"Knowledge is the Solution" - this claim not only adorns our logo, but also hits the spot in today's digital world. There are now endless ways to create, share or look up knowledge. The art here is: to apply the knowledge gained correctly and to use it properly. It is not for nothing that large "data octopuses", which deal with precisely this in their day-to-day business, are so successful: how can data best be collected and subsequently evaluated.

Even in the current pandemic situation, we want, no, need to know what data is being collected to protect each other. Once the lockdown is over and retailers can reopen their doors, it will continue to be particularly important to determine how many customers are in a store at the same time. In order to be able to guarantee the minimum distance of 1.5m recommended by the Robert Koch Institute, the following calculation is used for this purpose:

Maximum number of customers = sales area (in m²) / 10

In a store with a sales area of 100m², for example, no more than 10 customers should be present at the same time. With 5 - 10 customers, the situation is still manageable and can be regulated by staff at the store entrance. However, the higher these numbers are scaled, the greater the effort becomes. Many companies are faced with the task of finding a clever, reliable and also economical way to meet the new standards while continuing to provide their customers with a pleasant shopping experience.

But how? What could be an innovative solution? Currently, there are various approaches. Cameras, light barriers or floor sensors are already in use in many places. During our research on this topic, we came across the solution approach of the Swedish company Yodiwo, among others. The concept is so interesting and diverse that we immediately contacted the company to find out more details.

The Swedish company Yodiwo hurries as a "savior in need", so to speak. The smart facility management solution YodiSafe was developed to count the number of people in the store and also offers many additional possibilities. For example, the average time a customer is in the queue can be measured. Or how long customers spend at certain shelves, which in turn provides information about which shelves "perform" best or how effective special offers are.

Thanks to the 3D cameras supplied from Germany, the flow of people can be analyzed with ease and thus regulated according to specifications. The customer visit still remains pleasant and safe, without violating privacy.

Camera? Sounds like surveillance at first and seems rather critical as soon as it comes to data protection. But we can assure you that no one is being monitored here. The camera is rather a sensor and complies with all guidelines of the the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). It is mounted on the ceiling and thus cannot recognize faces. People are captured as "objects" and are only filmed at a low resolution. After the local evaluation process, all image and video data is immediately deleted and only the metadata is forwarded.

The data can be viewed in different places and with different authorizations. For example, the store manager can only see the information for his store, while the central administration sees the data for all stores and can thus evaluate comparisons. These in turn can be used for process optimization.

In addition to the above mentioned functions, YodiSafe offers a lot of helpful applications. The evaluated data can, for example, be clearly displayed on mobile devices by means of an app. Customers of individual stores could also use this app to view the current occupancy rate in real time, if desired. If it is too crowded in one store, another store is simply recommended.

For general well-being, but also with regard to the current Covid-19 situation, so-called shock ventilation is of effective importance. Here, too, YodiSafe provides a remedy. A separate sensor collects information on temperature, humidity, CO² content, brightness and drafts in order to react accordingly.

Sensors to detect people entering and leaving do not have to be limited to the main entrances. YodiSafe offers the possibility to record entrances, floors or individual sections to create even more detailed reports. For example, all employees of a company can see on their mobile devices how many colleagues are in the in-house canteen at that moment and plan breaks accordingly. Large outdoor areas can also be covered such as, for example, amusement parks or golf courses.

Even though the vaccination campaign is starting to get rolling, the current pandemic will keep us busy for a long time. Security will remain a top priority. How good that there are innovative approaches. Yodisafe seems to be one of them.

You can also find more information about Yodisafe here ...