Background
In a factory, management can find it impossible to monitor everything that is happening. However by partnering with the right technical experts and using the best of IP technology, total monitoring becomes easy, efficient and adds value to the business. McCloskey’s Bakery has been baking the finest quality bread and cakes in the North East of Ireland since 1941. Patrick McCloskey, MD is continuing and expanding the business his father started 70 years ago. The bakery specializes in artisan breads, bagels and confectionery. With the expansion of their business and the installation of a new bakery factory four years ago, McCloskey’s wanted to upgrade their existing analog CCTV system to take advantage of high definition & megapixel cameras so that the production facility could be monitored with crystal quality video at all times.
Solution
The existing analog CCTV system was just not giving sharp enough quality images for the requirements of the business. Better surveillance was required to see the production process in action and to ensure that goods and staff were in the right place at the right time. By using the Smart Client in Milestone to playback the megapixel footage, it provides unequivocal evidence to prevent double clocking with the Time & Attendance system and to significantly reduce shrinkage aka pilfering.
The Milestone XProtect® Essential video management system (VMS) has also increased the efficiency of handling goods outwards and returned goods. Often there can be disputes over how many crates of goods have been dispatched and how many have been returned. Before the new system was installed, the images from the analogue lacked the finer detail to be able to discern the exact quantity of crates. With the new megapixel cameras from ACTi there is no argument over the truth. Some people say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating; in this case what you see is definitely what you get!
The overall solution comprised of encoding eight of the existing analog cameras using an ACTi 8-channel encoder, which encodes the analog signal to IP and retains the investment in the existing cameras while taking advantage of the additional recording & playback functionality in Milestone. ACTi Megapixel cameras were used to their strengths throughout the site, thus taking advantage of the Milestone open platform which supports more than 1,000 camera brands unlike other (proprietary) surveillance products.
The Milestone XProtect Essentials software is running on a standard dual core processor with 3TB storage with a dual video card. With the IP system in place, the system can be added to with more cameras. Unlike DVR boxes which typically only have 4, 8, 16, or 32 channels, the Milestone XProtect Essential VMS is scalable individually to 26 cameras.
Using a free app called CrazyRemote the Smart Client is viewable from the iPhone or iPad remotely. Essentially, the app is a fast remote control solution normally used for remote viewing of movies and loved by online gamers. We thought it would handle IP video displayed in the Smart Client beautifully and we were right!
Benefit
For Factory surveillance the main advantages of an IP solution are:
● Megapixel picture quality for superior image quality
● Unequivocal video evidence to prevent double clocking
● Sharp video footage to disprove claims of incorrect order quantities dispatched at goods outwards
● Incontrovertible video footage of quantities of returned crates at goods inwards
● Significantly reduce pilfering due to megapixel cameras
● Scalability, allowance with server & Milestone Essential to add more cameras without requiring a new DVR
● Milestone software to watch live footage and playback simultaneously
Quotes
"McCloskey’s like the fact that they can playback the footage from when production first starts at 4am & review how production went without having to be on site. The facility to be able to log in remotely to the system from home & from the holiday home in Spain on the iPhone is also a great advantage. Being able to have video evidence in forensic detail has added value to the business by reducing shrinkage costs and creating a more efficient working environment”, says Fiachra Mac An Bhreithiún, Technical Consultant, Arrestec.
System Architecture
Visit ACTi Certified Education (ACE) Program and sign up for the training courses now! 
E-Mail: 
Skype: customer.support-acti.com
MSN: customer.support@acti.com