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TELUS Business

The future of retail security and automation

Security · Nov 4, 2021

The retail industry isn’t what it was 30 years ago. Technology is integrating into businesses across the world, especially in the face of the pandemic when physical shopping wasn’t possible. It significantly changed the way retail businesses operate and unlocked a new perspective on retail consumers. As the world slowly begins to reopen and businesses are seeing strong sales numbers, one thing is clear; physical retail is still valued and relevant.

However, big changes are coming to the retail industry and it has everything to do with using technology. With TELUS custom security and automation, retailers of every kind can gather retail analytics, optimize the customer experience and protect their business from excessive loss.


The retail future is friendly

Smart security and automation provides retailers with the right system and tools to streamline their business operations and gain insights from each location. The ability to take a closer look at your business, how people interact with it and find ways to optimize day-to-day operations is paramount for success.

The pandemic drastically challenged retailers to find new ways to operate and secure their business. The easy solution was remote video monitoring, but it can go further than that. “Video is a big component space of where retail stands today and where it’s going to go tomorrow,” says Jason Macdonnell, President of Smart Security & Automation at TELUS.

“We know that those people are going to return because a shopping experience is truly an experience and we’ve all missed it,” continues Macdonell. Online shopping resulted in package deliveries backing up for weeks at a time, people are eager to return to stores and it’s important to make the experience as positive as possible. By using video data from cameras, packaging it, pooling it and delivering it back to the business to be used as insight into the customer journey, the benefits are unparalleled.

Security and automation has the power to drive value across an entire organization, but how does it optimize and elevate the customer journey? Watch the short video below to learn more.


Benefits to small business owners

Security and automation systems provide valuable insight that enable business owners to better manage their employees and operations, particularly in small businesses where one person is often running many, if not all, of the operations. With 24/7 monitoring capabilities, owners can run their business more cost-effectively and efficiently while enjoying peace of mind that their retail space is secure. Opening and closing the business from anywhere and even preventing major floods is made possible with technologies such as smart sensors and automatic water shut-off valves. All of this translates into more time and more money saved for hard working business owners.

“When you look at the power of this technology and how affordable it is, it really offers a tremendous opportunity for businesses to upgrade their technology in a way that makes great budget sense,” explains James Reno, VP Commercial Business at Alarm.com.

The massive rise in entrepreneurship is remarkable but comes with challenges for new business owners. Often they are managing everything from staff, payroll, products and services, operations, securing their property and more on their own, without having professional security knowledge. On average, a business owner loses 44 minutes a day to lack of sleep and worrying about how their property and business is doing. Although security is very important to business owners, these systems have to do more than just secure the business to really be of value.

Watch the short video below for more on the benefits of security and automation explained by James Reno, VP Commercial Business, Alarm.com.


Tailored solutions for any industry

A comprehensive security and automation system can transform any business in any industry. For example, the financial industry has its challenges that can be managed through custom security and automation solutions. As Rick Snook, the Segment Manager of Retail & Banking at Axis Communications says, “banks are retail too.”

One of the more notable challenges is loitering, especially in enclosed ATM spaces where it's important to keep traffic moving. There are lounge areas, cafes and more in a financial space that people spend time in to visit, communicate and do their banking. Tailored security and automation solutions help financial businesses gain insight into how customers interact with their institutions, how long they wait in line, how much time is spent in the branch for services, what the flow is like and how the space is utilized. Why is all of this important?

Watch what Rick Snook, Segment Manager, Retail & Banking, Canada, Axis Communications had to say on this topic.


Rise of smart buildings and communities

Smart buildings and communities are becoming increasingly common around the world. The convergence of security, big data, IoT, fibre optics and of course 5G, means that in the future, the security industry will play a large role in how our cities and workplaces of the future are planned and operated.

Jason Macdonnell explains more on the rise of smart buildings and communities in the video below.


Data privacy

With data monetization and the increased engagement of customers and businesses with this technology, it’s incredibly important to deal with a partner that understands cybersecurity and respects data privacy to provide peace of mind for business owners and their customers.

Data generated by today’s modern systems translates into insight and is directly related to a business’s profitability, which makes data an asset that needs to be protected. At TELUS we are positioned to do just that - in fact, our security solutions embody our privacy by design approach to data and security. This is a core philosophy of who we are and is threaded into everything we do.


Modern security systems and loss prevention

Loss prevention now has a seat at the c-suite table, a massive shift since the pandemic. Many of the technologies in discussion are also advancing loss prevention as existing systems are improved, making them smarter. Deep analytics are helping loss prevention teams identify threats that may go overlooked, as well as improving response times. Watch the video below for more on how loss prevention teams can maximize their efforts.

The advancements in access control technology are allowing business owners to deliver a better end-user experience through the use of mobile devices. “Your security is only as strong as the set of keys you hold,” says Snook. Access control is a secure way to limit access to specific areas and monitor activity on the premises. Users can set rules to securely streamline operations to their preference and exercise full control over the security of their business.


Choosing TELUS as your commercial security provider

When searching for a commercial security provider, there are four key factors as to why you should consider partnering with TELUS - expertise, cost flexibility, reliability and the ability to assist with your greater digital transformation journey. The increasing digitization of products and services means that networks are now the lifeblood of Canadian business. Networks power security and automation tools, e-commerce platforms and the tools that teams use to collaborate.

You no longer need 99% uptime - you need 100%. So having a strong and reliable network partner makes a tremendous difference and provides peace of mind to many business owners across the country. Simply put, network reliability is something TELUS is incredibly proud of.


Click here to watch the full webinar.

Click here to learn more about how TELUS can help with your retail security needs.

Authored by:
TELUS Business
TELUS Business