One of G4S’s customers is a whisky distillery in Scotland, with six sites across the country and a main location in Glasgow for storing and bottling their product. When the company first met with G4S over 15 years ago, they were facing a problem with staff behaviour and loss of product internally. They needed a way to reduce theft from within the premises, as well as protecting from outside threats. 

Staff morale was also dropping due to a number of claims against HR for slips, trips and falls. In the past, the company hadn’t put any measures in place to address these issues, until frequent issues arose and the concerns became more urgent. They needed internal monitoring to capture footage that could be used as evidence for incidents and to improve safety training and regulations.

However, a technical challenge facing this customer was the level of wireless connectivity in some of the more remote distillery locations. In many areas without coverage, they needed to be able to capture security camera footage even when the network was not present. This partnership was a prime opportunity to bring together the best cutting-edge security technology, in a way ideally suited to the customer’s needs. 

THE GOALS

In order to reduce the levels of theft, this whisky distillery needed to be able to manage and control which staff members had access to key areas. They wanted to be alerted whenever an unauthorised staff member tried to access secure areas, which would also be a physical barrier to staff theft.

Also, as a way of combatting external threats, the customer wanted full video surveillance throughout their properties. This would not only alert them to any unusual activity both outside and inside the premises, but the cameras themselves would also provide a visual deterrent to external threats. 

THE SOLUTION

This customer has a high net worth, so they were able to invest heavily in the latest technology in order to protect their valuable and expensive stock. Our goal was to use some of the finest examples of cutting-edge AI-based security technology to help them make their sites safer and more secure. In addition to this, G4S also provided an ongoing maintenance support package to keep everything running smoothly. 

Some of the solutions G4S used to approach these challenges included:

• Creating a single consolidated ACS (Access Control System). It employs a smart card reader, which means that only those with the cards can access certain areas. The system also keeps a record of who has accessed these areas and when, allowing the customer to monitor the behaviour of their staff.
• Adding an Analytics Surveillance Platform. These cameras have integrated next-generation video analytics to track and classify footage of people, cars, trucks and alert to unusual or suspicious activity.
• Installing internal and external cameras throughout all premises. Including high-definition cameras in specific high-risk areas (such as areas that are highly flammable).

Innovation in technology meant that the site connectivity limitations were not a barrier to delivering a working solution.

THE RESULTS

Setting up this complex system of security features involved working together with the customer, to design a custom approach that was best suited to their needs. A lot of strategy went into where to place the cameras, to ensure that they covered the right geographic areas and gave the best quality footage - in order to achieve the best outcome.

The Analytics Surveillance Platform uses AI technology to detect and classify objects in a scene. The customer used the embedded analytics within the system to receive immediate alerts about any unusual suspicious activity. We also worked closely with the customer IT department, to make sure we had the right infrastructure to deploy a system that would work smoothly with the network requirements and standards. By working with Allied Telesis, we made it possible to capture footage from the cameras even in areas where there was no network coverage. This network-based installation means that we can forever expand the system as the customer grows their real estate.