goPuff is the go-to solution for immediate everyday needs, delivering cleaning and home products, over-the-counter medications, baby and pet products, food and drinks, and in some markets, alcohol – in just minutes.
With micro-fulfillment centers in every market it serves, the company delivers thousands of products quickly for a flat $1.95 delivery charge. goPuff is open 24/7 in many markets and late-night everywhere else to bring customers what they need, when they need it most. “In our environment, shoplifting isn’t a factor like it is for other companies, but we still have to be diligent about keeping our employees safe, managing our inventory and keeping honest people honest,” said Scott Sanford, goPuff’s Director of Loss Prevention.
Challenge: Upgrade 60 legacy systems for improved connectivity, remote access, ease of use
This makes video security cameras a crucial tool at all 200+ micro-fulfillment centres. But 60 of them had old home-grown CCTV systems of 10 to 15 security cameras each.
“These older systems suffered from poor visibility and remote connectivity and were not sufficient for a focused loss prevention team,” Sanford said. “The graphic user interface was lacking. An upgrade was necessary to provide remote access and unique video analytics as we scale our business.”It would have been cost-prohibitive to scrap these security systems and start over. Sanford wanted a solution that would leverage goPuff’s existing security camera investments and do so cost-effectively.
This search led him to Solink.
“Solink was able to upgrade existing systems with improved performance and speed, connectivity and intelligent features,” Sanford said. “Sixty systems were upgraded in just 30 days and now play an integral role in shrink reduction at existing sites.”
Solution: Giving legacy hardware a new lease on life with cloud video security
Solink installed its Solink appliance, which allowed it to connect the existing security cameras to its own cloud management and analytics platform. This work began in July 2019. The results soon led goPuff to engage Solink for the full installation of new video security systems at several other locations.
goPuff’s Loss Prevention team is working with Solink to take advantage of its more advanced data analytics features, but first, the company needed a platform that could outperform solely as a pure-play video management system. Solink was able to deliver.
Whether it’s a legacy camera or a new one, Solink provides goPuff locations with the means to access and manage their video security system at any time from a mobile device.
“Solink differentiates itself with outstanding service,” Sanford said. “Tuning these camera systems to limit blind spots, enhance the field of view and create the best possible user experience is critical to our business. Solink ensures it’s done right the first time.”
Covering the best angles is only the start. Video footage that is date and time stamped can be correlated with digital order quantity versus packed quantity, which will reduce mispacks and ultimately serve to increase customer satisfaction.
“Solink’s approach is pro-active,” Sanford said. “The way that our custom data has been integrated into the system can allow end-user viewing of transaction data overlaid on video.”
See how Solink’s powerful integrations help your retail business.
Benefits: Deterring ‘unproductive activities’
goPuff values an intelligent system that can be accessed remotely and deters risk. This “deterrent value” manifests in three ways.
First, in less heavily trafficked facility areas, motion detection and heat mapping allows for enhanced safety and alerts management to potential nefarious activities.
Second, potential “sweet-hearting” or “pass off” of products is mitigated through the ability to monitor order versus pack quantity.
Lastly, the all-encompassing benefits of Solink’s video/data analytic ability is more than a deterrent to fraud. Its proactive use can help to improve the individual site and personnel performance.
The filtering and search capabilities of Solink’s application also encourages district and general managers to take the time to review incidents; a resource dissemination tactic that is infrequently used in retail. As a result, “unproductive activities” are more likely to be identified through the combined efforts of hundreds. “We have found Solink to be extremely efficient in terms of its cost savings,” Sanford said. “ROI is quickly achieved once implemented.” goPuff appreciates how innovative Solink is at what it does, and is focused on taking user feedback to improve.
