Analysis
How it works
How AI video analytics supports retail loss prevention
From the camera feed to the alert received by your team: the workflow, limits, and technical conditions to understand before evaluating a solution.
Alert
A short event is sent to designated people instead of requiring constant screen monitoring.
Decision
A person verifies the situation and follows the retailer's response procedure.
The principle
AI adds an analysis layer to the video system
A traditional camera records a scene. Video analytics adds software that reviews the feed and looks for gestures or sequences associated with situations that need verification.
The process is commonly described in three stages: analyze, detect, and alert. Gesture-based analysis can identify events without using biometric recognition or attempting to establish a person's identity.
An alert is therefore not an automatic conclusion. It directs a person's attention to a short event so it can be reviewed quickly.
The objective is not to replace human judgment. It is to reduce the time spent searching through hours of video for relevant events.
The workflow
From the camera to the response
1. Capture
The camera must clearly show the person, their hands, and the product area.
2. Transmit
The video feed must be stable and compatible with the analytics platform.
3. Analyze
The software looks for gestures or sequences that match its detection models.
4. Alert
A short clip is sent to the devices or people configured to receive events.
5. Verify
The team reviews the clip and chooses the appropriate action under its internal policy.
6. Adjust
Camera angles, procedures, and settings are refined using the events actually observed.
Technical conditions
Result quality starts before the AI
A poor camera angle does not become useful simply because AI software is added. Lighting, mounting height, distance, pixel density, field of view, and obstructions directly affect what can be analyzed.
The network matters as well. PoE power, available bandwidth, feed stability, recording access, and account security must be planned with the cameras.
Finally, an alert is useful only when designated people know who receives it, how quickly it should be reviewed, and what response is permitted.
Limits
What the system does not promise
Video analytics does not detect every cause of inventory loss. Receiving errors, administrative discrepancies, checkout errors, and some internal theft require other controls.
It also does not guarantee a fixed reduction. Outcomes depend on the areas covered, the type of store, image quality, review speed, and team procedures.
A serious evaluation therefore starts with a camera and site audit, followed by cautious, measurable objectives.
Privacy
Plan how images and access will be governed
The business should determine who can view alerts, how long clips are kept, and how access is removed when it is no longer required.
In Quebec, the Commission d'accès à l'information provides guidance on video surveillance and the retention and destruction of personal information. These obligations should be included from the design stage.
References
Sources used
The data is dated, and industry findings are identified as such.
Blog
Start by checking the areas, images, and procedures.
An assessment identifies what can be analyzed usefully before discussing equipment or expected outcomes.