Lowe's Selects ADT's SmartEAS Alarm Management Tool For Chainwide Install
ADT Security Services, Inc., a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, today announced that Lowe's, one of the nation's largest home center retailers, has chosen to install ADT's Sensormatic- brand SmartEAS Alarm Management Solution chainwide to help provide a detailed analysis of anti-theft alarm incidents across all its stores.
The two-year rollout calls for ADT to install SmartEAS in Lowe's new and existing locations. The retail chain currently operates 1,200 stores throughout the United States. Each store will be outfitted with four SmartEAS units placed at the entrances and exits.
When an electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm is triggered at a store, SmartEAS automatically captures alarm data such as date, time, location and system status. Through the store's existing network, this data is then consolidated into a central reporting system that summarizes the information and highlights exception activity. All of this information can then be accessed by loss prevention personnel either in-store or remotely.
Claude Verville, Lowe's vice president of loss prevention, safety and hazardous materials, said his team was looking for a more powerful tool to help administer its extensive anti-theft technology program. Lowe's installed ADT's Ultra-Max anti-theft systems chainwide in 2000.
"We currently measure alarm rates on an 'Alarms Per Hour ratio,'" Verville said. "With the plan to operate SmartEAS via the Lowe's network, it will allow us to convert to an 'Alarms Per Transaction,' a much more accurate measurement since it will truly allow us to benchmark stores based on comparable sales volume. This data can help determine which stores require additional cashier training on proper deactivation. The reporting on compliance levels for responses to alarms under 10 seconds will continue to be our metric in ensuring customer interventions are occurring."
With SmartEAS, alarm data can be integrated with existing store reporting systems including point-of-sale systems, EAS tag deactivation systems, handheld scanners and internal data mining packages. With this integration, alarm data can be drilled all the way down to the item level, said Rex Gillette, vice president of retail for ADT.
"Acting on an alarm at the door is just the first step," Gillette said. "SmartEAS helps loss prevention staff quickly determine how and why it occurred."
Gillette said with SmartEAS Alarm Management, Lowe's can expand to other SmartEAS applications such as people counting; SmartEAS Reporting, a data mining software that helps identify data entry errors, compliance issues and training difficulties; and SmartEAS POS, which provides retailers with a record for all its anti-theft tag deactivators to help prevent unauthorized tag deactivations.
About Lowe's
With fiscal year 2005 sales of $43.2 billion, Lowe's Companies, Inc. is a FORTUNE 50 company that serves approximately 11 million customers a week at more than 1,225 home improvement stores in 49 states. Based in Mooresville, N.C., the 60-year-old company is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world. For more information, visit Lowes.com.
About ADT Security Services, Inc.
Celebrating its 131st anniversary, ADT Security Services, Inc., a unit of Tyco Fire & Security, is the largest provider of electronic security services to nearly six million commercial, government and residential customers throughout the United States. ADT's total security solutions include intrusion, fire protection, closed circuit television, access control, critical condition monitoring, electronic article surveillance, radio frequency identification and integrated systems. ADT's Web site address is www.adt.com.