Asim Rasheed, Senior Product Manager From treasure chests and bank vaults to cabinets and doors, locks and keys have played a pivotal role in securing physical assets through the ages—at home, or in an office or store. However, thanks to advanced technology, metal keys are becoming obsolete. Gone are those days when users were required to carry around chunky keys and attach unattractive, bulky locks to their cabinets or display units to keep things safe. The information age is ushering in a new realm of electronic locking devices—digital security systems that are robust, efficient, attractive, and most importantly, flexible.
Observing the paradigm shift and a growing requirement for smart security systems, Accuride International, a global manufacturer of premium ball-bearing drawer slides, linear track systems, and locking solutions, decided to take a shot at it. “We came up with Senseon Secure Access because a lot of our customers needed locking solutions in their retail environments that could increase security, collect and gain insights from access data, and enhance the customer experience with better aesthetics,” says Asim Rasheed, Senseon Senior Product Manager.
Senseon offers cutting-edge, invisible, commercial-grade security access systems that redefine how products are protected and accessed inside cabinets, drawers, and furniture or fixtures in any demanding industry. “We help retailers trade physical keys and ugly locks for electronic systems with easy administration and data auditing,” says Rasheed.
Similar to traditional locking tools, Senseon transcends two major components— the lock and the key. However, it is a standalone RFID electronic locking system that retailers can have built into any new or existing case with doors or drawers.
We help retailers trade physical keys and ugly locks for electronic locking systems with easy administration and data auditing
Unlike old-school locks and keys, Senseon’s electronic locking system is not visible to end-users because it’s within the cabinets—which makes display units look classier and deters thieves.
As Senseon’s products are RFID-based, retailers no longer have to worry about loss or misuse of physical keys or even rekeying cabinets. Store managers or system administrators can program the system to grant employees access only to particular merchandise. RFID cards and other access devices can easily be deactivated if they are lost or an employee accidentally leaves the store with a device. Also, cabinet doors open only when prompted by the right device by the assigned employee and close automatically. In a nutshell, the concealed system provides greater security, efficiency, and reliability compared with the traditional lock and key.
What’s more, Senseon gathers data from all access points, which retailers can monitor and leverage to improve operations. Store owners can gain insights on employees who accessed display units, how many times the units were unlocked, and merchandise that was displayed most or least. Depending on its size, a retailer can have the system work independently or connect to a larger access control system.
Rasheed cites an example of a jewelry store that, through Senseon, improved its security, as well as the in-store experience for employees and customers. Today, the workers seamlessly serve clients without the hassle of looking for keys, and the customers are happy with their dramatically enhanced experience.
Since its conception, Senseon has transformed physical security for many such retailers and envisions further advances. “We are working on adding features that will enable retailers to audit access data in a way that’s instantly understandable and actionable—making the process even more seamless and effective,” concludes Rasheed.
