Background

Prisma opts to tackle shrink with centralised surveillance operations

Since its first store opened in 1972, Prisma’s chain of hypermarkets has been providing a wide selection of groceries, clothing, and home accessories to the people of Finland. Over the past 50 years, Prisma has grown significantly and now operates 71 stores across Finland along with several outlets in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The company is on track for further growth but needed a video surveillance upgrade to tackle shrink and improve system usability at four of its stores.

Solutions

Latency and lack of oversight impact security team’s domain awareness

Prisma’s existing surveillance system had been expanded and added to over the years, with more than 150 third-party analogue cameras being used to provide coverage of four malls: Prisma Vaasa, Prisma Kouvola, Prisma Tripla, and Prisma Kristiine. However, operating the system had become challenging, with significant latency impacting camera control and no complete, ‘single pane of glass’ overview of the system or sites. There were also issues with image quality and speed of the third-party video wall in the central control room, hampering the security team’s ability to track suspected thieves.

Leading systems integrator Safe IT was consulted, and the company recommended advanced video technology from IDIS for the best improvement to Prisma’s surveillance capabilities.

Solution

IDIS Solution Suite delivers simple integration to deliver comprehensive coverage

At the heart of the system is the enterprise-class IDIS Solution Suite (ISS) VMS, combining a rich feature set and choice of service modules. ISS comes with easy-to-use live video streaming, management, and administration tools and the ability to seamlessly integrate third-party cameras from a single user interface. The flexibility of IDIS Solution Suite was in evidence as Safe IT used an analogue and IP mix and match approach of new IDIS cameras while retaining existing third-party NVRs and legacy models. The cameras were rapidly and easily connected using a third-party encoder while improving system performance. An IDIS video wall was deployed to provide live and centralised monitoring capabilities, enabling rapid identification, tracking and a rapid response to potential threats. IDIS Smart UX controls, including patented “Slingshot” and “Rubberband” features and keyboard and mouse functions allow operators to easily follow suspects in real-time with ground-breaking accuracy and speed.

Safe IT specified a selection of IDIS DirectCX® HD-TVI analogue PTZs and DirectIP® compact network PTZ cameras to extend coverage across strategic areas of interest at the four Prisma locations. Eliminating any lag and latency the 2MP analogue models offer advanced HD over coax surveillance with true WDR, delivering outstanding image quality in a variety of lighting conditions. The 2MP compact PTZs provides operators with 12x optical zoom and electronic image stabilization (EIS) ensuring clear images over 30 metres.

Results and Benefits

IDIS tech provides improved user experience and enhanced security

Prisma’s security team enjoyed immediate benefits from the newly installed IDIS technology with quicker and more user-friendly controls reducing pressure on staff and reducing losses. The rapid installation of the IDIS solution, including the simple integration with legacy equipment, meant minimal system downtime. Centralised control room users now benefit from responsive, multi-task surveillance with the ability to clearly detect suspicious or fraudulent behaviour, identify objects, recognise faces, and smoothly track persons of interest to reduce shrink. In addition, IDIS technology gives Prisma the best total cost of ownership (TCO) with single one-off, upfront licensing and has allowed the hypermarket chain to extend the life cycle of existing equipment to improve sustainability and realise a rapid return on investment. The flexibility and scalability of IDIS Solution Suite has allowed Prisma to truly future proof their surveillance operations as they embark on a phased upgrade at stores across the Nordics.

“The IDIS video solution has provided Prisma with greatly strengthened and improved efficiency of our security operations, ensuring an enhanced and proactive userexperience for system operators. Prisma is delighted with the high-performance of the IDIS solution, and we are now looking to roll the technology out to more stores in 2023“

Jari-Pekka Repo
Security Manager, Prisma Tripla