Considerations and Challenges

 

In a typical retail store, when a salesperson needs to unlock a glass cabinet with a metal key lock to show products to customers, the process can be time-consuming and inconvenient. The salesperson usually has to find their supervisor or manager to unlock the cabinet with a large keyring of keys for all the different cabinets. It is common in retail stores that there is only one set of keys for all cabinets for security reasons, and the manager takes full responsibility for all the keys. For example if a duplicate key is made and distributed to all salepeople, unauthorized access to the cabinets becomes a possibility at anytime by anyone (e.g the salesperson can copy the key at the local hardware store for a few dollars and share the key to a friend who may come back at another time and unlock the cabinet and steal the goods inside). If the manager hands over the keyring to the salesperson, they must immediately return it after the sale or when the customer leaves without purchasing. 

 

Once the cabinet is unlocked, the salesperson must spend time with the customer presenting the product, highlighting features, benefits, and pricing, and then attempting to close the sale. No one else on the floor can access the keys to other cabinets during this time unless the manager is aware of which salesperson has the only set of keys in their possession in that moment. If the store is busy, or if the manager is busy with a customer, then unlocking many cabinets on the floor at any one time can become very troublesome or not possible.

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If the customer decides to purchase the product, the salesperson usually processes the sale at a checkout somewhere else of the floor. But first they must secure the product back inside the cabinet, retrieve a boxed version of the product from the locked storeroom before completing the transaction. If the customer decides not to purchase the product, the salesperson returns the product to its original location, locks the cabinet, and returns the set of keys to the manager. During this time, other customers may become frustrated and give up waiting for the keys to be returned to the manager and shared with another salesperson, causing a loss in sales.

 

Retail stores are seeking ways to streamline this metal key cabinet unlocking process by implementing modern technologies such as electronic locks that allow for connected access control, reducing the need for bulky keyrings, and eliminating the risk of unauthorized access. This ensures that salespeople can access the cabinets with ease when needed, allowing for a seamless customer experience, and preventing interruptions during the sales process.

 

Retail stores have been trying to streamline the process of unlocking glass cabinets with metal keys by adopting Wi-Fi/Bluetooth locks that allow salespeople to unlock the cabinets with digital keys. These digital keys create an online audit trail, recording who opened which cabinet at what time. Additionally, digital keys can be assigned to specific cabinets and time periods, such as during a salesperson's shift, and cancelled at anytime online remotely.

 

However, using Wi-Fi smartlocks requires setting up on-site Wi-Fi infrastructure, including routers, modems, and ISP accounts, as well as reliable mesh networks to ensure consistent connections. Moreover, Wi-Fi smartlocks are always on and listening for commands over Wi-Fi networks, leading to low battery life of the smartlock that may only last a few weeks. While some smartlocks can be wired to mains power, this may not be feasible for glass cabinets with no extruding parts.

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Moreover, smartlocks that use Wi-Fi to communicate between different sites require a specific type of Wi-Fi network linked through a Wide Area Network (WAN). Different Wi-Fi networks may have varying security settings, such as passwords or encryption methods, which require standardization or configuration. Configuring NAT or firewall rules may also be necessary to allow traffic flow between different Wi-Fi networks, making it a complex and time-consuming process to set up and maintain. These settings and configurations may create difficulties in ensuring compatibility between different smartlocks at chain retail stores located in various suburban shopping centers and locations. Moreover, incorporating other Wi-Fi devices from different lock vendors, smart alarms, or smart electronic roller doors can be challenging or sometimes impossible. Even configuring a cabinet smartlock to work with another smart doorlock on the same site, such as an office door, or an entry door in a car park without Wi-Fi coverage, or with any smartlocks at different locations can be a daunting task.

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What retail stores need is a connected smartlock solution that works out of the box, that does not require Wi-Fi, and which can work with a variety of hardware options for glass cabinets of all sizes through to entry doors and common areas and offices, and which has digital keys for unlocking and logging usage, and which ideally can be distributed automatically for every workers shift and stop working at the end of the shift.

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