Brivo Systems, LLC is a provider of Web applications for access control and security systems. Below, a case study of Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina. It has standardised on Brivo ACS WebService for 29 retail centres.
ASG Security introduced the Brivo system to Goodwill and oversaw the system installation.
"Before Brivo, we had a standard lock and key system," said Charles Bailey, Director of Human Resources, Safety, and Security. "Each manager had to manually open the store and then turn off the alarm. The problem was we didn’t know who had entered a store and we would have to do a lot research to answer some pretty simple questions on access."
The employee entrance doors at all 29 retail sites are monitored by the Brivo system. Some 58 Store Managers, six Area Managers and select senior staff have key fob access to the stores. Seven days a week, each morning when a Store Manager opens a retail center an email alert is sent to the relevant Area Manager and then to the Area Managers’ boss, the Director of Donated Goods.
"The great part about it," said Bailey, "is 9:00 comes around and we know the status of every one of our stores. If an Area Manager sees one of his or her stores isn’t open, they’re on the phone solving the problem. We’re spread out over half of the state; I can’t have an Area Manager in every location. The Brivo system gives us the accurate, instantaneous information we need. About a month ago, we had a big snowstorm here. On that day, we could sit and monitor the emails coming in to know that all our stores opened on time, we didn’t have employees sitting in the parking lot waiting for a manager, and our customers were being served."
Goodwill also uses their system to monitor cleaning. Cleaning staff for all 29 locations have access cards and upon entering, usually after hours, an email alert is sent to the relevant Area Manager and the Director of Building Services. Not only can the Area Manager confirm that their stores are being cleaned, the Director of Building Services can analyse access control data when paying cleaning service invoices.
"This was a pretty big decision for us," added Bailey. "ASG introduced us to the Brivo technology through a live demonstration online with Brivo Inside Sales staff. They showed me how easy the alerts process was, it was awesome." After all the stores have been installed, Bailey continues to be impressed, "We’re too large and too spread out, we needed a tool to empower us to know what is going on at all times. Brivo is as simple as it gets. None of us have time to waste and now the information we need is right at our fingertips."
Bailey and staff also use the Brivo system for security investigations. "If a high value item comes into the store and then disappears, the Brivo system tells me who has entered the store during the period of interest. That’s very helpful."
Goodwill of Eastern North Carolina also shifts managers around or uses one manager to temporarily cover another store or territory. "We used to have three different security systems; it was a mess," Bailey recalled. "Now with the press of a few keys I can add or delete access throughout the network of stores, plus our managers don’t have to learn a new system—those are big benefits."
As Goodwill continues to expand in eastern North Carolina, Brivo will expand with them into each new location. "The Brivo system has enabled our staff to manage the stores remotely and manage them better. We’ve saved a lot of time at the senior level, we have more accurate information, and we’re providing better customer service."
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