevention Magazine is focused on a topic that we believe is critical to the success of loss prevention and asset protection teams. First a definition. Merriam-Webster dictionary simply defines “innovation” as 1: a new idea, method, or device; 2: the introduction of something new. I really like their definition of “innovate” as 1: to make changes; do something in a new way. A lot of people think specifically of new technology when they talk about innovation, which, of course, certainly can fit the definitions. However, it all starts with someone looking at a situation that needs to change or be improved and coming up with “a new idea, method, or device” to “do something in a new way.” That may include implementation of new technology or using old technology in a new way, but as Jacque Brittain wrote in his feature article: “Before innovation can become a solution, it must be an attitude.” Many of you have been innovating for years, which can be seen in your professional career and the success you’ve realized in the results achieved by your organization. For whatever reason, you’ve come to the table with an attitude that examines even successful programs to determine what can be done differently or better to add to that success. As Jacque wrote in his headline, “Innovation is a leadership imperative.” This special edition examines innovation on many levels: ● LPAP leadership (page 10)
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INNOVATION
PROFILE
Freedom Case: The World’s First Self-Service Locked Case Finally, a Locked Case Everyone Can Love!
Locked cases are almost universally disliked by merchants, store operations, and especially customers. They cost lost sales, unproductive labor, lost keys, and a horrible customer experience. Indyme’s exciting new Freedom Case is revolutionizing the locked-case experience by enabling green‑list customers to self‑service while denying red-list offenders. Too good to be true? Read on!
Free Your Customers with Freedom Case
Imagine allowing your customers to effortlessly access locked merchandise without assistance from a store associate. At the same time, you can secure your high‑risk merchandise with industry-leading artificial intelligence technology. As an added bonus, you’ll see sales uplift, save loads of labor, protect against internal theft, and get rid of keys forever.
How It Works
Shoppers access Freedom Case by exchanging some personal identifying information for convenience, a concept known as the “Value Exchange.” They identify themselves by using their cell phone number, loyalty card
Learn More about Freedom Case!
Scan the QR code to learn more about Indyme’s revolutionary new Freedom Case.
Shelf Ready Freedom Case
information, or even use the retailer’s app. Once authenticated, Freedom Case uses advanced AI technology to monitor shopper behaviors. Normal behaviors are rewarded with ongoing self-service access. Suspicious behaviors result in deterrence alerts, store associate notifications, and a timeout of self-service access. Freedom Case applies “Targeted Friction,” empowering your loyal customers with selfservice access while denying offenders.
Gondola Freedom Case
Download the LPRC Research Report Download the Freedom Case LPRC Research Report exploring the locked-case experience and customer acceptance of the Value Exchange.
INNOVATION
PROFILE
Tell Us What You Really Want The spark of innovation isn’t born inside the executive suite of a skyscraper. Rather, it is birthed from the “everyday,” the hands‑on site, the boots on the ground. The best ideas start with those who have the most experience. Industrial Security Solutions realized this many years ago and developed a process of design and innovation around this ideology. We realized that our partners were the ones with the problems and often the solutions, and they were just waiting for someone to listen to what they really wanted. CEO and founder Dave Sandoval started ISS out of a frustration with the one‑size-fits-all mentality of other vendors in the EAS market and has since been on a mission to find difficult problems that require custom solutions. He knew the best way to find these problems was communication with LP and AP professionals, and thus real, genuine communication became a foundation of the ISS methodology. “I knew the industry needed more, it wanted more. We offered all the same tags as our competitors, but that wasn’t good enough for me; it wasn’t challenging,” said Dave Sandoval. “I would hear mumbles and grumbles at the trade shows about how vendors were ignoring the difficult problems. I realized that was our opportunity to shine, to make a difference, and so that is exactly what we started doing.” Ears open to feedback, we began listening. One of the most alarming shrink issues we discovered was the rampant theft of tumblers, particularly YETI products. Anxiety and exhaustion had gripped LP and AP departments across the
country that were grasping at straws trying to turn a profit on tumblers that seemed to invite theft like a glass of lemonade during a South Carolina heat wave. The team assembled and racked their brains tirelessly. We knew it could be done, and after two months of iterations, a 3-D printed prototype was made. A few tweaks, trials, and tribulations later, and samples were ready for testing. The Sherpa Tag was born. The time and resources made this endeavor a significant gamble. A lot was on the line, but it was a risk Dave was confident would be worth the reward. While the initial feedback on the Sherpa was mixed with skepticism, a large national retailer finally took the plunge and joined us in this gamble, and the payout was bigger than either of us had ever imagined. Shrink dropped like an anvil on a coyote and profits soared. The feedback was more positive than we could have hoped. Years have passed since that first rollout, but our mission has stayed the same. The Sherpa is now on its second iteration with a stronger design and additional security features. And every day that passes is another inquiry from an LP or AP professional who was amazed to see it when they were out shopping in another retailer’s store. We have moved on to tackling new challenges as well, namely the security of high-end boots. Born of the same diligent listening as the Sherpa, The Spur Tag has become our latest endeavor. With multiple rollouts under its belt, the Spur is already taking shrink out behind the barn for a whipping, and the coming months will also see the debut of a new version with design improvements.
We are exceptionally pleased with these custom solutions, but our thirst for innovation is hardly quenched. More mumbles and grumbles are still out there, and we are out there listening. We have a standing invitation to any professional looking for a place to vent or a shoulder to cry on. We want to hear all about it, we want to help. So, what are you waiting for? Tell us what you really want! Contact us today at sales@isscorpus.com
CUSTOM SHRINK SOLUTIONS THAT WORK! Industrial Security Solutions is the industry leader in custom EAS applications with over 20 years of unparalleled customer satisfaction. ISS partners with major retailers to design tailored solutions for their toughest problems. We will design, test, and deploy your solution in 3-6 months.
For more information about ISS and related solutions, please contact us: sales@isscorpus.com 1 (800) 466-4502
www.industrialsecuritysolutions.com
Industrial Security Solutions, Inc. 543 Vista Blvd. Sparks, NV 89434
By Jacque Brittain, LPC, LPM Editorial Director
ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com
Innovation A Leadership Imperative
D
o you think you know your history? If so, you should know the significance of March 12, 1989. While this date may appear somewhat obscure for most of us, it marks the founding of one of the most significant, game-changing innovations in the history of humankind. This day is recognized as the day the World Wide Web was conceived. When software engineer Sir Tim Berners-Lee first proposed the complex concept, his boss responded by calling the proposal, “Vague, but exciting.” Talk about the understatement of the millennium. Not to be confused with the internet, which has been evolving since the 1960s, the World Wide Web took everything to a whole new level, becoming an online application built upon innovations like HTML language, URL addresses, and hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). The brilliant minds that put this all together have not only changed the way we communicate information, but they have also revolutionized the way we approach the world on a global scale. This seminal event in 1989 is how we typically view innovation, yet it is so much more than that. Innovation is a fundamental characteristic of the human condition. It is a pervasive concept that simply refers to the desire to adapt and create change, or the introduction of something new. Whether revealed as a technological breakthrough or a new and creative way of thinking, it can manifest as a small change or something that takes us in a new and exciting direction. In fact, we can even classify innovation based on the direction it leads us. ● Product innovations typically include the development of a new
product or an improvement in the attributes and characteristics of an existing one. ● Service innovation refers to the development and implementation of a new or significantly improved service concept to help us meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of our customers. ● Technological innovation involves a new or improved technology developed and implemented to make a process, product, or service more productive, efficient, and successful. ● Process innovation is generally concerned with improving the methods and practices involved in creating, delivering, and supporting a product or service. ● Strategic innovations are at the core of how an organization should manage change and adapt to changing circumstances. They may include modifications to the company culture and how we add value to our company and its customers. To drive growth and create competitive advantages we often need to change the basic methods and approaches to how we operate. ● Structural innovations are focused on aligning assets in ways that create value. They can include everything from exceptional talent management to new and different ways of using company resources. Ideally, these innovations help attract talent to the organization by creating superior working environments and high levels of performance. And that’s just the beginning. Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes, bound only
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“The challenges we encounter in loss prevention and asset protection are not linear. They are not
always predictable, and they are not always one-size-fits-all. Quite honestly, it is often the opposite. They are complex. They require change and adaptability. They require the best minds and the willingness to problem-solve. They often aren’t solved by just one person or a singular idea. They are solved by collaboration, seeking to understand, willingness to take chances, responsibility to learn, and accountability to solve. That often means fresh, new, and non-conventional approaches.”
by our own creativity and ingenuity. Many innovations are gradual and continuous improvements that build upon current approaches, products, services, or even management styles. These incremental enhancements create slight variations that help move us forward, building on current ideas and solutions to keep us on a positive and productive path. Other innovations can be much more progressive and radical, taking us in new directions that can transform the way we perform, communicate, and even think about the world around us.
Innovation Special Edition 2022
FEATURE Innovation: A Leadership Imperative Before innovation can become a solution, it must be an attitude. We live to move forward, and whether this plays out on a personal level or a larger scale, the desire to create change is part of all the characteristics and essentials of human existence. This is rarely a linear process that starts with an idea and ends in a result. Once an idea is born, there is typically a complex web of considerations that come into play that take the idea to its final outcome, built upon creative thought, flexibility, open minds, and positive outlooks.
The Voice of Leadership Studies have shown that successful companies have top
“Innovation is extremely critical to the success of our asset protection program. We constantly challenge ourselves to improve existing programs and introduce new ones to meet and or exceed the needs of the ever‑changing environments in which we operate. Innovation comes in all shapes and sizes, whether it be streamlining a process, better utilizing existing technologies, or introducing new innovation, this is the key to any successful program.”
