Background
Supporting expansion
in the consumer retail sector
A North West based manufacturing business that has grown rapidly since it was launched in the late 1990s, brings high quality, competitively priced products and brands to the consumer market. The range is primarily household goods including automotive, cleaning, DIY, gardening and pet care items. The company also offers own-label products, merchandising solutions and point-of-sale display units, combining excellent service levels, stock availability and fast delivery turnaround with constant development and product innovation. To support its expansion, the company has invested in a state-of-the-art 200,000 square foot distribution centre for its range of more than 1500 products. To safeguard all operations at the new depot, the company needed a robust, user-friendly video monitoring solution to protect its premises and ensure the smooth running of all employee activity and stock supply systems in line with statutory health and safety requirements.
Challenges
Optimising staff safety
in a busy logistics environment
A major requirement was to maximise employee safety, minimise the risk of accidents and provide clear evidence of events relating to any workplace injury claims. To address this, the manufacturing business wanted an out-of-the-box solution to enable fast, precise search and retrieval of events according to time and location. The solution had to ensure comprehensive 24/7 real-time monitoring of all areas and activities. These included the flow of delivery lorries in and out of loading bays; constant movement of forklift trucks around floor-to-ceiling aisle racking; various zones for product packaging and dispatch; and restricted areas for chemical product storage. Among the technical challenges was the need to deliver effective visibility of the 32 aisles, each 150 meters long, spaced less than a metre apart and automatically illuminated by motion-controlled lighting. In addition, restricted space limited the options for positioning the cameras so as to avoid them being dislodged by the forklift trucks.
Solutions
Cost-effective IP-enabled
HD surveillance for 24/7 monitoring
MicroConnect Systems and Security designed and installed a large camera system based on the IDIS DirectIP™ solution. The cost-effective solution included eight network video recorders (NVRs) and 140 full-HD cameras with the capacity to deliver optimal coverage, high image quality – even in low lighting – and no visible latency. With a tailored mix of internal and external cameras, some fixed lens, some auto-focus, the majority of the solution was simple plug-and-play configuration. While requiring minimal maintenance over its anticipated lifespan, additional features and upgrades can easily be added. The license-free IDIS Center™ intuitive software interface enables simple operation, setting of alarms, real-time viewing and rapid retrieval of video footage.
Results and Benefits
Maximising safety and security
without compromise
IDIS DirectIP™ has equipped the company with a proven, high quality IP-enabled HD surveillance solution that is both protecting the distribution centre, while providing a reliable record of all on-site activity. The customer is delighted with the quality of installation and the smooth running of the solution. There has been a reduction in the number of workplace injury claims and subsequent reduction in associated administrative costs. Michael Leinhardt, Director of MicroConnect Systems and Security, said:
" Having reviewed a wide range of options, IDIS offered the high-quality equipment, proven expertise and calibre of technical support that set them apart. They understood all of the needs and were extraordinarily helpful in making sure the solution delivered precisely what was required without compromise. "
