GAIL’s Bakery
Since GAIL’s Bakery was founded in 2006, the popular chain has provided London neighborhoods with delicious breads, pastries, cakes, and coffees. In addition to over 61 local bakeries that span from Oxford to Cambridge, GAIL’s also supplies hotels, airlines, and other retail arms with hand-crafted baked goods.
When Brett Parker, Head of Properties, first joined GAIL’s, he leveraged the same security vendors he’d worked with previously to install CCTVs across new and existing bakery locations. “We partner with Tellivue, who are CCTV & Access Control Installation Specialists. They’re trusted partners, so I never felt the need to explore options on my own… (but) when a peer at Tellivue introduced me to (Verkada) and showed me what it could do, all from the phone in his pocket, I was incredibly eager to get the same technology at our stores.”
Background
“Our previous security consultants set up our systems to be the most cost-effective option (through seasonal discounts or offers); but besides cost savings, there was no strategy behind what equipment we invested in.”
Because CCTV setups weren’t standardized across sites, Parker found that managing technologies across stores was a highly disparate process. Not only was it impossible to access footage remotely, each system varied in usability and features.
“Each time I went onsite, I had to re-figure out how to use that particular system. If there was something I liked about the setup at ‘Store A’ that I felt was lacking at ‘Store B,’ I’d have to buy additional parts to make it happen; it was an ongoing drain of time and money.”
Despite the inconveniences of the former solution, Parker didn’t have a pressing agenda to replace CCTVs across existing sites–any research or exploration of new equipment would’ve been for sites in development. However, when Parker met up with a peer and the topic of new gadgets arose, a conversation about Verkada’s cutting edge technology inspired him to make changes across the organization.
Why Verkada?
“I’m genuinely excited to have Verkada’s technology across our locations. Our team was blown away at what the solution could do a year ago, but the fact that it has continued to get better (with the development of new features) has really gone above and beyond our expectations.”
Not only has Verkada’s solution centralised CCTV management onto a single platform, Parker is able to access everything from his desktop and mobile device. The intuitive interface makes finding, saving and sharing clips achievable in a matter of clicks.
“It’s been a game changer, not just for me, but for the entire team. I’ve been able to put the power in the hands of the people who need access, rather than pay somebody who’s off site to sit around and deal with issues only when they arise.”
Top Benefits Across Key Departments
Teams across GAIL’s Bakery leverage Verkada’s technology to achieve the following business objectives:
- Head of Properties: Monitor contractors and progress of site development
- Security & Loss Prevention: Identify offenders and mitigate potential risks
- Operations Managers: Oversee operations and coordinate vendor deliveries
- Food Managers: Ensure safety and quality of prepared food and beverages
- Sales & Marketing: Identify opportunities and inefficiencies to boost sales
Verkada for Property Managers
“With Verkada, I always feel plugged in. I had to be off site during the opening of a new store, but I was able to check-in periodically throughout the day to see that business was good and things were running smoothly.”
In addition to checking in on key events, Parker is responsible for budgets of contracted services in relation to site development and maintenance. “Navigating service agreements with property managers and contractors is tricky, especially when jobs aren’t done in time and we’re paying by the hour. After installing Verkada at stores, I’m able to pull footage if there’s anything that seems awry–it’s no longer my word versus yours. I have evidence that quickly settles the case.”
Verkada for Security & Loss Prevention Teams
“Cameras allow the team to hone in on critical details of the event: who was involved, what exactly happened and what needs to be done next.”
When similar incidents of petty theft occurred at a couple of locations, managers discussed amongst themselves and concluded that the culprits were repeat offenders that put the same strategies to use.
“We used motion grids to highlight areas where the scenes occurred and reviewed all activity from those spots. Soon after, we were able to pinpoint the culprits and their ploy. After sharing the clips with our internal team and local authorities, we successfully arrested the culprits. Additionally, having ‘Person of Interest’ alerts set up will help us continue to mitigate these risks.”
Verkada for Operations Managers
“Verkada solved problems we knew we had with our CCTV setup, but it also helped us solve problems we had in other areas of the business; it’s a highly versatile tool.”
Usability is a main criteria for the successful adoption of any new technology, which is why the previous CCTV was rarely used by Operations Managers. “Now managers are able to pull up cameras on their phones or iPads, and straightaway check-in the bakeries they’re responsible for. It takes seconds for them to see what’s going on and gives them peace of mind that everything is under control.”
Having watermarked footage to track vendor deliveries also helps to ensure that inventory is being replenished on schedule. “In the event that ingredients are missing or running low, we can trace back to when that delivery was supposed to take place and verify what happened.”
Verkada for Food Managers
“Fresh baked goods and incredible coffee–that’s what our brand is built on. That’s why proper training is so critical; we set high standards for those involved in keeping up that expectation”
In addition to the peace of mind that CCTVs provide in the event of liability claims, the team at GAIL’s also uses Verkada to enforce proper food handling and training. “We monitor food and coffee prep stations because we feel accountable to serving up safe, tasty food. If ever we need to examine how teams are being trained, or how food is being prepared, we have footage to reference.”
Verkada for Sales & Marketing
“Now we know why certain food items do better in sales than others; display arrangements, how frequently fridges are restocked… things like that… all help us make more informed business decisions.”
By using footage to understand patterns of user behaviors, GAIL’s team has proactively made improvements on the following: placement of food displays, layout of bakery to optimize for open spaces, table formations to avoid proximity to doors and rubbish bins, and traffic patterns based on events in surrounding areas.
Additionally, observing the team’s interactions with customers helps to inform managers on how to provide better customer experiences.
What’s Next?
With Verkada’s solution already deployed across 16 sites, Parker hopes to continue implementing the technology at new developments, while upgrading the CCTVs at older stores in tandem. “The initial worry of ripping and replacing our old set up completely disappeared when I saw how seamlessly the system works. The amount of time and money I know I’ll save in the long run made this an investment I’d wish I made sooner.”
See how Verkada’s CCTV solution can benefit your organisation by starting a free 30-day camera trial today!