Innovation Special Edition 2022
leaders who reinforce the value and importance of innovation. But how does that apply to loss prevention leadership? We decided to take the opportunity to find out. To gain better insight, LP Magazine surveyed forty top‑level, highly respected loss prevention and asset protection leaders representing retailers from across the country. We limited our pool of participants to only those serving as department pyramid heads holding roles as directors and vice presidents in their respective programs. To protect the best interests of those involved and encourage them to answer freely and candidly, all survey results and comments were gathered anonymously. The survey was limited to four questions to keep our inquiry straight-forward and on-topic. Our results were very telling, and our leaders did not disappoint by providing some excellent comments and critiques. What role does innovation play in a leader’s ability to sustain a successful loss prevention program? Nearly all (97%) LPAP leaders indicated that innovation is either very important (23%) or extremely important (74%) in a leader’s ability to sustain a successful loss prevention department. One respondent indicated that they did not believe that innovation is at all important to sustaining a successful loss prevention program. However, their specific comments would lead one to believe that they were considering a narrow definition of innovation—technological innovation—when responding to the survey, and also strongly
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supported the importance of innovation when looking to sustain a successful program. Consider the following sample: “Innovation plays a role in everything that a leader does. There are many different qualities that go into being a leader, but you can’t be a leader without being innovative. No company wants a leader that’s only interested in maintaining the status quo. The world is changing every day, and we must change with it. Senior leadership expects it. Our teams expect it. It’s our job and our responsibility to deliver results and that requires innovation, creativity, open minds, and common goals.” When we think about leadership, there are many qualities that come to mind. But the leaders that stand out are often the creative thinkers, those who aren’t afraid to take a risk and try something new. The ability to have creative ideas, the fortitude to share those ideas, and the boldness to bring them to life will set a leader apart. True leaders know that no one can go at it alone. Instead of trying to run everything alone and believing they have to solve every problem on their own, they surround themselves with trustworthy, knowledgeable team members who help them build a successful program. However, success still relies on the involvement and full support of leadership. Individual team members can be creative and innovative, but without the support and guidance of leaders, the program cannot reach its full potential. What role has creativity and innovation played in your own career development? One hundred percent of the leaders responded that creativity
and innovation has played a very important (28%) or extremely important (72%) role in their personal career development. Talent, planning, and execution are all important qualities that help a team stand apart. But no matter how talented a team might be, how well strategies are planned, or how flawless the execution, it is unavoidable that a leader will face countless challenges over the course of a career that will challenge the methods, practice, and ultimately the results. It comes with the territory. But with innovation in their arsenal, a leader is much better equipped to deal with issues when they arise. They are better able to work with what they have, stretch resources, and find different ways to solve problems. “Creativity and innovation have been the cornerstones of my career development and advancement. Looking at opportunities with fresh eyes and with people having diverse skill sets can lead to new ways of working and solutions not previously considered. Creativity and innovation require us to remove ego and consider all possibilities.” When looking to hire and develop tomorrow’s leaders, how important will it be for those leaders to be innovative in their approach to every aspect of program development? Nearly all leaders indicated that an innovative approach was either a very important (28%) or extremely important (69%) quality to look for when hiring and developing tomorrow’s leaders. One leader indicated that they felt this quality was
somewhat important, stating that “When budgets and teams are tight and problems quickly and constantly emerge, I want you to adapt more than innovate.” Innovative leadership promotes creativity, and exceptional results require creativity. By rising above conventional boundaries, innovative leaders motivate their employees to explore ambitious ideas. They are open to discuss these concepts to see if they are feasible, and how they can be effectively implemented. They believe their employees matter, and that giving and receiving feedback leads to long-term success. Innovation is internalized as an attitude and employees are encouraged to generate ideas that can lead to change. “It’s not just something I look for, it’s something I expect. Not everyone on your team will turn out to be a leader, but true leaders find ways to stand apart. They are creative, open-minded, and good listeners. They’re willing to look for small improvements as well as big ones. They influence change, which must begin by being willing to change yourself.” When looking to partner with solution providers, how important do you consider their willingness and ability to be innovative in the ongoing development of their solutions? All the leaders responded that when looking to partner with solution providers their willingness and ability to be innovative in the ongoing development of their solutions plays an important role, with 8 percent indicating that it plays a very important role, and 92
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“Tomorrow’s leaders must possess tactical and strategic expertise along with the
ability to examine the details to understand how innovation impacts the big picture. Program development requires crossfunctional collaboration, diversity of thought, and the ability to project all impacts of the work.”
percent indicating that it plays an extremely important role in their decision-making process. While every successful leader understands the need for growth and the ability to adapt, it’s just as important that we take the necessary steps to use the right innovations, as well as having a solid understanding of how to go about bringing that innovation to life. This is where our solution provider partners become invaluable. We need solution provider partners that can help us along every step of the way, from the time a product is purchased up to and including implementation in the field and beyond. “Based on the current industry and category-specific nature of products, it is critical to ensure that business partner alignment and solutions are cutting‑edge and on the forefront of advancement with strategic thinking and planning years in advance. The ability for a provider
Innovation Special Edition 2022
FEATURE Innovation: A Leadership Imperative
“If you’re just a salesman, don’t bother knocking on my door or calling my phone.
I don’t have the time or energy to deal with you. Solution providers must be partners within my program. That takes innovation at every level, whether it’s products, ideas, or attitudes. If you have something I need and are willing to work with me on a productive solution, you’ll gain my respect, my business, my gratitude, and my recommendation to others.”
to adjust according to critical business needs during this time of advancement and technologydriven expectations will not only support but define the support provided to their customers.” When it comes to managing critical products and services, retail LP leaders can no longer rely on “vendors” that simply sell products to help with game-changing
decisions. A solution provider must be a trusted partner. Of course, we expect quality products. We want them to have the knowledge and experience we need. They must be reliable and provide excellent service. But that support must reach beyond any given product or technology and consider all the creative processes that are part of helping our business fulfill our needs and goals. Having the right solution provider partners that we trust who are capable of making the process successful is often as important as the innovation itself.
Not Just Leading Change, Creating the Path Retail is vital to our lives, our communities, and our economy in so many different ways and retail success absolutely depends on leadership that has the capability to be fluid and flexible. The dynamics of the business and the need to acclimate to the climate and culture of the retail customer allow little room for narrow perspectives. With the right attitude and approach, we can turn challenges into opportunities, taking us in directions we never thought possible. Loss prevention is merely a subset of the retail enterprise. We serve and protect, always with the best interests of the business and the company in mind. The nature of loss prevention can create conflicting perspectives in certain circumstances that must be managed and overcome while always keeping these interests a priority. And as the business of retail continues to evolve, this will only continue to grow more complicated. This demands
innovative leadership that is willing to approach everything we do with flexibility, creativity, drive, humility, and determination. Looking at the organizations and the leaders that truly stand out from the pack today, all have one factor in common—they embrace innovation. Of course, this doesn’t mean that a willingness to innovate is the only ingredient for success—far from it. However, leaders must have a solid understanding of how to go about bringing innovation to life and how to bring lasting success to their departments and organizations. There are times when this may be easier said than done. There will be successes and failures, triumphs and challenges. It often requires collaboration with others, exceptional patience, overcoming resistance, and investing valuable time and resources into generating positive results. But the final outcome can make a tremendous difference in the success of an organization and the success of a career. The ongoing need for growth and change will provide a great deal of opportunity, and the best way to embrace the future is to be a part of the process. Jacque Brittain, LPC, is editorial director for LP Magazine. Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.
INNOVATION to our business constantly evolve and therefore “ourTheLPthreats and AP organizations need to as well. Innovation in its many forms should keep us in the proactive vs reactive space.” Innovation Special Edition 2022
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INNOVATION
PROFILE
Pact Retail Accessories
Hard Tag Reuse – It’s not Hard Since 1989, Pact Retail Accessories has been working with top global fashion retailers to pioneer a world-first reuse model that keeps security tags in circulation for many years and plastic completely out of landfill. This has seen our partnerships achieve not only huge environmental success, but significant cost savings from labor reduction and increased efficiency. Pact Retail Accessories Security Tag Reuse program collects used hard security tags from retailers by collaborating with the existing reverse logistics infrastructure. Once consolidated, the tags are moved to localized sorting facilities where they are cleaned, tested, repackaged, and redistributed across the globe from our strategically positioned facilities. These facilities are placed close to needlepoint to ensure rapid delivery of these valuable assets. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), organized retail crime costs the retail industry around $30 billion USD every year. In addition, the National Retail Security Survey (NRRS) published a major cause of shrinkage for retail business is shoplifting. This is creating unprecedented demand for security tags to protect garments in stores throughout the country. When a retailer implements Pact’s Security Tag Reuse
Hard Tag Reuse - It’s not Hard! Garment hangers are sorted, quality inspected and packed as finished stock ready for use again.
Each year Pact Reuse diverts enough garment hangers and security tags into its Reuse program, that if laid end to end, they would Garment hangers are go returned to onethan of TIC’s centraltimes. returns around the world more three centre. TIC RA also re-uses Our process involves collecting used EAS and Security tags. garment hangers and/or security tags from retail stores, sorting, quality inspection, re-packing and distributing them to garment, footwear and accessory suppliers around the world. Used garment hangers are collected from stores.
model, they gain access to a global supply chain, assurance of supply, transparent data suite, and world-class customer support teams. As Security Tag Reuse has evolved, so have Pact Retail Accessories ability to adapt to an ever-changing market. Pact Retail Accessories can work with any existing tag program, allowing the retailer to keep its current inventory in circulation without the costly need to inject a different tag suitable for a specific recycling program. In this way, Pact Retail can work with almost any hard tag available on the market in a reuse capacity, with a minimum of 8–10 trips and an average of over a 10-year circulation pattern. For more information, visit pactretailaccessories.com or email Jonathan.jenkins@pactgroup.com. Pact Retail Accessories is a proud member of NRF, the Loss Prevention Foundation, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association. Pact Retail Accessories Jonathan Jenkins Jonathan.jenkins@pactgroup.com pactretailaccessories.com
7. Garment hangers and/or tags 7. Garment hangers sortedand and quality sorted quality inspected for inspected reuse for reuse
6. Garment hangers and/or tags 6. Garment hangers returned toto central returned central return centre return center
Apparel m an order fo via TIC Gr Once rece manufact garments and prepa shipment.
