The joint study conducted in 2011 revealed shrink rates between 0.4 percent and 2.19 percent of net sales with an average loss of 1.04 percent due to shrink.  Thirty four retailers took part in the PWC/RCC survey representing 24 percent of the total estimated retail sales in Canada for 2011.

Paul Beaumont of PWC states “To put retail shrink in perspective, total dollars lost to shrink is almost the same amount as the total investment made each year by the entire Canadian retail industry in their IT departments and more than what retailers invested in their finance departments”

According to Doyle Serink with Ion Security, various strategies can be implemented to reduce shrink including security cameras (CCTV), RFID tags, overt and covert security guards, alarm systems, access control and tip hotlines just to name a few.  Doyle tells of a client who put security cameras inside the cooler of his restaurant to prevent staff from eating away the profits.

“The location already had a robust CCTV system, says Doyle but even with a camera pointed on the outside door of the cooler, shrink still was occurring.  While the outside camera was doing it’s job the shrink continued at a lower rate as staff began consuming goods inside the cooler or breaking them down into smaller, easier to conceal portions”.  We are not losing case lots anymore remarked owner Paul Gee but shrink was still occurring albeit a a smaller rate.

Ion Security’s • Cooler Cam

Enter the ‘Cooler Cam’.  Ion Security installed a day/night, weatherproof camera right inside the cooler to monitor activity and once the camera went up, shrink went down to almost zero!  Paul commented, before the cameras shrink was as high as $7,000 one month on cooler related products, since the Ion Cameras were installed, shrink dropped to less than $100 a month on average and we even had one month with almost zero shrink on our cooler products says Paul.

According to the PWC/RCC survey 65 percent of respondents said they have one or more countermeasures installed to monitor retail merchandise theft and those measures seem to be working.  In 2011 retail merchandise theft was down 52 percent from 2008 however the same survey revealed theft by internal sources increased 175 percent during the same time period (2008-2011).

Most retailers are doing a good job taking preventive measures to reduce theft on the retail sales floor, internally it’s another story says Serink.  “Employers generally are more hesitant to place cameras in employee only areas, saying things like we trust our staff or we don’t want our employees to feel like Big Brother’s watching them.”  While these statements have some validity, theft from internal sources is a real problem and on the rise.

In todays ‘YouTube’ era where everyone has a cell phone camera, people’s expectation of privacy is far lower than it was a decade ago.  Between traffic cameras, surveillance cams and personal cell phone cameras the average person is photographed at least 25 times during a routine day going to work, out for lunch or groceries, picking up the kids from school and then driving home for example.

Employers shouldn’t be hesitant installing cameras in employee areas where shrink may be an issue with the exception of washrooms or change rooms.  When it comes to washrooms and change rooms, these areas are strictly off limits.  Cameras should never be installed in any area where a person should have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Doyle Serink is a Security and Loss Prevention Specialist.  He can be contacted at Ion Security 780-489-5522 or click the email link Ion Security

Sources:  RCC, PWC, canadian security magazine

There were more than 1,286 confirmed false fire alarms in Edmonton last year (2012) with the vast majority involving commercial buildings.

On January 1, 2013 the fine for false alarms increased more than 300% in an attempt to hold building owners accountable and lower the number of false occurrences.  Every false alarm puts emergency responders and the public at significant risk while pulling resources from other emergencies.

There is No Fine for a single false alarm, however the fine for a second false alarm will increase to $300 (previously $76).  Fines for a third false alarm jumps to $600 (from $380) and if you have a fourth false alarm be prepared to shell out $1200 bucks (previously $758).

The fines are not intended to be punitive and the count resets each calendar year. The goal is to encourage building owners to maintain a functional alarm system.

If you haven’t had your alarm system checked recently or are having problems with false alarms give Doyle at Ion Security a call (780) 489-5522 or email ionsecuritysystems.com for a Free, No Obligation, Security System Evaluation.

For more information on the city of Edmonton false alarm fines call (780) 496-3800 or email efrsinfo@edmonton.ca

iPad Menu &  Order System  •  www.dhtmlx.com

The average restaurant today spends thousands of dollars printing menus each year.  Thousands of more dollars are spent on a POS and kitchen order management systems.  More money is spent on credit card terminal equipment and fees plus and don’t forget the inventory management system.  Added to all these costs, are traditional print marketing and digital media costs.  When you add up all these costs they become a substantial part of the overhead and operating costs of every restaurant.

