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Integrating LP and Market Analytics at Circuit City
January February 2007
99
Loss
Prevention
[SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE]
>>CLICkIT
Integrating LP and Market
Analytics at Circuit City
S
mart is the password to understanding ClickIts strategic
approach to its popular SmartCamXi digital video
recorder (DVR) systems and customized retail solutions.
ClickIt, which is based in Bethpage, New York, and established
in 1999, provides major retail chains, like Circuit City, with
solutions that integrate reliable, cost-effective DVR systems,
intelligent system management, and powerful market analytics.
ClickIt is helping lead a loss prevention industry trend in which
traditional video surveillance is being leveraged to provide
value-added market analytics, such as people counting and
tracking where and how people spend their time during a
store visit. Circuit City sees the value as they just completed
a rollout of the ClickIt people counting systems to all of their
632 U.S. stores.
Jim Carey, ClickIt founder and president, explains that while
traditional DVR functionality is important, it is not enough
anymore. The DVR device has become a tool delivering
significantly more value than just traditional record and playback.
It is now a building block for the distribution of value to LP
as well as marketing, advertising, and operations. ClickIt
pays enormous attention to our customers needs and designs
solutions to meet those needs. Thats the key to success in this
market, says Carey.
ClickIt SmartCamXi is designed to provide exceptional
reliability and functionality. It is a state-of-the-art hardware
platform combined with a Microsoft Windows XP Professional
operating system and ClickIts feature-rich SmartCamXi
application software.
With an extensive line of DVRs, the SmartCamXi series
offers systems ideal for a wide range of markets and store
environments. The SmartCamXi series range from one-camera
desktop units to 64-camera rack-mounted units with multiple
iterations in between. While units vary by size, all feature the
same user-friendly interface.
SmartCamXi provides a graphical user interface that is
user-friendly and intuitive for even the most novice store
operator. Each system contains the on-line wizard; a user
simply clicks and the wizard demonstrates the system. Implementing ClickIt
at Circuit City
As ClickIts reputation for innovative
loss prevention and market analytics
becomes better known, top-line retailers
are taking notice.
Circuit City Stores, Inc., located
in Richmond, Virginia, is one of
North Americas leading specialty
retailers of consumer electronics and
related services. With more than 635
superstores and five other locations in
the U.S., as well as more than 950 retail
stores and dealer outlets in Canada,
Circuit City has $11.6 billion in annual
revenue and more than 46,000 full-time
employees.
Late last year Circuit City was looking
to begin the phase-out of its extensive
installation of 10-year-old digital CCTV
systems. The companys loss prevention
team looked at a variety of digital
solutions and finally chose ClickIt for a
three-store, six-month trial. According
to Phil Foussekis, Circuit Citys assistant
vice president of LP, Our primary
evaluation criteria were picture quality,
search function, remote management of
multiple cameras, and usability. There
was also the opportunity for multiple
functionalityusing our DVR system
for both surveillance and store traffic
analysis was very appealing. The trial
went well and ClickIt got the deal.
Today, Circuit City is installing
ClickIts SmartCamXi systems
into its new stores as they
openmore than fifteen
so farand next year it will
begin phasing the ClickIt
systems into existing stores.
Circuit City also installed ClickIts
management software and SmartXi
Analytics people counting application in
its more than 635 U.S. stores.
We tend to have a high camera
count in our stores. Centralizing camera
management is extremely convenient
and cost effective, says Mike Currier,
director of LP operations at Circuit City.
The ClickIt application handles repair
alerts, triggering the local repair service
and registering each incident,
Circuit Citys vision for its ClickIt
system is to be able to perform
investigations and even virtual store
visits. In addition, ClickIts SmartXi
market analytics is quickly building a
broad Circuit City user base.
The traffic data regularly
goes to our retail, marketing,
and merchandising
departments, says Currier.
Well also look at the path
analysis application. Our objective
is to both spot loss prevention issues
and collect data that help us understand
our customers even better.
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12/28/06 3:11:39 PM January February 2007
100
LPportal.com
Leapfrogging the VCR
Clearly, ClickIts SmartCamXi system is helping to relegate
conventional VCR-based surveillance systems to antiquity. No
more VCR and cumbersome tapes. SmartCamXi provides a
high-performance, versatile solution to tape-free digital
recording. SmartCamXi provides simultaneous recording
and playback as well as easy retrieval of recorded data.
Remote access has been made easy with the SmartCamXi
Client software. With remote access, users can view live video,
play recorded video, and change system configurations for
anywhere in the world.
ClickIts SmartCamXi offers such key value as ease of use,
completeness of features, superior quality of the live and
recorded video, proactive diagnostics, and hardened reliability.
ClickIt systems also offer multiple entry
points, from the basic SmartCamXi Value
Line to the SmartCamXi ProLine and Elite
Line, which support additional advanced
features such as 360-degree camera
support, analytics, central monitor, active
alerting, and more.
Intelligent Value
ClickIt talks about its SmartCamXi as
offering layers of intelligent software
value. The advanced features available
in the SmartCamXi product line are fully
integrated with and supported by the
underlying platform.
SmartXi Analytics Tools
SmartCamXi Analytics is a suite of
analytical tools used to track and report movement of individuals
within a facility. SmartXi Analytics includes modules for people
counting, path analysis, and dwell analysis.
SmartXi 360SmartXi 360 offers 360-degree views from a
single camera. Its imaging technology lets you see, record, and
playback a full 360-degree field of view. SmartXi 360 also permits
pan, tilt, and zoom capabilities of both live and recorded video.
SmartXi Active AlertSmartXi Active Alert provides loss
prevention personnel with the ability to identify and act upon
unwanted activities. Alerts can be forwarded to central station
alarm centers, cellular phones, in-store wireless devices, or email
addresses. SmartXi Alert gives enterprises the ability to maximize
security and operations.
SmartXi WirelessSmartXi Wireless allows mobile LP
personnel to stay in touch with surveillance by delivering digital
video to handheld devices using 802.11 wireless LAN technology.
Integration of security, POS, and inventory systems gives
managers complete access to operations while on the move.
SmartXi Wireless has been selected as a partner technology by
Symbol Technologies, the undisputed leader in the enterprise
hand-held computer market.
SmartXi Central ManagementSmartXi Central
Management is SmartCams easy-to-use software dashboard to
manage network-enabled remote DVRs. With SmartXi Central
Management, viewers can immediately monitor the health and
well being of all SmartCamXi units in the system, including
camera connections, days of storage, temperature, or disk issues.
SmartXi RefundSmartXi Refund feature alarms when a
customer is not present during a POS refund transaction. Alarms
can be activated at the conclusion of the transaction or can be
activated as an after hours process for LP investigators to review
at a later time.
Standard Features
All ClickIts SmartCamXi systems, whether they contain
advanced features or not, are delivered with the following
attributes.
Superior Ease of UseSimple to set-up and install,
Windows point and click, intuitive
SmartCamXi application, built-in system
manual for easy training.
Remote Client Connection
Easy to use Remote Client capabilities
that can either take full control of the
remote SmartCamXi unit and administer
changes or limit the remote user to
viewing live and prerecorded video.
Express PlaybackQuickly
review most recent video with one click
of the mouse. Express Playback also
plays video in Reverse Mode from the
most recent video backwards.
Frame ViewerFrame Viewer
allows for qu