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2. Shipment ofGOH GOH 2. Shipment of goods to to retail goods retail distribution distribution centre center
3. Distribution center forwards 3. Distribution centre forwards shipment shipment to to retail stores retail stores
5. Garment 5. Garment hanger hanger and/or collection tag collection 4. Used garment hangers and/or tags aregarment retained 4. Used retained inhangers instore boxes in bins
pacttags.com Customers purchase garments from stores. The garment hangers are retained by the store and held in large palletised bins.
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By Jacque Brittain , LPC, LPM Editorial Director
balein / GreenTech / creatOR76 / Shutterstock.com
Driving Innovation through Solution Provider Partnerships
W
hat role do our solution provider partners play when choosing and implementing new products and innovations? More importantly, what role should they play? What questions are the most important for loss prevention leaders to ask? What are some of the primary considerations that are part of the decisionmaking process? What role should the solution provider play in how the innovation is implemented in the field? When it comes to managing critical products and services, retail loss prevention leaders can no longer rely on “vendors” that simply sell products to help us with game-changing decisions. We need solution provider partners that can help us along every step of the way, from the time a product is purchased up to and including implementation in the field and beyond. When we discuss innovation as part of the loss prevention process, our thoughts must reach beyond any given product or technology and consider all the creative processes that are part of helping our business fulfill our needs and goals. Having the right solution provider partners that we trust and are capable of making the process successful is often as important as the innovation itself. To help us answer some of these critical questions, LP Magazine sat down with several industry experts and trusted solution provider partners to share their insights on the role of solution providers and the expectations that retail loss prevention leaders should have when making these important decisions.
Kris Vece, LPQ Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Protos Security
Rhett Asher Vice President of Marketing, Community Relations, & Partnerships at ALTO USA
When we talk about innovation, we must consider all the creative processes that are part of putting the innovation together, releasing it as a product, and implementing that product or service in the field. When exploring new innovations, what questions do you feel are most important for loss prevention leaders to ask of their solution providers? Vece: Several things come to mind. First, what is the problem that needs to be solved? Does the resolution solve the problem? What amount of time and energy must be spent on this solution? How much time do I have to manage it? What is the reduction in shrink provided by the end solution? Is the result worth the cost? Meehan: I would add that it’s important to gain a better
Tom Meehan, CFI Chief Strategy Officer & Chief Information Security Officer at CONTROLTEK USA
“The solution provider really needs to understand the problem you’re trying to solve. There needs to be a shared understanding of how the product or service was developed, how it will help solve the need or opportunity within that particular organization and determine the potential return on investment for the retail partner.” – Tom Meehan, CFI LPM
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David Studdert Chief Business Development Officer, LiveView Technologies
understanding of when and where the solution has been previously adopted to help make an educated decision on whether or not the product or service will work for you. Is it new? Often when we talk about innovation we automatically imply that it’s a new gadget or technology—but sometimes it’s just a different way to implement an existing tool. So, if it was successful, where did that success come from? Will it work for you? The solution provider really needs to understand the problem you’re trying to solve. There needs to be a shared understanding of how the product or service was developed, how it will help solve the need or opportunity within that particular organization and determine the potential return on investment for the retail partner.
Innovation Special Edition 2022
Often when we talk about innovation we automatically imply that it’s a new gadget or technology—but sometimes it’s just a different way to implement an existing tool.
FEATURE Driving Innovation through Solution Provider Partnership
When looking at new technologies for example, how does that specific technology either interact or integrate with the existing tool set currently being used?
Studdert: I absolutely agree. Identifying the need or opportunity we are solving is paramount. Taking the steps to ensure those needs are clearly understood by both parties is the key to any success. Each solution provider considers themselves to be innovators in their own world. We’re creating technologies and services and often we duplicate some of that process. But an important question involves determining whether this new innovation will fit into whatever that broader innovation toolbox might be. When looking at new technologies for example, how does that specific technology either interact or integrate with the existing tool set currently being used? How do we begin building additional data sets that take us further? All of us can get siloed. We can get monolithic in the way we approach things. But by looking at the broader space, we recognize there are some great technologies and great companies that can help us become better. Asking those questions is the best place to start. Rhett, during your career you’ve been involved with a wide range of innovations, different types of products, different types of services. What can you add that might be useful for our practitioners? Asher: I think my colleagues all make great points. Some of the best conversations I’ve had with LP leaders revolve around trying to understand their pain points. As long as you understand those pain points, you can really begin to solve problems by working with your clients. Is the solution a short-term fix or a long-term solution? Will you have to look for a new solution in two years, or is this an innovation that will stand the test of time?
Innovation Special Edition 2022
“Each solution provider considers themselves to be innovators in their own world. We’re creating technologies and services and often we duplicate some of that process. But an important question involves determining whether this new innovation will fit into whatever that broader innovation toolbox might be.” – Dave Studdert
Will this solution or innovation play nicely and enhance a product or service that’s already in place? Having a collaborative approach as a true partner makes the most sense. Having managed both, what are the primary differences between managing an innovative product and an innovative service? Asher: A product is often something that must be continually adapted or improved upon from a technology standpoint, especially considering how quickly technology is moving. The environment I’m in now features more of a people solution, and I feel that people are a bit easier and quicker to adapt than a technology might be. In both cases you have to listen to the client and pay attention to what’s going on in the industry around you. Conversations like this are extremely helpful. I’ve learned a great deal from interactions with my solution provider peers.
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As a solution provider, what are some of the primary considerations that are part of the decision-making process when developing a new product or innovation? Studdert: Our mission is to make the world a safer and more secure place. As we look at new innovations and technologies, do they accomplish that? We’re based on a platform where we look at many new and different technologies, innovations, analytics, and similar solutions. There are a lot of best-in-class solutions out there, and as we identify those solutions our number one question is, “If we implemented this new technology, will it make our customers, our partners, and their communities safer and more secure? Is it answering the fundamental objectives we show up every day to accomplish?” In our eyes, everything is a service, even our hardware components. You’ve got to maintain what the product is intended for and build those relationships. The human element is such a big part of that. Meehan: First, if there’s a problem out there, it’s a problem because there isn’t necessarily a solution—yet. It’s about understanding what the issue is at its core, developing a methodology for solution development, interpreting the challenges at the granular level, and building the product around that. I think the design methodology has morphed into truly understanding what the problem requires to find results. It demands a lot of listening, and a lot of back-and-forth conversation with other solution providers and customers. It’s everyone sharing ideas, because today the problems generally are going to require integration. You really need to make sure you understand the problem at its core and start
listening. As the process evolves, the solutions evolve with it. Kris, while what you do is a little different, there’s definitely innovation that comes into play. Change and evolution are also an important part of what you do. Vece: For us, it’s a matter of taking something that has always had a stigma to it and thinking differently. Everyone thinks differently about security officers—that the security officer should be doing something more or different. So, how do we set the standard for our client? How do we get them to think differently about the security officers at their location? How do we make sure we portray the physical presence of the security officer, but with the support of our technology? It really comes down to thinking differently. There are so many solution providers out there, but it’s the solution provider that thinks differently—those that want to bring something different to the table rather than doing the same thing over and over—that will have the greatest impact. That’s what we’re trying to bring to the table.
“It really comes down to thinking differently. There are so many solution providers out there, but it’s the solution provider that thinks differently—those that want to bring something different to the table rather than doing the same thing over and over—that will have the greatest impact.” – Kris Vece, LPQ
super important to understand the playing field and what other vendors are doing, then take that to the next level and determine which companies or people we can partner with to make our solutions even better.
How crucial is it to understand the playing field in our industry? As a solution provider, how important is it to know the other technologies and solutions out there that may compete or play well with your solution?
Vece: I completely agree. I spend as much time on the trade show floor visiting other vendors and seeing their products and solutions as I do talking to our clients. Going to a trade show and actually seeing other provider’s demos and walking through the hall helps me think through how we fit into the bigger picture.
Asher: That’s a great question. I think these types of forums, including the different events, trade associations, the conferences that we’re all familiar with, all provide a forum for solution providers to get together and play nicely. We need to know the problems our clients are facing. We want to partner and understand companies that share our goal and mission. It’s
Meehan: We’re in a hyper-connected world today, and we know this is part of the business. Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone because you’re going to partner with someone that might compete with you in one respect but not in another. It’s a big industry, but everyone really does know everyone else. You have to take advantage of that. We often have mutual customers, and we
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have to work together to solve the problems. And from the other side of the fence, retailers need to push that just as hard. They need to say, “You guys have to figure it out for me.” I’ve seen a big movement over the last few years where that’s happening. That’s the future. We know there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and things need to be connected and work together. What should the role of a solution provider be between the time a product or innovation is actually developed, up to and including how it’s implemented in the field? Meehan: It’s all about partnerships and approaching the solution together. Through the inception to the rollout and the aftercare, the roadmap for success is about being aligned together. Considering that there might be bumps in the road, our practitioner partners want to know they can rely on us. They need to know we’re in it for the long haul. It’s about building trust and knowing we’re going to figure out how to solve any problems together. Asher: I agree. The days of selling something and walking away are over. That doesn’t work anymore. Solution providers need to be involved from beginning to end and support ongoing relationships with clients. Things change pretty quickly, and if you’re not partners with the company you’re doing business with, you’ve already lost; you’re already behind. Solution providers should be helping to ensure what we’re doing is up to date, continues to move forward, and remains relevant. We need to ensure all the way through implementation that it’s working well and providing the benefit we said it would. Studdert: We’re really in the people business. Between the innovation side and the
Innovation Special Edition 2022
There are so many solution providers out there, but it’s the solution provider that thinks differently—those that want to bring something different to the table rather than doing the same thing over and over—that will have the greatest impact.
