Hicom’s specialist Arena software was originally rolled out across Asda’s UK operations in 2010, for the company to put measures in place to reduce shrinkage. That cut the time taken to log a basic incident from nine minutes to two or three. Hicom has since tailored the solution – an ‘Arena Lite’ version – that has further reduced the input time down to within 60 seconds, which was developed initially for use within Asda’s smaller stores, where resources are lighter. Since the initial install of Arena, Hicom has added to it so that the retail chain can log more details, when criminals are detained. A change in Asda’s security methods means that once a criminal has been detained they will be asked questions that can help the retailer to work towards preventing further incidents.