SmartCeller Wine Menu • by http://www.menucover.com, Vancouver

Now imagine for a moment that an iPad or tablet could become the Menu, Wine and Alcohol List, Point of Purchase (at the table) Marketing Device, POS and Kitchen Order and Management Device, Credit Card Terminal, Inventory Management and Digital Media Marketing device.  Once you consider the possibilities of an integrated digital menu strategy you can see that iPads and tablets will eventually replace the traditional printed restaurant menu and much more – it’s only a matter of time.

Digital Menus   •   http://www.aptito.com

What about cost you say?  Aren’t tablets expensive compared to printed menus.  True equipping a restaurant with digital menus or at the table devices is costly, however the costs are often mitigated by the productivity, efficiency, marketing and control enhancements offered by digital technology.

Virtual Menu App   •   http://www.restaurantengine.com

As tablets and smart phones continue to become mainstream, substantial cost savings will be realized by offering a Virtual Menu option in the form of an App.  Just like streaming media or digital newspapers, magazines and blogs, with a purely digital menu solution there is no printing or shipping cost involved.  Digital menus can be changed daily or even adjusted hourly for last minute specials.

Got excess inventory of fresh produce or fish for example, which is going to spoil if it doesn’t move in the next 48 hours, we’ll with a digital menu, you can instantly create a Splash Feature Page or special to promote those items.

As the costs of tablets go down and technology continues to improve you will see more restaurant throwing away their printed menus in favor of digital or virtual App menu solutions.

TGIF Fridays App  •  Powerful Virtual Menu, POS, Feedback & Social Media Marketing plus more!

Digital menus and Virtual menu apps are not just for the future, they’re already being used today in a tech savvy restaurants across the globe.  Digital menus are the way of the future and here to stay the question is how are restaurants going to leverage this new technology and how rapidly is it going to grow and develop.

Here are some examples of digital menus currently being used in Restaurants today, several which are in Canada.

I did an interview with Commercial Integrator Magazine last spring but didn’t get to post it till now.

If you want to read the full interview – click on the link below

Commercial Integrator Profile – Ion Security

With all the mass shootings and crimes reported daily on televisions you would think the the crime rate in America is increasing but according to the 2011 edition of the FBI’s annual report “Crime in the United States” (released Oct 2012) violent crimes decreased for the ninth straight year while Burglary offenses increased by almost 1 percent (0.9%).

While a one percent increase in burglaries doesn’t sound like much, it is significant because it is the first time since 2008 that the burglary rate didn’t decrease but increased instead.

According to the FBI report there were 1,919,600 burglary offenses in 2011.  Most burglaries (60.6 percent) involved forcible entry and 74.5 percent of all burglary offenses were residential.

One of the biggest trends in burglaries was the increase in the number of offenses which took place in the daytime.  According to the data, there was a 4.2 percent increase in Daytime residential burglaries and a 1.1 percent  increase in Non-residential burglaries.  Most people think break-ins occur at night,  however most actually occur in the daytime when the kids are at school and we’re at work.

With abysmally low conviction rates,  thieves are becoming more brazen than ever at committing daytime crimes and offenses.

Doyle Serink of Ion Security says “there was a time when children played in the neighborhood and there was someone at home during the daytime or at least a neighbor was around to see what wasgoing on in the neighborhood.  Nowadays young kids are in pre-school or daycare and our neighbors like us are at work leaving some neighborhoods virtual ghost towns during the day … this is a prime hot spot for thieves”.  “We had a client who called us to install an alarm and security camera after her home was broken into in the middle of the afternoon.  The neighborhood was so empty, the thieves actually backed up avan into their driveway and walked out with their flat screen TV’s, computers, electronics and even their Lazyboy chair  All this happened in the middle of the afternoon”.

In 2011 burglaries accounted for an estimated $4.8 billion dollars in property losses suffered by their victims.  The reported average dollar loss per offense was $2,185.

Perhaps the most sobering statistic from the FBI report on Crime 2011 was that there are 3.4 law enforcement persons for every 1,000 civilians in the United States and the arrest rate for burglary is less than 1 for every 1000 reported burglaries (0.09 percent to be exact).

There are several ways you can help protect yourself and property from burglaries, assaults and theft including a monitored alarm system.  “Unfortunately says Doyle with Ion Security, we get too many calls from people after their homes have been broken into and their personal safety violated.  Each time the stories the same … they often say I wish I had a security system, or I thought about getting a system installed or activating the system I have but never did”.