FEATURE Driving Innovation through Solution Provider Partnership
implementation side, it’s all about communication. And from implementation through execution and wherever that partnership takes you, you’ve got to have open lines of communication. We’re not selling widgets and gadgets. We’re selling solutions that make a big difference. Maybe it’s just a little piece, but those little pieces add up as you aggregate all our different talents, technologies, and innovations. Vece: I would add the importance of education—educating at all levels regarding what we do, how we do it, what the product brings to the table, and ensuring everyone knows how to use it. That includes during the trial periods—between the time we create it and the time of implementation. Having someone that’s not involved in the process look at it, test it, play with it, and see if they can break it because if they can, someone else can. Sometimes because we’re so close to it, it takes an outside opinion to look at what we’re creating with critical eyes.
Between the innovation side and the implementation side, it’s all about communication. And from implementation through execution and wherever that partnership takes you, you’ve got to have open lines of communication.
Let’s expand on the whole education piece. Do you think there’s more that solution providers can do to help roll out the program and get involved in education? What role do you think solution providers can play to add that extra value? Asher: It starts with ensuring that everyone from top to bottom in the organization understands the solution and how it can help solve the problem. And, that education has to flow both ways. For example, with the LPF certifications serving as the
“Solution providers need to be involved from beginning to end and support ongoing relationships with clients. Things change pretty quickly, and if you’re not partners with the company you’re doing business with, you’ve already lost; you’re already behind.” – Rhett Asher
industry standard, our company has asked every employee from our field people, through our operations managers, all the way up through our financing and regional people to become at least LPQ certified. And like many other partners, we also share those educational opportunities with our clients and their teams to take some of the load off them by providing the opportunity for certifications. As a true partner, we owe it to each other to share the journey. Meehan: Education and awareness in the industry is paramount. One of the biggest roles for a solution partner today is educating people. And if I’m not the person that can help you, let me help you find someone who can. Education, awareness, involvement, networking—these are some of the most important things we’ve talked about today.
Looking at the relationships between the solution provider partners we have in our industry today, how much do you rely on each other? Studdert: More than you know. Those relationships are everything to us. Our goal is to become thought leaders in our space, but we got here because of those relationships. There are people who have built these amazing careers and have forgotten more than we’ll ever know, who were willing to share and help us get up-to-speed on what the industry needs. It has been invaluable to us in our journey. Vece: I completely agree. Our relationships are everything we have in this industry. It’s what we base our reputations on. I know I can reach out to anyone here today at any time to get a referral, throw an idea out, or just talk about a solution. If I have a problem, I have no problem reaching out and just saying, “Hey, I need some help here. I need to think through this, help me think a little differently.” Those relationships are invaluable to us. I rely on those relationships every single day. We’re all in this together. Jacque Brittain, LPC, is editorial director for LP Magazine. Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.
INNOVATION two days are alike in loss prevention, so our methods “No and responses have to constantly change and evolve.” Innovation Special Edition 2022
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INNOVATION
PROFILE
Integrating Technology and AI to Enhance Loss Prevention With increasing violence at retail locations and a sharp uptick in shrinkage, the costs of retail operations are rising at an exponential rate. Current loss prevention and security operations lack necessary technological upgrades and require significant manpower for data management. The Axon Ecosystem, featuring the Axon Body 3 camera, provides the leading de-escalation tools and digital management platform to limit internal and external theft, de-escalate high-risk interactions, and enhance employee and customer safety. The Axon Body 3 camera is the hub of the Axon Ecosystem and is the leading smart connected camera with the necessary features to monitor and detect high-risk retail incidents. The Axon Body 3 provides indisputable video documentation of any encounter, real-time situational awareness through live-streaming and GPS, a complete and
mobile field of view, and instant data ingestion and scalability with the Axon digital information management system. All Axon Body 3 camera data automatically uploads to Axon’s cloud digital incident management platform, Evidence.com, through a dock-and-walk workflow, eliminating wasted operational time. With additional software capabilities of auto-tagging, AI transcription, and an AI redaction assistant, the Axon Body 3 and Evidence.com integration can reduce time spent on digital data management by over 80 percent. The Axon Ecosystem innovations are revolutionizing the security and operational workflow of current retail partners and are making each location safer for both employees and customers.
17800 N 85th Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 | 602-480-4299 | axon.com/industries/enterprise-security/loss-prevention
HOW DOES SECURITY STAY SAFE? CONNECTED PRODUCTS TO PROTECT LIFE E X P L O R E T H E A XO N N E T W O R K
Body-Worn Cameras Are Getting a Closer Look By Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer
Innovation Special Edition 2022
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Photo courtesy of Reveal Dean Drobot / ShutterStock.com
Retail’s Latest High-Tech Accessory?
he use of body-worn cameras
seems likely to grow as technology options for implementation widen and retailers look to recalibrate protection to align with a more threatening store environment. The technology has momentum and even mandates in law enforcement, which has been the primary market to date, but suppliers are starting to see fertile ground in multiple industry verticals, including private prisons, transportation, healthcare, and yes, even retail stores. It makes sense that retailers are starting to look more closely at body-worn cameras—eager for all innovations that might change the current trajectory of violence and theft that Starbucks just cited as why it is closing sixteen stores and which Kroger listed as a factor pressuring profits. According to data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the number of aggravated assaults that took place in restaurants increased by 60 percent from 2018 to 2020 and jumped 73 percent at grocery stores. Violent incidents can have a spiraling effect on the retail industry broadly, suggested by results in a survey by a food-service research firm and cited in a Wall Street Journal report in July. In it, some 44 percent of respondents said they were more fearful to be in public because of unruly behavior and rising violence, up from 39 percent in March. For retail businesses that rely on the lure of the shopping or dining experience, this is a troubling trend. “The scenarios that are playing out in stores today take workplace safety to a whole new level,” said Lisa LaBruno, RILA’s vice president of retail operations and innovation, in an interview this summer with LP Magazine. “The cliché ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ may very well lead to more retailers leveraging body-worn cameras. Time will tell,” she added. Organized retail crime (ORC) “is leading to more brazen and more violent attacks in retail stores throughout the country,” said Steve
Francis, executive associate director at Homeland Security Investigations. “Many of the criminal rings orchestrating these thefts are also involved in other serious criminal activity such as human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, weapon trafficking, and more. Tackling this growing threat is important to the safety of store employees, customers, and communities across the country.” The use case is there, according to John Bartolac, senior manager in the industry segments team for the Americas at Axis Communications. “With ORC continuing to pose major problems for retailers, footage captured by body-worn cameras can help streamline investigations and catch groups of perpetrators,” he said, noting that deterrence is another value-add. “Footage captured by these solutions can also be used to catch solo thieves, but the obvious presence of body-worn cameras on security guards and other staff may deter this behavior all together, along with potentially violent customer actions against store personnel and other patrons.” Vendors have been cooperating with one another to deliver solutions that are easier for businesses to use, including replacing traditional siloed systems that law enforcement utilize for evidence management with open architecture solutions that allow BWC video to be managed by traditional video management systems (VMS), where it can be stored, organized, and accessed alongside other security camera video. Proprietary systems have had the upper hand in the BWC market to date but that is poised to change. “The advantage to have BWC video embedded into the VMS is massive, because now you don’t have siloed data,” explained Randy Lack, who heads the IoT safety and security team for Dell Technologies in the Americas, in a recent Dellsponsored industry webinar produced by Security Systems News and the Security Industry Association. Evidence management and smoother processes for sharing
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information with law enforcement are just two of the benefits of BWC video. The shift to open platforms and increasing ease of use are two reasons Lack is bullish beyond current predictions for camera wearables. “I think we are going to see a rapid adoption, and something that far exceeds initial market estimates,” he said.
Randy Lack
The Experience in the United Kingdom Co-panelist Steven Jussaume, solutions engineer at Axis Communications, agreed, He noted that the UK has been a driver of BWCs since their inception, including in implementing them in the retail space. “What is most interesting is how retail is starting to use body-worn cameras to document the employee interaction
It makes sense that retailers are starting to look more closely at body-worn cameras—eager for all innovations that might change the current trajectory of violence and theft that Starbucks just cited as why it is closing sixteen stores and which Kroger listed as a factor pressuring profits.
Innovation Special Edition 2022
Lisa LaBruno
John Bartolac
Nixx Photogreaphy / ShutterStock.com
T (BWC) by retail organizations
Steven Jussaume
FEATURE
Alasdair Field
Iona Blake
Scott Thomas
with customers, because in the current climate, with tempers flaring, they want to protect their store employees.” Alasdair Field, CEO of Reveal, a UK-based provider of BWC technology, concurs with the positive impact of BWCs on de-escalation. “When we introduced our first camera to the police market
Vendors are promoting the idea that in any customer-facing position, the presence of a body-worn camera can enhance employee safety and improve customer management. Customers are less likely to behave aggressively, and employees are more likely to respond in accordance with store policy.
Ground Picture / Shutterstock.com
Retail’s Latest High-Tech Accessory?
