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March 3, 2007
Tesco 'One-in-Front' Campaign Wins Prestigious Retail Week Award Using IRISYS Queue Busting Camera Technology : GlobalGiants.com
LONDON, March 3 -- Tesco, the UK's largest grocery chain, has won the prestigious Retail Week Customer Service Initiative of the Year award, for its hugely successful "one-in-front" campaign. Using SMARTLANE queue-busting camera technology, developed by IRISYS, in-store queue waiting time is now kept to a minimum for customers, which Sir Terry Leahy, Chief Executive of Tesco, sites as a key factor in boosting store profits.
Described by the judges as a "sight of the future", the queue busting cameras represented "what Tesco does well and what helps give it a competitive advantage".
The IRISYS cameras use sophisticated thermal imaging technology to measure and predict customers' arrival at checkouts, enabling managers to react in real-time to ensure the right number of tills are open to deliver the best possible service to customers. |GlobalGiants.com|
In a recent earnings call, Sir Terry Leahy credited the thermal imaging cameras as being a key factor in the company's half-year pre-tax profits rising ten per cent to GBP1.092 billion. Leahy commented, "We have heat seeking cameras that sense the number of customers entering a store and predict the checkouts that need to be open in an hour. We can monitor and manage the service customers get much more precisely - by customer, by store and by the minute. Thanks to this, a quarter of a million more customers every week don't have to queue."
The IRISYS SMARTLANE solution uses ceiling mounted infra-red sensors above the checkout lanes to detect the number and behaviour of customer groups at the checkouts. The intelligent sensors automatically calculate the average queue length, average wait time and overall store performance against Tesco's One in Front* (OIF) customer service commitment. Displaying real-time queuing data on the shop floor enables the retailer's management team to deploy their multi-skilled staff to react quickly to potential queuing issues.
Attila Winstanley, Productivity Director at Tesco adds, "Ensuring we offer the best service at the checkouts is one of our core disciplines, and it is also one of our biggest challenges. Historically we have manually captured data on queue lengths at the checkout, but accuracy levels were varied. SMARTLANE accurately captures our OIF performance in real time, allowing Front End Checkout Managers to deliver better levels of service, whilst at the same time optimising the deployment of checkout staff."
Chris Precious Sales Director of IRISYS, said, "While Tesco initially lead the way with this technology, many other retailers both in Europe and the US are now following suit as they recognise that better service, cost-effectively delivered by IRISYS SMARTLANE technology, can drive both sales and bottom-line growth." |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:21 AM | View the original post
Queen Mary 2 Bids Farewell to Hong Kong During 'Symphony of Lights' : GlobalGiants.com
PHOTO: HONG KONG, March 3 -- Making a graceful departure from Hong Kong after her maiden visit on February 28, Cunard's flagship Queen Mary 2 bids farewell to the city in regal style, as she sails through Victoria Harbor during Hong Kong's renowned "Symphony of Lights." The world's grandest and most luxurious ocean liner is en route to Singapore as part of her 80-day maiden world voyage visiting 20 of the world's most celebrated cities. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:34 AM | View the original post
'Dirty Jobs' Star Mike Rowe with 2007 Ford F150 : GlobalGiants.com
Photo: Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" star joins "Built Ford Tough" dream team: Mike Rowe, creator and star of Discovery Channel's highly rated show "Dirty Jobs" with is partnering with Ford as the newest F-Series truck spokesperson, beginning with new ads for the 2007 F-150 -- the most capable pickup in its class ever -- that air in early March 2007. Rowe joins Ford’s dream team of truck spokespeople and marketing alliances, including Toby Keith, NASCAR, Harley-Davidson™, the Home Depot and Cabela's. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:28 AM | View the original post