If you would like a Free, No Obligation, No Pressure, Security Assessment for you home or business give Doyle a call at Ion Security Systems 780-489-5522 or click the ion email link

Reblogged from Consumerist:

Reader Skruff gets a wakeup call every day, and he really, really does not appreciate it. It's not on his phone: oh, no. It's his ADT alarm system. Every day, it goes off at 1 A.M. Could be worse: it was 2 A.M. before Daylight Savings Time began.

Read more… 560 more words

For decades television commercials were noticeably louder than regular TV programming.  The increased loudness was designed to make us take notice and pay more attention to the commercials.  If you’re like me the only thing the increased loudness did during commercials was annoy me and make me grab the remote to turn down the volume.

Last year the CRTC received 7,000 TV commercial volume complaints from angry viewers. CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in a statement
“Starting on September 1, Canadians will be able to enjoy their favorite television programs without having to adjust the volume during commercial breaks”

With the advent of the PVR, excessively loud TV commercials were less annoying since most PVR users just skip through the commercials anyway however even PVR users are forced to listen to ear-splitting ads during live Sporting Events and programs such as the news.

Canadian viewers watching US TV networks and broadcasts may still be bombarded by excessively loud TV commercials.  While Canadian Broadcasters must conform to the new CRTC volume regulations effective September 1st, 2012, US broadcasters have until the end of the year to adopt similar rules imposed by the FCC.

To read more:  CRTC Link

Source CRTC

Some battery powered Bluetooth hands free speakerphones work great while the battery is charged or plugged in, but all too often the user forgets to recharge the battery only to find out after a couple days of use the Bluetooth speaker battery is dead, usually right when you need to use it.

The folks at Griffin Technology have come out with an ingenious idea, a universal, solar-powered, hands-free, bluetooth speaker phone with pairs with any enabled bluetooth smart phone. 
The SmartTalk Solar powered, Bluetooth, speaker phone mounts to the front windshield with a special suction cup cradle (similar to a radar detector) and instantly provides the driver with a high quality, hands free, bluetooth speaker phone.  The unit is about the size of an iPhone and the suction cup mount holds it securely and quietly on the windshield with no annoying rattles.  Audio quality on the SmartTalk is first rate.  The speaker is crisp and clear and goes loud enough to overcome the ambient noise in the vehicle.

On the front of the Griffin SmartTalk is a answer/hang up button, volume toggle button and speaker while on the rear is a full length solar panel.   The rear of the SmartTalk faces outward on the windshield and is exposed to sunlight and charges the internal rechargeable battery ensuring the bluetooth hands free will work when you need it … no more dead batteries and no annoying cables or cords running down your dashboard.

Griffin’s motion-sensing Auto Connect technology, automatically connects with paired smartphones as soon as you enter the car.  A feature called Multipoint enables you to connect up to two phones at the same time to the SmartTalk and answering the phone is as simple as pressing the talk button or by using your phone’s built in voice commands (if equipped).

My wife drives a 2003 Subaru Outback and we’ve tried Jabra and Motorola bluetooth handsfree speaker phones in the past.  Both the Jabra and Motorola units were good however my wife was notorious for forgetting to charge them, leaving her with dead batteries and no hands free many times.  The solar panel on the Griffin SmartTalk maintains the batter power and the speaker quality is as good or better than either the previous Jabra or Motorola hands-free units.  The audio quality of the microphone on the Griffin was better than the Jabra or Motorola probably because it is mounted lower on the windshield, to the left  and in front of the driver instead of the the Jabra and Motorola devices which were both sun-visor mounted.

Overall I’m impressed with the Griffin SmartTalk Solar Powered, bluetooth hands-free speakerphone.  Solar Power makes the SmartTalk eco friendly and green, while ensuring the hands-free speakerphone will always work when you need it.

The functionality, ease of use and features of the Griffin SmartTalk make it a great, portable bluetooth speaker phone while the price at $69.99 makes it an excellent value in this product category.

TVs Floating in the Windows at South Hill Boston Pizza • Red Deer

When South Hill Boston Pizza in Red Deer Alberta wanted to hang three Flat Screen TVs in the windows of their lounge Doyle with Ion Security and Integration was just the right person to call.  With more than 20 years experience hanging TVs, Doyle was up for the challenge but exactly how he was going to Float Three 55” LG LCD TVs in the Sports Bar Windows was a mystery.

Before

The Boston Pizza in Red Deer was built in the 80’s and had undergone several renovations and expansions over the years.  The windows on the North Side of the lounge were from the original building design and consistent with the architecture of the time providing a sloped glass atrium feature wall in the lounge.  While the windows were great for letting natural light into the lounge and providing patrons a view of the outside they also left a Dead Spot or Zone in the bar with a wall more than 30 feet long with No TV screens to watch – just a view of the parking lot or window blinds when closed.

