Security that supports retail business growth
The Very Group is the UK’s largest integrated digital retailer and financial services provider. To safeguard its new one million-square-foot fulfillment center, the company monitors video, analytics, access control, and automatic license plate recognition using Genetec™ Security Center.
The company
The Very Group is the UK’s largest integrated digital retailer and financial services provider. It offers 1,900 brands to its four million customers. Due to the company’s growth, it built a new state-of-the-art fulfillment center – close to one million square feet – to centralize operations and drive efficiency. This new purpose-built, automated facility accommodates one-man fulfillment and returns operations and offers room for continued expansion.
The challenge
A crucial aspect of the new hub was security – The Very Group sought not only to secure the site and the stock inside, but implement solutions that would enhance business operations too. The company required a platform that could unite operations and provide business-wide value. It had ambitions for a platform that was easy to use and could bring together information from hundreds of different sensors and technologies.
The solution
Consolidated security operations
The team uses Security Center to monitor all video, analytics, access control, ALPR, and other key systems across the one million-square-foot facility, from a central control room.
Custom search applications
With the Genetec software development kit, The Very Group built a unique access control application that enables random cardholder searches and investigations, while ensuring privacy.
Automated vehicle tracking
The team leverages the AutoVu ALPR system to easily track all heavy goods vehicles coming in and out of the site, while allowing drivers to efficiently enter and exit the grounds.
Increased operational value
Operators centrally monitor fulfillment center flow, such as looking at movements from trailers, to help maximize efficiencies and ensure high health and safety standards.
“Genetec Security Center is helping to improve inter-departmental collaboration thanks to its reporting functions, alongside benefiting operations and ensuring the security of the facility.”
Dean Cooper, Head of Security of The Very Group
Results
After consulting with Grantfen, UK physical security experts, The Very Group chose Genetec™ Security Center. The unified platform allows operators to manage video surveillance and analytics, access control, automatic license plate recognition, and other key systems. The company was also able to deploy best-of-breed technologies from a range of vendors and use these new security investments to enhance operations.
“The opening of Skygate, our new fulfillment center, means a new era for the group. We are a digitally-led business, and the fact we are now able to enhance operations and yield more value from security functions is going to help us operationally. Genetec and Grantfen have played a huge part in accelerating our sophistication in this area, and I look forward to how we can gain increasing insights from all the technology has to offer,” said Cooper.