Innovation Special Edition 2022
thirteen years ago, we immediately saw what a powerful impact the cameras had in de-escalation of aggression toward the officer. Having that insight, we built smaller, more friendly appearing cameras specifically to help protect workers who were not in law enforcement.” Field explained that their experience with BWC has almost always been positive, with the benefits linked far more to well-being, workplace safety, and deterring crime and anti-social behavior. Co-op, one of the largest retailers in the UK, reportedly planned an initial deployment of 1,000 BWCs in 250 stores in response to a growing number of attacks on store associates, which included 1,350 in one six-month span in 2020. Citing the desire to increase worker safety, the company’s retail security manager said employees would have the ability to activate a BWC with a press of a button when feeling threatened, with video then streaming directly to the security operations center run by its security contractor. As reported in an article on UK-based supermarket retailer Tesco’s employee safety strategy in the Autumn edition of Loss Prevention Magazine Europe, “During 2022, Tesco has made a significant investment in the rollout of body‑worn cameras for security teams and colleagues with between two and ten video and audio-capturing devices per location across all format stores. Again, the numbers are impressive with the measures contributing to a wider sense of well-being, with 85 percent of colleagues, according to a twice yearly colleague engagement survey, feeling their safety is taken seriously at work.” In a recent LPM webinar on de-escalation and workplace safety, Iona Blake, security and incident manager of loss for Boots UK, detailed her company’s experience with BWCs. After the successful deployment of BWCs with security guards in their supply chain and
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warehousing facilities, as well as ten high-risk store locations, in late 2020 they decided to try the technology with store associates. During an initial pilot phase, there was a “massive reduction of incidents” according to Blake of up to 68 percent in the respective test sites. Apart from the reduction in incidents, Blake said, “The really interesting piece for me has been we’ve actually seen an improvement in losses too. We didn’t expect to see that.” As aggressive and anti-social behavior has become an even greater issue in the UK, in June 2022 Boots expanded the use of BWCs to another 275 stores that represented roughly half of the company’s incidents across the business.
Movement in the US Though lagging in adoption, Jussaume says they’ve started to have more conversations with US retailers, as they begin to scope out how to make effective use of BWCs. Customer interaction is a big focus, but US retailers also want to document what their employees are doing and how they do it, he said. “We have a customer who is exploring using it for cleaning up spills in stores for an added layer of liability protection. So, if there is a broken jar of pickles, the employee will put on the camera, clean and dry the area, and then dock the camera and offload the video,” said Jussaume. “Yeah, they have security cameras, but this provides more direct evidence and an extra layer of security in the event someone ever comes back and says they didn’t do it—they can then go back and review that footage.” Whereas law enforcement uses BWCs for evidence, Jussaume thinks documentation is the primary value when the tech is applied to most businesses. “Just documenting what is going on; what is transpiring in their establishments—that is what we are hearing is the main value proposition from these other verticals that are exploring BWC,” he said.
Data center locations may find it useful to document what their technicians do, which service closets they enter, and how much time they spend, for example. And transportation and logistics companies are looking to use it to document shipments to stores, with drivers using BWCs to document merchandise delivery, said Jussaume. Investigations present another viable use case, according to Scott Thomas, national director of sales for signature brands at Genetec. In an interview with LPM, he said that several of his retail customers are now using them in various applications. “In stores where they have had either violence, repeated grab-and-run incidents, or pushouts, front-end managers are using body‑worn cameras to follow suspects at a distance,” he said. Thomas said BWCs can enable evidence capture where there may not be a fixed camera and can help collect details about suspects, vehicles, and stolen merchandise. “Equally important is that employees’ hands are free if an incident potentially turns violent,” he said. Another application is in building major cases against an ORC group by investigation teams. “They may follow a suspect from the store to the parking lot and then tail the vehicle at a distance. This enables them to gather evidence of the suspect going to another retailer, their residence, or potentially a storage location or fence.” Bartolac thinks BWCs can also improve training for store staff, “by providing audio and visual
recordings from a user perspective, creating a realistic, immersive learning environment,” he said. “Additionally, body-worn cameras can be used to collect footage for store audits, which typically cover every detail within operations, loss prevention, customer experience, health and safety, and more. With BWC footage, it’s easier for retailers to document any incidents that occur and protect them from wrongful compensation claims.” LaBruno said that US retailers have historically been reluctant to use body-worn cameras, in part out of fear of non-compliant behavior by AP associates being captured on video. While multiple use cases exist—compliance, incident prevention, monitoring, risk mitigation, training—the specter that a disturbing store video could somehow go viral could certainly provide pause. But the desire to innovate can be stronger. LaBruno said there was a healthy debate around the risks on an Asset Protection Leaders Council (APLC) member call recently, but that the retailer REI plans to pilot the use of BWCs regardless. “That’s innovative thinking,” she said. “That’s what it takes to tackle some of the toughest challenges the industry is facing today.” Employee resistance to BWCs may have been a cause for concern several years ago, but Dell’s Randy Lack suspects that ship has sailed. At least as far as police use goes, BWCs have public support, with polls typically showing that more than 90 percent of Americans support police officers wearing body cameras that would record video of
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Photo courtesy of AXON
Co-op, one of the largest retailers in the UK, reportedly planned an initial deployment of 1,000 BWCs in 250 stores in response to a growing number of attacks on store associates, which included 1,350 in one six-month span in 2020.
their interactions. In a Cato/YouGov poll, 81 percent said body-worn cameras would equally protect citizens interacting with police and the police officers themselves. “Times have changed. With the ubiquity of cell phone video and the domination of the video medium, people now accept that this is just part of our world,” Lack said, noting that some workers may like the added security and additional documentation it can provide. “They think, ‘I am doing my job, and I am doing the right things, and I want to be able to show that.’”
Do Body-Worn Cameras Really Work? Vendors are promoting the idea that in any customer-facing position, the presence of a body-worn camera can enhance employee safety and improve customer management. Customers are less likely to behave aggressively, and employees are more likely to respond in accordance with store policy. Is that true? It may be. “Recently, a UK grocer shared with the APLC compelling data that showed their use of BWCs led to a significant decrease in violence against store employees,” said LaBruno.
Innovation Special Edition 2022
FEATURE
Additionally, researchers have found that when police officers wear body cameras, use of force is cut in half, which translates into fewer public complaints. A randomized controlled trial at UK train stations with high assault rates against staff resulted in similar
Photo courtesy of Axis Communications
As aggressive and anti-social behavior has become an even greater issue in the UK, in June 2022 Boots expanded the use of BWCs to another 275 stores that represented roughly half of the company’s incidents across the business.
GuruXOX / Shutterstock.com
Retail’s Latest High-Tech Accessory?
Innovation Special Edition 2022
conclusions—and even discovered residual safety benefits. It suggests that all employees may be less subject to aggressive behavior, not just those wearing the cameras. “Results suggest 47 percent significant overall reduction in the odds of assaults against BWC‑equipped staff at treatment versus controls locations—or approximately two versus four assaults, on average, per station,” concluded the study titled, Reducing Assaults Against Staff Using Body‑Worn Cameras in Railway Stations published in Criminal Justice Review in March 2019. “In addition, we found a 26 percent significant reduction in assaults against all employees in the treatment versus control station complexes—9 versus 12 assaults, on average, per station— suggesting that BWCs have a spatial diffusion of benefits effects.” BWCs have also proven helpful in a healthcare setting. In an eight-week trial of body-worn video equipment in a UK hospital, researchers discovered that verbal abuse of security officers was reduced by 60 percent and incidents of aggression declined 29 percent. And there is also anecdotal evidence from surveys and interviews with frontline private security personnel, including a 2021 survey of 10,000-plus security officers in nine countries by Perpetuity Research & Consultancy International and detailed in the study, The Competence of Frontline Security Professionals and What They Say About Their Work. “Bodycams have made a huge difference. In nine out of ten instances, a cam de-escalates a situation,” said one security officer who participated in the research project. BWCs may reduce assaults on staff, and the presence of BWCs in volatile situations may also encourage store personnel to appropriately de-escalate situations, research suggests. One experiment, written up in Journal of Quantitative Criminology, was the first to test the effect of wearable video cameras on police officer compliance rates
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and citizen complaints, The Effect of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Use of Force and Citizens’ Complaints Against the Police: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Over twelve months, researchers from University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology randomly assigned Rialto, California police officers to “experimental shifts” during which they were equipped with body‑worn HD cameras and “control” shifts, in which officers did not wear cameras. “We found that the likelihood of force being used in control (non‑camera) conditions were roughly twice those in experimental (body camera) conditions,” according to the study. “The number of complaints filed against officers dropped from 0.7 complaints per 1,000 contacts to 0.07 per 1,000 contacts.” More recent studies have resulted in similar findings, including a 2020 study published in the Journal of Criminology, titled “Linking Body-Worn Camera Activation with Complaints: The Promise of Metadata.” Analyzing 1.73 million body-worn camera activations by more than 3,900 frontline officers, “This study found that BWC-assigned officers recorded a substantially lower number of complaints per [computer-aided dispatch call] than those officers not assigned a BWC. Reduced complaint rates for BWC-assigned officers meshes with theories of deterrence as well as the results from other studies.” Mike Shore, vice president and general manager of enterprise at Axon, said that they have found similar findings. “We believe that incorporating a body-worn camera solution can be a force multiplier to current security processes by providing complete coverage of all customer interaction points on the sales floor, simplifying digital evidence management, and making each location safer for both staff and shoppers. In current BWC deployments, we’ve seen a 41 percent reduction in complaints, a 50 percent reduction in time spent
managing operations data, and $4 saved in litigation costs for every $1 spent on hardware.”
