National CCTV rollout for Spotlight Retail Group - Secure Technologies

Through its popular brands, Spotlight and Anaconda, the Spotlight Retail Group owns one of Australia’s largest nation-wide networks of stores. All of those stores are characterised by their vast product range, open-layout and high volume of customers. As such, the security, protection and safety of staff, customers, property and stock was a major challenge. To address this, the retail giant turned to the team at Sturdie Secure Technologies – then known as Built Security – for a complete upgrade of its security capabilities.

The project

Assessing, planning, designing and rolling-out a uniform CCTV system to 102 Spotlight stores and 24 Anaconda retail outlets. Each system included cameras, network video recorders, and store entry monitors.

The challenges

• Geographical spread. Spotlight and Anaconda stores are found across Australia and New Zealand, therefore, the project required:
  • Coordinating and managing visits to all 126 sites
  • Assessing, appointing, briefing, and managing local installation technicians
  • Dispatching equipment, including long, bulky or fragile items
  • Scheduling works for each site in collaboration with store managers
  • Final commissioning, testing and sign-off at every location.
• Diverse infrastructure. Every store was different, with a number already having some modern infrastructure in place, while others had dated or un-usable equipment which needed to be fully replaced.
• Efficient use of existing infrastructure. Existing systems in each store needed to be assessed, with new systems tailored to re-use and/or integrate existing CCTV equipment, and provide costs savings wherever possible.
• Timing. While stores generally required work to occur during trading hours, they weren’t to be carried out at peak times such as stocktake, and the weeks leading up to Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

The approach

It was decided that, after a scope of works and confirmation of site conditions for each store was completed, the bulk of the preliminary design, engineering and programming would occur centrally at our facility in South Australia.

The solution

• In-house design, engineering and testing. Our in-house designers and engineers created site-specific designs that took into account the conditions and layout of the 126 individual stores, as well as the need for uniformity across of the entire network of sites.
• Communication. Regular communication was maintained with each store manager at key times leading up to installation, to help minimise disruption to trading or access.
• Training. On-site training was provided to store staff, and a hardcopy quick-guide was supplied to managers with each system.
• Additional work. To enhance the system, a number of monitored intruder alarm systems were also installed or upgraded.
• Extent of work. Over 1,600 cameras and 117 network video recorders were installed, 208 kilometres of cable were used, and almost 12,000 hours of physical labour, and 4,500 hours of management and admin work was undertaken.

The outcome

The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, and now all Spotlight and Anaconda stores across Australia and New Zealand have modern, reliable, user-friendly CCTV security systems have the capability for expansion and upgrade to newer technologies in the future.

The Spotlight Retail Group has recognised that the CCTV rollout has already been of great benefit by providing excellent footage, which is invaluable to the police, authorities, insurance companies, Risk Team and other internal stakeholders.