The folks at Raley's had a problem with the way large packs of water were ringing at the register. Instead of scanning as a whole case, cashiers were unintentionally scanning the UPC on the indivdual bottles of water. A great bargain for customers. Not so great for Raley's.

How did they find out about this operational issue? Raley's was using software from Camden, N.J.-based Agilence, which develops video analysis software to help retailers identify shrink caused by cashier fraud. But they system can also help spot operational inefficiencies and policy violations, as Derek Rodner, vice president of marketing, and Pedro Ramos, vice president of operations, explained during a recent visit to our offices.

This wasn’t an issue of fraud or theft, but a matter of scanning accuracy. Agilence discovered that the cashiers at Raley’s were scanning the UPC on the individual water bottles rather than the UPC on the bottom of the water bottle pack. This is because they were scanning the UPC that is visible through the clear plastic wrap covering the individual bottles in the case.

While most people associate these kinds of systems with catching thieves red handed, this is a good example of how technology can play an unintended role in streamlining operations.

Just as drug companies often find there are multiple uses for the medications they develop—Rogaine started out as a treatment for high blood pressure—the systems in your retail operation may be able to perform dual, or even triple, duty and help you solve a problem.