What Does Implementing BWCs Take? “The first thing retailers should do is clearly understand the need for such technology,” according to Bartolac, citing questions such as: ● Does the store have a big theft problem? ● Does it require more information around customer behaviors and why they shop the way they do? ● Does it need advanced help with training employees or conducting store audits? “Additionally, retailers should consider their existing surveillance systems and plan for how BWCs will fit in and enhance operations,” he said. Once a retailer determines their need and plan for body-worn cameras, Bartolac said to be sure to consider three key factors before selecting a solution to maximize ROI: quality, ease of use and design, and integration ability. Video from body-worn cameras can be managed alongside other surveillance video. “It is not a whole new system, just a new device,” explained Jussaume, but it does have different requirements. Because users play a key role in the process by donning and docking devices, retailers can’t implement them like any store camera. “End users are not likely to be technical people, so it has to be easy, it has to work right, and they need solid training,” said webinar panelist Jason Huber, public sector sales director for Genetec. “There is a human interaction element to this thing for it to work. So that support mechanism, and that human side of it, is going to be critical to the overall reliability of the system.”
He suggested that critical issues to address for effective deployment include: ● Monitoring the health of the system, ● Tracking how it is being used, ● The best option for on-prem, cloud, or hybrid storage, and ● Where training and coaching need to be applied. Education of store associates and getting buy-in is hugely important, according to Reveal’s experience. The company also suggests that education of customers is important where BWCs are being worn so it isn’t a surprise. Reveal also recommends having metrics pre‑ and post-implementation in order to measure success. Boots’ Iona Blake emphasized the importance of leadership and employee buy-in, but took it one step further: “Engage, engage, and engage again. Don’t just think you can launch this and have a big week worth of activity because after a couple of weeks complacency may start to drift in. So, keeping that engagement going is really, really important. And when you think you’ve got there, you haven’t. Keep on engaging and keep talking about it.” BWCs are also not a shortcut to ensuring better security incident response. Indeed, while research has shown BWCs to have a positive impact on public interactions, researchers typically caution that BWCs do not offer an easy panacea for improving officer performance, accountability, and relationships with citizens. Solution providers and system integrators will play a key role in whether BWCs become a common part of the retail landscape, say industry leaders. These are just a few considerations for retail leaders: ● End-user customers will want someone who is going to
show up and provide support when needed. ● A measure of flexibility in how they consume and pay for BWC video. ● Administrative simplicity. ● Devices will need to meet expectations for battery life, image quality, reliability, and durability. “Since body-worn cameras are on the frontline of activity, they must be able to withstand every condition the wearer endures while consistently producing high-quality images and audio,” explained Bartolac. “That network of support for BWC technology is something that needs to mature to meet the market. It’s not just direct sales, you need integrators to be able to support body-worn cameras in a way that makes them easy for consumers to take advantage of,” said Lack. “Whenever you deploy new technology, you want to know that you have someone local helping you, supporting you, and you can reach out and work with them.” Retail industry groups could help by developing model policies that individual retailers can adopt to their organizations, said solution providers. Until then, local police departments typically put their policies online, which can provide retailers with a shortcut to the policy development process, vendors suggested. “If you are just looking for information that you want to include in a policy and what it might need to cover, you can look at local police department policies,” said Jussaume.
Garett Seivold is senior writer for LP Magazine. A trained journalist, he has spent the majority of his career writing about security, risk management, supply chain, and loss prevention topics. He can be reached at GarettS@LPportal.com.
INNOVATION pursuit of innovative and forward-thinking solutions “Constant is imperative. In fact, I would argue you will fail without it.” LPM
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Innovation Special Edition 2022
Mike Shore
Jason Huber
INNOVATION
PROFILE
The Leader in Safety and Security Innovation Innovation is the heart of LVT (LiveView Technologies). As a manufacturer of mobile surveillance units, LVT uses innovation to develop cutting-edge technology to help their clients discover, deter, and defend with intelligent safety and security. LVT took traditional security and turned it on its head. Instead of hiding cameras in a corner or tucking them in the shadows, LVT makes cameras noticeable. Very noticeable. The company’s flagship product features three cameras with flashing lights and a speaker mounted to a 22-foot-tall mast, solar panels, wheels, and towing package. Each unit uses intelligent automation and alerts to tell end users the minute there is an intrusion. LVT uses deterrence and automation to help prevent crimes before they happen instead of just recording them. While they still record the incidents, overt security helps LVT reduce parking lot incidents by up to 70 percent, decrease inappropriate behavior by 50 percent, and decrease violent crime by 62 percent. The company originally started in 2005 in CEO Ryan Porter’s garage as HomeView Technologies. Together with Co-founder Bob Brenner, they created the prequel to the LVT unit—a single camera on a pole. The units were mounted outside of residential construction projects and gave homeowners
a way to see their homes during construction. Contractors started asking for the feeds and if additional features could be incorporated. Porter and Brenner iterated on their original product to meet the requests. The experience led to an important realization—businesses wanted their product, not just consumers. By pivoting away from the B2C market and homing in on B2B customers’ needs, HomeView Technologies reinvented itself as LVT. Soon a single camera on a pole wasn’t good enough. Some of the largest companies in the world wanted LVT’s product but needed additional features and capabilities to be included. And LVT delivered. Each ask helped LVT innovate away from the original version to the advanced mobile surveillance units they deploy today. The current result is a surveillance system that can go anywhere because it does not rely on hardwired power or communication connections. But to be completely mobile, LVT needed a way for end users to remotely access the data collected by the units without it costing an arm and a leg. LVT used principles of cloud and edge computing to make data accessible via cellular connectivity. This means end users can connect to live feeds no matter where they are, but it also helps cut data transference costs for recorded video. Past footage is stored on the units themselves, but when clients need the footage, they can request it from the LVT Platform, the company’s video management system. The unit pushes only the requested footage to the cloud, which can be downloaded and shared by the clients from there. LVT’s goal is to make the world safer and more secure, one mobile surveillance unit at a time. As needs change, LVT continues to innovate and improve their current system to make the world safer and more secure.
1226 S. 1480 W., Orem, UT 84058 | 385-262-4999 | lvt.com | sales@lvt.com
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Innovation Special Edition 2022
Innovating for Now and Next There’s No Shortage of Problems to Solve PHOTOCREO Michal Bednarek / Viorel Sima/ Hugo Felix / Djem /ShutterStock.com
By Read Hayes, PhD
Npandemic, near-total
arrative shifts, a global
integration of technology and real-time wants, and access into our everyday lives is helping drive emerging issues and threats like never before. New technologies, new methods, and new ideas have brought significant change to retailing and how we protect and enable retail enterprises. With overwhelming amounts of theft, fraud, and violence daily affecting our people and places, new versions of these crimes are coming on the scene like viral adaptations. All this means our innovation for the current and upcoming challenges is paramount. A key point about innovation: what we’re really trying to do is bring some more creativity and process to problem-solving. Innovation isn’t just about looking into the future. The bottom line is innovation is not just about the latest technology—it’s about finding new ways to do important things better.
A Process As crime increasingly affects people and places across the country, retail loss prevention and asset protection professionals, solution providers, law enforcement agencies, and others are accelerating and driving change, pioneering creative ideas, adapting to changing contexts, and incorporating insights from practitioners and partners. These innovations are shaping people and place protection with improved and emerging technologies that support new operational concepts, enabling interventions and relationships that keep society safe. It’s always good to use a logical action outline to organize how we strive to get something done that incorporates real-world and representative information that is also sequential to avoid leaving good stuff out. One way to look at innovative thinking is to
include context like why this is a problem, has it really increased or critically changed, or what you and others are currently doing about it. Next you should properly diagnose the problem within that context—who, what, when, where, why, and how. It’s also important to identify two to three critical problem dynamics, such as what’s enabling the problem, like how the offenders are accessing key data or interior spaces, that if you could affect them, the problem should be substantively reduced.
fight with aging tools and small teams. One way to enhance problem-solving capability—maybe even super-size it—is to create or engage in innovation networks. We always incorporate our operator, merchant, IT, logistics, and other partners, but leveraging other experts outside the corporate boundaries can enable more and faster problem-solving. An example close to home for almost seventy major US retail corporations is the Loss Prevention Research Council’s (LPRC) Innovate program, which pulls together top innovators
A key point about innovation: what we’re really trying to do is bring some more creativity and process to problem-solving.
INNOVATION ISN’T JUST ABOUT LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE. The bottom line is innovation is not just about the latest technology—it’s about finding new ways to do important things better. Next, propose some logical countermeasures to affect the identified weak points. Now you use testing to eliminate bad ideas, while finding ways to make bad ideas better or make good ones great. You’re also finding how these solution sets positively and negatively affect your business, how to best execute them, and how they might perform in the real world. Once your testing isolates some impactful solutions, you’re ready to deploy.
Making Good Innovation Even Better We all know the number and rapid transition of our theft, fraud, and violence problems is almost overwhelming. We’re forced to triage, to prioritize, and usually to
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from thirty US retail chains alongside researchers and technology partners monthly to stand up realistic use cases, then propose needed sensors and protective measures along the pathways offenders take to start research and development (R&D). Beyond this type of network, LPRC, the University of Florida, other universities, Retail Industry Leaders Association, National Retail Federation, Food Marketing Institute, National Association of Chain Drug Stores, Loss Prevention Foundation, realistic labs, field stations, visual mapping, data modeling, offender, employee, and customer interviews, and more are creating competitive and cooperative approaches to solving supply chain losses,
Innovation Special Edition 2022
FEATURE Innovating for Now and Next in-store theft events, fraud attempts, aggressive street behavior, fear of crime by women, active assailant, and critical online offender chatter to name a few use cases. Regardless of your in-house or networked innovation program, the people you use, the process, and the places you test in should enable
capability is good and, of course, is daily turned against us as well. We’ve talked about how protective innovations can be new concepts, new methods, or new or repurposed tools. Our view is that critical innovations will better safeguard the vulnerable because they enable retailer and law enforcement partners to:
We all know the number and rapid transition of our theft, fraud, and violence problems is almost overwhelming.