Prefabricated TV Mount Assembly – Ready for On-site Installation

The goal of the project was to fill this vast wall of windows and glass with at least three Flat Screen TVs but in doing so the owners didn’t want to block off the windows completely or cover them up.  Doyle’s first suggestion was to either take the windows out or leave them in and build a wall to hang the TV’s onto.  The owner’s didn’t want to remove or cover up the windows but instead simply wanted to hang the TVs in the middle of the Window Panes of Glass while concealing all wiring and cabling so it would appear that the images on the TV would be floating on the Glass Windows.

How to hang the TVs was one obstacle while hiding the HDTV cabling and electrical wiring would be another challenge.  Doyle and the guys at Ion came up with an ingenious plan to use strips of aluminum to strattle the window frames and regular flat panel wall mounts to enable the TV’s to be mounted in between the window frames while the brackets and framework would be hidden behind the TVs.  The aluminum would be thin enough to minimize the mounting thickness and strong enough to support the weight of three 55” LCD TVs.  The mounting bracket subframe would be prefab’d at Ion’s shop and then taken to the job site ready to mount.

TV Mount Assembly In Place and Ready to Install TVs

Running Cabling through a steel beam and column

In addition to the challenge of installing the TVs, hiding the cabling would also be a difficult task.  First the HDTV cabling needed to be ran inside a drywall covered steel support beam and then fished from one ceiling level to a lower level.  Once the cabling was through the steel beam and support post, the wiring had to be surface ran along the side of the aluminum window frame and then along the drip rail and then to the TVs.  In order to conceal the wiring ran on the surface of the window frame, Doyle used a plastic wire channel and painted it with special aluminum paint which turned out to be a perfect match to the aluminum window frames.

Plastic Cable Duct Painted to Match Aluminum Window Frame

Cabling concealed inside of Drip Rail

Once the rough in wiring was in place the fun began.  The guys at Ion first mounted the pre-fab’d aluminum frame and flat panel TV mount assembly to the window frames using special self sealing sheet metal screws.  Leveling the entire assembly was fairly quick since all three brackets pre-leveled with a laser back at Ion’s shop so on-site installation time was kept to a minimum.

Final Installation – Looks Spectacular!

Side View – Clean Installation

The final result was nothing less than Spectacular!  The TVs literally look like pictures floating on the Glass in between the window panes.  The wiring was neat and tidy and virtually invisible and the three new LG Flat Screens received high marks from the customers at BP’s Sports Bar.

At the beginning of the project Doyle said he was uncertain as to how the final installation would look … “This was the first time we’ve hung TV’s using this type of mounting method, I was apprehensive at the start but now after viewing the end result I’d definitely recommend it to other clients.  The new Floating TVs really add impact to the room and create a whole new look for the Bar”.

Before

After

If you have a challenging installation and are looking for an integrator with 20+ years of experience who can think outside the box to mount your flat panel TVs, install structured wiring, AV wiring and network wiring as well as Alarm Systems and Security Cameras give Doyle at Ion Security and Integration  a call 780-789-5522 so send him and email Ion Security email Link

If your looking for a awesome Sports Bar in Red Deer to watch the game or just have some Great Food and a cool beer, drop into South Hill Boston Pizza  3215 Gaetz Avenue.

Ion Security Profile – SP&T Magazine August Edition

Doyle Serink and Ion Security was featured in the Company Profile Section of Security Products and Technology Magazine.

The article written by Jennifer Brown was originally  posted on SP&T’s Blog in May of 2011  see:  SPT Magazine News         At that time Ion Security’s Blog techtipsandtoys.com was only 6 months old and growing exponentially every month.

By the time the blog article made it to print in August 2011, techtipsandtoys daily readership had quadrupled along with Ion Security.
Check out the full article in Security Products and Technology Magazine Page 26:  SPT Ion Security Magazine Article

Fast forward to today August 2012 … Back one year ago techtipsandtoys.com had about 60,000 hits,  today one year later techtipsandtoys site visits are at 297,000 closing in on 300,000.

Doyle commented – “When I first started writing the blog, I had no idea that it would garner such readership … I am truly humbled by the popularity”.  This summer Doyle has taken a bit of a break from blogging but the traffic to the site and readership continues to grow.

Doyle will be back to writing regular blog posts soon so stay tuned … in the meantime click on the link to Security Products and Technology Magazine for more information about Doyle Serink, Ion Security and Techtipsandtoys.com

Front Cover SP&T Magazine August Edition