Integrated Alert & Time Stamped Triggers

Integrated door triggers have long been a staple of advanced surveillance platforms.

These triggers provide a far superior solution to traditional motion triggers. Hardware-integrated triggers use very similar, if not identical, hardware as well established alarm companies use for their door triggers. This proven technology provides highly accurate results with minimal installation costs. Today, advanced surveillance systems are integrating with much more than simple door triggers. Operational or event driven triggers are providing users with impactful, low cost tools to manage a wide variety of operational procedures. The triggers create an easily reviewable log ensuring compliance that can be quickly inspected for accuracy and consistency. In the past, management was forced to rely on training, handwritten logs, and an employees’ work ethic to ensure proper procedures and tasks were carried out appropriately. The more advanced operational triggers provide a tool to ensure more consistent and auditable results creating a culture of accountability. These triggers can be utilized to manage a wide range of operational needs including, but in no way limited to: delivery check-ins, product waste, cleanliness inspections, time and temperature readings, and food preparation. Following is a discussion of a few of these items and how they can be addressed with door triggers.

Delivery Check-Ins

In the fast-paced world of the restaurant business, it can be challenging to ensure deliveries are properly checked in upon receipt; yet, there are few things more important to a restaurant than ensuring you have an accurate inventory on your food stock. If a manager, or whoever is accountable, becomes busy or distracted, it is easy for them to simply pencil whip the receipt and check-in of a delivery. The impact of running out of an item or items can be devastating. I know that I do not frequent establishments where poor controls lead to unavailable items listed on the menus and I doubt you would either. Using an operational trigger that becomes part of the procedure for checking in a delivery creates an easily auditable time for review of the check-in process. While there may not be a need to audit every delivery, the availability of the information makes it much easier to do so and has the added benefit of reinforcing employee accountability.

Product Waste

Managing waste accurately is an extremely important part of managing food costs in restaurants. Often, handwritten logs are used and management is forced to rely on an employee’s integrity to ensure the log is accurate. Food can be saved for management to track but this can often be unsanitary and simply nasty. With the use of an operational trigger to log each time items are being thrown out, management can review video quickly and easily to ensure it is logged properly. This is also an effective tool for controlling the amount of waste as employees will be more aware that it is being closely monitored.

Temperature Readings

Regular temperature readings are part of every food safety standard. Ensuring this is performed regularly and not simply rubber stamped can be extremely challenging. Whether it is testing food stock with a probe or recording temperatures in holding bins, operational triggers can ensure that these tasks are being performed on a consistent basis. Adding a simple button push to this task will provide an auditable log and easily reviewable task ensuring that management of this critical task is effective without being overly time consuming. Used in conjunction with a waste operational trigger, food placed in a holding bin can be logged and when waste does occur, the waste trigger will be there to track it. This can also be used to ensure that product, which passes the time at which it can or should be safely served is discarded in a timely manner thus, ensuring consistent quality and taste for your customers.

Cleanliness Inspections

The cleanliness of your restaurant is one of the most important first impressions your customers have of your establishment. While you may mandate that employees walk the dining room, lot, and or bathrooms regularly, how do you really ensure this is happening? Utilizing operational triggers to log regular inspections can help ensure that your customers’ first impressions are positive. While we have discussed a few of the many uses of operational triggers, the uses are truly unlimited. Hopefully this gets you thinking about how you can utilize operational triggers in your organization to ensure systematic and auditable compliance throughout your operation.