The Very Group has commenced operations in its recently built Skygate fulfilment centre, having migrated from three separate locations. The new facility can accommodate all one-man fulfilment and returns operations on the single site, and provides room for continued expansion.
The move enables The Very Group to process more orders and use new technology to make the business more responsive, reducing the time it takes to get products to customers. The site’s position in the East Midlands, adjacent to the M1 and East Midlands Airport, with its own rail freight terminal, will enable the business to increase its cut-off time for next day delivery to midnight from 7pm, and explore the introduction of same day delivery in the future.
A crucial aspect of the new hub was security – with the need to not only secure the site and the stock inside, but implement solutions which would benefit the wider business too.
The Very Group required a platform which could unite operations and provide the business-wide value it was seeking. The company approached Grantfen, initially on a consultancy basis, to guide the organisation on the route it should be taking and the technologies that could support its ambition. It put forward a comprehensive solution built on the Genetec Security Center unified platform.
Incorporating video surveillance and analytics, access control, business systems, this allowed The Very Group to deploy best of breed technologies from a range of vendors including HID Global, Axis Communications and SenStar.
Perhaps the most important solution needed was tracking who was coming in and out of the building – with such a large workforce, combined with inbound and outbound deliveries, the facility has hundreds of people inside at any one time. Previously, security manually searched people selected at random.
However, with the robust Genetec software development kit, and Grantfen’s specialist development expertise, The Very Group has been able to adapt the solution and write its own code in order to use the access control system to implement truly random searches. This has involved getting permission to hold employee data, but again, thanks to the new system brought together by Security Center, the data is housed safely.
Moving from three fulfilment centres into one, consolidated facility meant a change in operations for The Very Group, and security needed to mirror this evolution. Therefore, with the volume of traffic coming in and out of the site increasing, The Very Group implemented automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Heavy goods vehicles could be monitored coming in and out of the site, enabling those in the diary to enter and exit the grounds in an efficient manner. Plus, with timestamps now able to show when vehicles entered or exited the grounds, it helped with yard management and traffic flow, with Security Center able to generate reports on how traffic is moving around the yard. Employees are able to take advantage too – with the ANPR recognising them and seamlessly letting them into the car park.
This enhanced integration has benefited other areas of the business too. The CCTV control room is now able to monitor fulfilment centre flow, looking at movements such as trailers, to help maximise efficiencies and ensure high health and safety standards.
Dean Cooper, head of security at The Very Group, commented: “The opening of Skygate, our new fulfilment centre, means a new era for the group. We are a digitally-led business, and the fact we are now able to enhance operations and yield more value from security functions is going to help us operationally. Genetec and GroupGrantfen have played a huge part in accelerating our sophistication in this area, and I look forward to how we can gain increasing insights from all the technology has to offer.”
Whilst the roll-out has been relatively recent, the positive effects are already being felt across the business. This has led to future plans about what else could be introduced – all underpinned by Genetec Security Center.
“Genetec Security Center is helping to improve inter-departmental collaboration thanks to its reporting functions, alongside benefiting operations and ensuring the security of the facility. We are an ambitious business, and as we grow we need a system that will continue to evolve with our requirements. Genetec enables this, and alongside its deep integration and leading analytics, we look forward to continuing the partnership over years to come”, concluded Cooper. “From day one, Grantfen and Genetec acted as trusted advisors, ensuring the solution being proposed could meet both operational and security requirements.”
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