WE’RE FORCED TO TRIAGE, PRIORITIZE, AND USUALLY FIGHT WITH AGING TOOLS AND SMALL TEAMS. One way to enhance problem-solving capability—maybe even super-size it—is to create or engage in innovation networks. incremental breakthroughs and improvements and should use small tests and experiments to help determine if the new options you generate are really working, are cost-effective, and what else might be needed.
Going Forward Asset protection is about keeping people and places safe. It’s about creating security and stability so the people and the overall enterprise can thrive. According to Accenture, the pace of technology is accelerating faster than ever. New devices and services seem to appear every day. We can now order anything, anywhere—from groceries to software to a ride from a stranger—using only a phone. We can reach anyone—or millions of people—in an instant. And all this
Innovation Special Edition 2022
More rapidly detect and define problematic people, schemes, and enablers for decision-making. ● More effectively and precisely affect these red or bad actors, causing them to be deterred, desist, or displaced reducing people and place harm. Regardless, they’re better documented for stronger prosecution cases. ● Create overall safer stores, DCs, and office environments. To illustrate, the following are some innovation examples that continue to be improved through systematic and breakthrough R&D. Integrated Sensors to Increase and Speed Up Situational Awareness. Knowing a threat is on the way or already present is vital to reducing theft and other crimes. ●
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In crime and loss prevention, guesswork, memory, and luck are welcome, but not enough. Asset protection can’t be everywhere and pick up on everything. Constantly improving Internet of Things (IoT) and stand-alone or online smart sensors can be there when needed. Detecting a posted threat, pointing out a possible bad actor based on their clothing, facial, or other bio features, sensing a known offender’s digital signature, or picking out threatening sounds and speech in a noisy background could be lifesavers for vulnerable employees and shoppers. Smart sensors—including low light detection and ranging (LiDAR), infrared (IR), radar, microphones, cameras, antennae, or license plate recognition (LPR)—can be improved using rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) to find critical signals out of all the noise. They can overcome fatigued or overwhelmed eyes, ears, and brains, and can be used to compile many different types of information to help AP professionals do their jobs faster and more effectively. Examples include: ● Listening for metal banging, ● Glass breaking, ● Tires screeching, ● Screaming, ● Gunshots, ● Auto-stream video, ● Flagging vehicle make, model, color, damage, and license plates, ● Auto-scan databases, ● Provide overhead video feeds (aerial and ceiling downward), and ● Go on virtual patrol. All these contribute to unprecedented situational awareness and understanding in busy and changing environments. These capabilities can provide the raw data that more detailed analytics can use to likely enhance efficiencies and expedite investigations. Most
The LPRC’s Innovate program pulls together top innovators from thirty US retail chains alongside researchers and technology partners monthly to stand up realistic use cases, then propose needed sensors and protective measures along the pathways offenders take to start R&D. Photo courtesy of the University of Florida Gainesville
importantly, these technologies can help law enforcement and retail investigators be in the right place, at the right time. Digital Connection Technologies to Improve Place Safety. New technologies can help guide action in the world. Advances in 5G communication, circuitry miniaturization, and extended (augmented and virtual) reality allow people to sense and decide in new ways, and are connecting sensors at higher speeds, which can be critical in life safety. 5G for example is allowing more data from more sources to flow more rapidly both locally and to and from the cloud. Employees, visitors, and law enforcement can even join high-speed networks to provide more real-time insights and learn where and when not to go during a critical incident via their smart devices and body-worn cameras. Using Data to Enhance Protection. There is no data shortage. We may not always have the data we need in a usable format, but there’s so much data being accumulated that could be leveraged to reduce problems and save lives. As before mentioned, AI holds great promise for AP to find what they need and when they need it across distributed data sets. AI is allowing medical practitioners to rapidly scan millions of documents to find critical patient or research information they couldn’t possibly do on their own. Machine learning will be key to future organized retail crime and internal investigations, to audits, and to helping find disparate employee behavioral red flags before they can harm someone. Police around the world are using AI to find trafficked and missing people, to solve cold cases, and to dispatch officers to crime spots before the crime gets out of control.
Change is inevitable and happening every day.
ALL LOSS PREVENTION AND ASSET PROTECTION TEAMS CAN TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE, EVEN IF THE “FUTURE” IS NOW. Everyone can and should help problem‑solve and contribute to the process and partnerships that will help make this all happen when or even before it’s needed. While respecting individual and group freedoms, LP will use AI to mine data for opportunities to create safer and more efficient places. Evidence-Based Means Rigorously Testing Before Deploying. People need protection, and they deserve the best we can provide, but hastily drawn up or un-tested
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solutions might not work or might even make things worse. Benchmarking on others can provide great insights, but unless those you’re basing your actions on thoroughly tested their solutions, you could be creating real problems or wasting important capital. It’s important to sketch the mechanics of how you think
Innovation Special Edition 2022
FEATURE
Photo courtesy of the LPRC
Innovating for Now and Next
The LPRC lab at the University of Florida in Gainesville tests and evaluates numerous technologies and strategies to reduce retailers losses as well as improve sales and customer service.
something works to affect the offender. We call this the “mechanism of action” as with a medical treatment. But the point is to think and draw up how you anticipate the deployed solution working to slow the bad guy down. Next, you test this hypothesis. Trial the concept in a place where you can measure how well it works without creating too much risk exposure. Always remember though, it’s not what we do, it’s all about how we do it. What should the camera look like? Should it have a light on it? Where do you place it? How many might be needed to create the desired effect? These questions all describe countermeasure dosing. And dosing is everything. Countless good countermeasures have been abandoned simply because of how they were deployed, whereas a few tweaks might have made a total difference in the testing or field outcomes.
Go online to learn more about how to improve your test. We suggest you go way beyond Six Sigma and other efficiency methods as those can lack scientific rigor, create arbitrary sampling and testing protocols, and were designed to take errors out of manufacturing processes rather than assess how well protection interventions work in the real world to change offender decisions. Create Stronger and Longer Lasting Local Networks. As mentioned before, good networks can make more and better things happen. And the same holds up when innovating better place protection. Most bad things that happen in a store, for example, rarely started or will end there. Offenders tend to victimize targets in or near their routine activity pathways, creating opportunities to create data partners around your store of interest, since offenders’ actions affect other retailers,
criminal justice systems, stolen good fences, off-premises sensors, and more. Proactive police and retailers tend to be interested in sharing offender and other crime intelligence, participating in area crime mapping exercises, and providing needed prosecution evidence when available. Organized Retail Crime Associations and other data sharing platforms, public CCTV and LPR sources, local government, and chamber of commerce organizations can sometimes be leveraged to provide support. But these outcomes are improved when relationships are built and lead to enduring partnerships built on shared values and objectives. The same holds true of course within a store’s employee base. Innovation should include cross-company and local community partnerships as these are often the real sensors and place guardians.
Go Forth and Innovate Change is inevitable and happening every day. All loss prevention and asset protection teams can take proactive steps to prepare for the future, even if the “future” is now. Everyone can and should help problem-solve and contribute to the process and partnerships that will help make this all happen when or even before it’s needed. Dr. Read Hayes is director of the Loss Prevention Research Council and coordinator of the Loss Prevention Research Team at the University of Florida. He can be reached at 321‑303‑6193 or via email at rhayes@lpresearch.org.
INNOVATION
“Without staying current, like with most things, you will be left behind.” Innovation Special Edition 2022
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LossPreventionMedia.com
INNOVATION
Award-Winning Solutions for Your Loss Prevention Team ThinkLP is an industry-leading loss prevention platform helping organizations centralize their data, digitally transform their functions, and unlock hidden insights to improve performance. ThinkLP’s innovative solutions include incident and case management, safety, risk, compliance, audit, organized retail crime (ORC) intelligence, exception-based reporting (EBR), and loss prevention analytics. Over 150 clients use the platform, including some of the largest retailers in the world. Here are a few ways ThinkLP is helping to create and sustain execution excellence within organizations.
Consolidating Data into One Single Source of Truth
Having data and other information sources combined into one central intelligence platform is a dream come true for LP professionals. While most organizations operate on numerous platforms with siloed information, ThinkLP can integrate with external vendors and departments, providing a single source of truth with everything in one place, revolutionizing the way departments operate.
PROFILE
Monitoring Store Execution and Compliance
ThinkLP’s Intelligent Audit software utilizes knowledge gleaned from your central iIntelligence platform to target compliance controls in the right place at the right time, coordinate follow-ups and distribute reports to gauge compliance, and obtain an on-the-ground read of what’s happening.
Automating Business Processes
Loss prevention teams can have dozens or even hundreds of processes both inside their department and in collaboration with other teams such as operations, HR, legal, safety, and more. Visually mapping and automating complex business processes inside ThinkLP keeps everyone on the same page.
Building a Culture of Excellence
Empowering your team with the tools they need to be successful will result in increased confidence, improved teamwork, and sustainable outcomes. With ThinkLP’s incredibly powerful and customizable system, teams can solve cases faster, uncover hidden fraud, and surface undetected margin erosion to deliver real business value across the organization. Reach out to us to see how ThinkLP can be your single source of truth.
