Shop, Retail & Warehouse

Mention CCTV and one of the first places you think of it being used is in a shop. CCTV in a shop retail warehouse cctv camera Noida Delhi outlet is pretty much standard practice these days, sometimes licencing laws will even insist you to fit it. Whether a huge superstore with a dedicated security team or a small family shop CCTV can help in many ways.

The problem is in most cases the equipment fitted simply doesn’t perform to required standards. The most common fault is cameras which are too wide angle meaning they don’t record sufficient detail to be effective. People use off the shelf CCTV kits which feature fixed lens wide angle cmeras. As with all CCTV planning you need to identify exactly what you want your system to do and then ensure each camera is correct for that job with the correct optical range. Feel free to call us during office hours and we can talk through your requirements to establish exactly what you might need at shop retail warehouse cctv camera Noida Delhi.

Shoplifting

Theft from shops costs millions of pounds. The people carrying out the crime see it as an anonymous act. They don’t think it affects anyone directly in the same way a burglary does but that is not the case. Theft can make or break a business, especially when it takes the form of repeated “petty” theft. If someone raids you and takes several thousand pounds worth of goods you may well be able to claim on your insurance. If they walk out with a single item you can’t. Think about the deterrent benefit of CCTV. High quality HD 1080P images visible to people in the shop leave criminals in no doubt that they have been recorded.

Staff protection

CCTV is a front line tool in providing staff protection. Often staff are handling cash or products which can easily be sold on for cash are at risk. Alcohol, cigarettes, jewellery, electronic goods, even mundane items like shaving razors can all be readily sold on the black market. Violence against staff is a worrying trend. Fitting CCTV helps prove your commitment to staff protection. Remote access either over the internet or within a building allows vulnerable staff to be monitored. We have a remote set up service which allows you to remotely view any of our DVR recorders over the internet.

Misconduct or theft

CCTV can provide protection against theft from within your company. Temptation can prove too great for some employees. Even if it just a case of helping themselves to the odd sweet or 2. We had a customer who’s sweet business within a shopping centre was losing stock to security staff at night. It’s easy to laugh something like that off and the security staff probably thought nothing of taking the odd handful of pick and mix, but over a year that one loss source covered the cost of an entire CCTV system. We are happy to report installing CCTV solved the problem and the retailer was compensated once evidence was reviewed.

Monitoring till positions can not only protect against theft but also protect honest employees in the event a customer claims to have handed over a higher denomination note.

CCTV as part of your Licensing requirements

If you sell alcohol it is quite likely that you will have to fit CCTV and the footage will need to be stored for a certain amount of time. Once again consider exactly what job the CCTV needs to do and make sure you aren’t sacrificing quality to achieve the required storage time.

What type of CCTV cameras

This will vary from location to location but things to consider are whether or not the system needs to work in complete darkness. Do the cameras need to be secure from tampering and would covert CCTV be an option?

Outdoor CCTV cameras

As well as filming within the building it may be wise to consider placing some cameras outside as well. Delivery yards to the rear of a building and rear doors to premises are both areas to consider both from a theft and also staff protection perspective. Once again think about whether the cameras are vulnerable from tampering. Sometimes it is not possible to locate cameras out of reach.

Where to position your CCTV cameras

Make sure that at some point everyone who comes into your shop is filmed in good detail. Zoom in on a pinch point through which everyone must pass. Think about where people stand when they are by the till paying for items (or confronting staff members). There are a number of useful short films in our CCTV Video tutorials section giving ideas for camera positioning.

Try to be objective when looking at your CCTV images

Look at your CCTV system. Can you really identify an unknown person from the resulting images or are you just kidding yourself ? A CCTV in a box solution from Maplins, Macro or one of the big shed retailers is going to use wide angle cameras which lose detail rapidly as you move away from the camera. In some cases you can’t identify people more than 1.5-2 metres from the camera lens. We have all seen poor quality images on TV, CCTV doesn’t have to be like that. Make sure you have high quality images.

Viewing your CCTV remotely over the internet

All our DVR recorders can be accessed remotely over the internet. You can see live footage, view previously recorded footage, even make settings changes and take back ups over the internet. Once again if you need any help call us during office hours and we are happy to offer advise.

Fitting CCTV camera systems in a Warehouse

As with all CCTV systems think about exactly what you need the cameras to do. There will usually be several distinct areas to consider. Within the warehouse it’s self you may wish to monitor and prevent  theft. You might also want to view staff and visitors in the event you need to contact them.

The right camera for the job

These 2 roles require different cameras. Theft prevention usually means cameras zoomed in to specific areas capturing quite detailed images. Warehouses are laid out in a CCTV friendly pattern with lots of long thin spaces, these are easy to cover well. Monitoring personnel movement probably needs wider angle cameras with the emphasis more on coverage than detail capture. You can recognise known individuals with limited detail, its identifying unknown individuals which requires detailed images.

Using varifocal cameras will take a lot of pressure of you during the planning phase of your project. You don’t need to decide on exact camera angles, just the general range. During installation you can then zoom in or out manually to balance area covered with detail captured.

You will probably end up using external cameras in a warehouse to benefit from built in infra red illumination in low light or pitch black conditions, longer range lenses and sturdier construction. Using CAT5 cable allows video signal to be transmitted up to 300 metres if you power the cameras locally. It also allows you to transfer the images from up to 4 cameras using a single length of cable which will save cable runs in a large unit.

Finally think about vehicle number plate recording. Having a record of exactly who has been on site could be useful. We have developed a low cost ANPR number plate recording camera which is able to film number plates at a distance of up to 75 metres during both the day and night.

Monitor large sites from a central point

CCTV can be used to monitor large sites from a central point. Doorways left open, things left in potentially dangerous places and general activity where you are not expecting it can all be seen and acted on. Outdoor spaces can also be covered effectively. Once again try to decide exactly what you want cameras for. Do they need to be wide overall views or zoomed in to capture detail. You can’t have both, it’s one or the other.

Access your CCTV system over the internet

Think about whether remote access to your CCTV system over the internet would be beneficial. This is easily achieved  and you can even have the DVR alert you via an emailed image if it detects movement. You might want to time these alerts to coincide with times when the warehouse is normally unused.

PTZ cameras

Occasionally it might be worth fitting PTZ cameras which can be moved and zoomed remotely. PTZ cameras aren’t always the answer though largely due to cost. Unless you have a full time operator more fixed cameras carefully positioned may provide a better solution. As with all aspects of planning your system we are happy to discuss your needs over the phone.

Controlling who has access to your CCTV system

Allowing different levels of access to the CCTV system depending on status within the company can be useful. Full administrative rights might be reserved for key personal with others only allowed to play back footage from certain cameras and not be able to change DVR settings. Our DVR recorders provide this functionality.

Feel free to contact us for help in planning your CCTV system. We can discuss your specific needs whilst viewing the site using aerial images and from there come up with a list of what you might need. Our advice is free and without obligation.