Corporate security: a competitive advantage
Security has become a major concern for our society, because risk prevention is at the heart of corporate governance. Today, security not only protects people and property, it is also a competitive advantage for companies.
How can security be turned into a competitive advantage?
Smarter, more effective solutions to business challenges
Security is not just about implementing video surveillance systems; it has many facets. We can think of cybersecurity or even sensorisation. Artificial intelligence serves a wide range of causes!
In terms of security, artificial intelligence can help video surveillance detect suspicious or even abnormal behaviour. But “machine learning” and “deep learning” can also be used to detect “abnormal” situations at the computer level. Data is used to model normality, and as soon as a situation deviates too far from this normality, artificial intelligence can characterise it as ‘abnormal’, thus preventing cyber attacks, for example. AI makes it possible to strengthen the level of protection, contributing in particular to an improvement in employees’ working conditions.
The need to do more with less
Traditionally, security solutions such as video surveillance, for example, have been used to deter criminal acts. As individual or collective protection measures, video surveillance systems prevent shoplifting in shops or warehouses, for example. Ensuring worker safety and reducing occupational risks
In terms of risk prevention, video surveillance has proved its worth.
But today, companies are making other use of video surveillance. Over and above the individual protection they provide, these installations offer a competitive advantage. In particular, by protecting against the risk of shoplifting, the new security technologies enable businesses to prosper and respond to commercial challenges. How can this be achieved? Thanks to technical developments in this rapidly expanding sector.
The use of security technologies that drive solid business results
Security isn’t just about installing equipment. Above all, it means being strategic in order to optimise the effectiveness of the measures put in place. Installing a simple video surveillance system is not enough to prevent “abnormal” behaviour. You need to make sure that the system you put in place is the most appropriate for the situation, that it is correctly implemented and as strategic as possible, and that you supplement the basic security measures with elements that reinforce the effectiveness of the measures in place, such as preventive measures for staff. In terms of human resources, it will therefore be necessary to ensure that jobs are properly defined, but also to train employees in the use of these new technologies, to give them safety instructions, safety gestures and instructions appropriate to the risk situations they may encounter, without forgetting to ensure that these instructions are respected. These are all necessary measures to ensure that everyone adopts the right gestures and reflexes when faced with the risk of suspicious behaviour.
Safety has become a priority for companies
Today, profitability is closely linked to competition. One of the priorities for guaranteeing both of these objectives is security. By relying on video surveillance to protect people and property, and by teaching their teams to adopt good practices such as safety gestures and respect for procedures, companies are hoping to improve security on their premises. It’s a preventive approach that is proving its worth every day. Video surveillance not only acts as a deterrent, but also helps to prevent delinquency, crime and fraud. The presence of a camera and a security guard has a real impact on potential thieves. This type of system protects the teams in place, particularly against the risk of physical and/or verbal aggression. It also has the advantage of preserving the shop’s profitability by limiting the risk of shoplifting, the leading cause of shrinkage, i.e. the difference between the theoretical stock and the company’s actual stock.
Shoplifting consists of taking goods from a shop without intending to pay for them. This can be done by hiding items, exchanging them or changing the price. The Nation Retail Federation estimates that shoplifting accounts for 35% of annual losses. This crime therefore has a major impact on the profitability of businesses, particularly retail businesses.
Installing a video surveillance system not only acts as a deterrent to thieves, but also, if the deterrent effect has not worked, enables the thief to be identified and apprehended if he or she is still in the shop, or even to be prevented from entering the shop the next time he or she visits. And once the theft has been prevented, the shop’s profitability is preserved. The store remains a valid competitor for other shops.
Intelligent video surveillance: a revolutionary technology for the security industry
The concept: AI and video surveillance at the service of security
Although traditional video surveillance is the most widespread and one of the most effective tools for fighting crime, a number of companies have tried in recent years to make it even more effective. How can they do this? Thanks to artificial intelligence.
AI has been put to work in the service of collective protection. By detecting offences and crimes more effectively and more simply, the safety of employees and goods is enhanced.
Veesion, a company specialising in artificial intelligence, is putting its skills to work in the field of security. It has developed a gesture recognition algorithm that can detect suspicious gestures made in front of a surveillance camera. The aim is to help retailers detect thieves in their shops.
The advantages of intelligent video surveillance over traditional video surveillance systems
Better than traditional video surveillance systems, intelligent video surveillance combines two tasks: video recording and analysis of surveillance images. Intelligent video surveillance can therefore automatically detect suspicious gestures that could be related to crimes or misdemeanours. You no longer need people to view hours of video recordings and dozens of cameras, artificial intelligence does it for you.
Profitability
As well as giving you a competitive and security advantage, intelligent video surveillance also saves you money. The monthly cost of a security guard is around €2,000, whereas an intelligent video surveillance system costs you less and delivers better results.
Of course, intelligent video surveillance combined with the presence of a security guard not only enables you to detect the thief, but also to arrest him! But AI is not a substitute for human intervention: in the event of an alert, it is the human who decides whether or not to intervene.
Conclusion
In conclusion, AI in the service of safety offers many advantages, both in terms of competition and profitability. Safety is a major concern in our society, and it deserves the best.