219 Labrador Dr, Unit 100, Waterloo, ON, N2K 4M8 | 888-767-3141 | info@thinklp.com | thinklp.com
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By Stefanie Hoover, CFI
Iissue last year, LP Magazine
n our November–December
ran an article profiling a unique strategy Kroger employed to bring their many solution providers together to be force multipliers. As an update for this Innovation Special Edition, we checked back to see how the program, dubbed the Asset Protection Ecosystem Summit, has fared after the initial
Innovation Special Edition 2022
kick off. Like most great ideas, the energy and attention of leadership are key to great results. Here is a brief recap of the original impetus and the subsequent learnings from the Kroger team.
The Mother of All Inventions Is Necessity The Kroger team found themselves asking each other
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time and again: Why can’t these solutions work together? Why can’t technologies talk to one another and multiply the effect? Why can’t our solution providers have conversations about problem-solving across traditional business boundaries? Kroger decided to tackle the problem head on and asked a group of their solution provider
Nicoleta Ionescu / SVshot / ShutterStock.com
If Innovation Is Like Giving Birth, Then What About the Toddler Years?
As Kroger continues the use of the AP Ecosystem concept and reaps the rewards, solution providers working more closely together will likely become a growing trend in our industry. With open APIs and increasingly open IT and legal teams, retailers will continue to ask, “Why can’t these things work together?” partners to come together in one room, on one day, and learn about each other, then come up with ways they could work together. Those in the room were asked to choose two other solution providers they thought they might have synergies with and meet with them after the AP Ecosystem Summit. According to Kroger’s Chris McCarrick, CFI, senior manager of asset protection solutions and technology, “The solution providers came somewhat prepared for the first meeting but weren’t really sure what this was all about.” Comparable to a first date, the experience was a little on the awkward side. However, many of the professionals in the room got over the initial discomfort quickly and embraced the idea.
The Results After the initial meeting, the hard work began. As one would suspect, pulling together companies who don’t traditionally work together is not without its hurdles. According to McCarrick, “There were a lot of hoops to jump through when it came to legal, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and data. We spent a lot of time educating our legal team and wrangling through the different requirements, all of which extended the time
from pilot to implementation,” he said. “With new ideas, it is important to see early success and build on momentum. As this format is continued, it is safe to assume that all parties will become more familiar with what’s needed and will speed the process along.” The sheer size of the possible data pulls brought other concerns beyond the potential legal issues. How would all this data be operationalized? Who manages it? Would the data go to a device or use legacy communication methods to share the results? As the solution providers began to work together in earnest, the volume of questions ramped up, but so did the possibilities. Mike Lamb, LPC, vice president of asset protection and safety for Kroger, shared, “The force multiplier effect and the amount of data coming together to be actioned against has my team excited and ready to tackle each challenge. The use of disparate data can be streamlined; it’s just that we have to put the work in up front with our solution provider partners.” After meeting once, the Kroger team felt that this format could work for retailers of all sizes. But with two of these meetings under the Kroger belt, did they still believe that to be the case? According to Kevin Larson, CFI, senior manager of asset
protection, “This format may be even easier with a smaller‑sized retailer, as there are less complicated logistics. However, there is also less leverage and less synergy with fewer solution providers in the room.” In fact, the Kroger team shared that they didn’t limit their summit to current business partners, something a smaller retailer may not be able to achieve. They wanted to open it up to see what additional technologies or concepts might evolve from having different sets of eyes in the room. The ideas and possibilities discussed helped everyone overcome any nerves about working together. As Kroger continues the use of the AP Ecosystem concept and reaps the rewards, solution providers working more closely together will likely become a growing trend in our industry. With open APIs and increasingly open IT and legal teams, retailers will continue to ask, “Why can’t these things work together?” We should expect to see this concept progress through the toddler years quickly. Leadership supervision and clear expectations will help to ensure a smooth transition. To read the original article “Kroger Jumpstarts Collaboration Among Solution Providers,” scan the QR code.
Chris McCarrick, CFI
Mike Lamb, LPC
Kevin Larson, CFI
Stefanie Hoover, CFI, is vice president at Loss Prevention Magazine. She has over twenty years’ experience in retail loss prevention, worked as a solution provider serving loss prevention professionals in retail, and serves on the ASIS Retail Council and IAI Midwest Chapter board. She can be reached at StefanieH@LPportal.com.
INNOVATION With new challenges every day, a successful LP department “must be adaptable to best serve the needs of the business.” LPM
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Innovation Special Edition 2022
By Tony Paixão, CFI, CFE
“The faster things move, the sooner data become outdated. The more we know, the more information has an expiration date. Opinions aren’t made to be set in stone. They’re made to stretch like rubber.” – Adam Grant
T my favorites that describes our his Adam Grant quote is one of
With every passing year, month, and hour, technology presents new opportunities for us to excel in our personal and professional lives.
duty to evolve as the landscape shifts around us. As with anything new, people tend to react with the “shiny penny” response. We see something that looks so promising, so innovative, so fresh, and believe it will be the long-awaited solution to all our problems. Then as time passes, we realize that while this new shiny penny has its upsides, it’s best used in doses—balance is key. With every passing year, month, and at this point one could argue
Innovation Special Edition 2022
hour, technology presents new opportunities for us to excel in our personal and professional lives. Whether it’s a new app that increases ease of connectivity with our friends, a new watch that can tell how we’re sleeping, or an automated security system that “reacts” to the sound of aggression—the options are seemingly endless. Our obligation is to avoid the impulse to settle. Avoid accepting the mental state of “this is good enough” and “I’ve always done it this way, so
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that’s the way it’s going to be.” Technology opens opportunities for all of us to challenge the status quo and improve the state of our respective industries. At Wicklander-Zulawski and Associates (WZ), we are working to lean into the resources afforded to us by advances in technology and using them as the catalyst for continued innovation. After COVID hit, every one of us was stopped in our tracks. Long held feelings of security were shaken to their core, and every aspect of business as we knew it needed to be reevaluated. Failure to innovate would mean certain death (professionally speaking). Our
blinkblink / ShutterStock.com
Normalizing Innovation from Forced Changes to the New Normal
priority was recognizing we needed to adjust our business model (quickly) to a fully remote experience. This meant sourcing video platforms, overhauling 100 percent of our content for the remote learning experience, educating our clients on the effectiveness of virtual training, and teaching our internal team how to be effective instructors in the virtual space.
Forced Innovation “If I asked the public what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.” – Henry Ford When we asked ourselves what our clients wanted before COVID, the number one priority certainly was not more virtual training options. It made the list, but it wasn’t the first thing we focused on. Maybe more in-person seminars? More webinar topics? New curriculum ideas? People didn’t fully trust in the concept of interview training unless it was through an inperson experience. They didn’t know (and neither did we) until we all had to jump in and try it out firsthand. Now, it’s second nature. These “forced” innovations are what paved the way to our transition of no longer being fully reliant on one style of facilitated training options (virtual and in-person). The “shiny penny” that was Zoom, Teams, and Hangouts has now found its way into the fold of our standard suite of diverse training opportunities. In fully embracing the hardship that came from venturing into the unknown realm of virtual training, we came out on the other end with a more advanced and approachable training package. Through it all, we learned new and more effective ways to positively impact our clients—innovation. In learning from the experiences of the past two and a half years, the need to innovate has only accelerated. Learning new ways to
optimize the virtual space has afforded us the opportunity to continue to enhance the learning experience for our attendees. Not only are we able to conduct one, two, three, four, or even five-day training courses fully online, but we are also able to increase the one-on-one time spent with our clients. On a weekly basis, seminar attendees reach out and request separate calls to ask follow-up questions from the course. The comfort level developed from using video platforms over the last few years has made these follow-up requests a simple way for our clients to capitalize on their learning experience. Members from executive teams are now able to observe the training by jumping into a class to see firsthand what their teams are learning. The benefits from providing accessible virtual options have been a critical win for our customer experience.
Remember that to innovate means to change something that’s established. If COVID taught us anything, it should be to always challenge the established mindset. Innovation needs to be the new normal, so when the unforeseen and terrible does happen, we are ready to meet the challenge head-on.
Conducting Video Interviews Beyond training innovation, we are seeing an increase in utilizing video platforms for conducting investigative interviews. At WZ, we have talked at length about remote interviewing solutions, however one of the major wins from the COVID-era innovations came from the normalizing of remote interviews. Taking it a step further, the normalizing of recording investigative interviews is now available. In using video platform options, the ability to record investigative interviews, both within the public and private sectors, has suddenly become an approachable option. Innovation has a habit of creating new ideas and spawning new solutions—this case is no different. With the increase in virtually recorded interviews, there is now a robust queue of real interviews to be referenced for internal training purposes and for objective legal review.
And think, none of this would have happened (at least not at this pace) without the hardship of COVID. Our relationship with technology has evolved from no longer using technology to make things more manageable, but to a point of co‑dependency. We are collectively intertwined with our devices. Think about the last time you went a full week without getting on a video call. As with anything, our priority remains to find balance—easing back into face-to-face, in-person options while still providing the virtual experience for those interested. Finding new innovative strategies to capitalize on marrying both methods of delivery is the new normal. Remember that to innovate means to change something that’s established. If COVID taught us anything, it should be to always challenge the established mindset. Innovation needs to be the new normal, so when the unforeseen and terrible does happen, we are ready to meet the challenge head-on. Tony Paixão, CFE, CFI, is a certified forensic interviewer, speaker, and consultant for WicklanderZulawski & Associates and has served in a variety of roles both in the public and private sectors. He is also an active member of the International Association of Interviewers (IAI). Paixão has conducted investigations and interrogations for hundreds of cases ranging from retail fraud to homicide to sexual assault and employee relations matters. He can be reached at TPaixao@W-Z.com.
INNOVATION world is moving at the speed of light, and you “Today’s can’t stay relevant without being innovative.” LPM
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Innovation Special Edition 2022
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