Asian Retail Group Enhances Headquarters Security and Management Efficiency with AI Video Analysis

Catering to the growing trend of AI applications, Asian Retail Group seized the opportunity during the construction of its new headquarters to implement Advantech’s WISE-IoT intelligent video analysis solution, iVision Suite, along with the FaceMatch facial recognition management system. This AI-powered facial recognition system verifies the identity of individuals entering and exiting the building, records employee attendance, manages conference room usage, and controls access to key areas. As a result, it has significantly enhanced both the security and management efficiency of the facility.

Implementing Facial Recognition for Smart Employee Access Control

Established for nearly 50 years, the retail group has expanded its operations and opened offices in various locations as it grew. To improve management efficiency, reduce operational costs, and align with future development goals, the group decided to build a global headquarter. As part of this initiative, they implemented several smart solutions, including the FaceMatch facial recognition system.

Advantech's Market Development Manager, Cai-Zhen Peng, explained that the group previously relied on traditional access cards to control employee entry and exit, but these cards were susceptible to fraud and security issues. For example, an employee could lose their card, allowing someone else to use it to enter the building, or they might give it to a colleague to clock in on their behalf. Furthermore, in the new headquarter, where all employees are centralized, access cards could struggle to handle the large flow of people during peak hours, causing employees to wait in line. For these reasons, the group deemed it necessary to implement the FaceMatch facial recognition system integrated with the access control system, improving both building security and management efficiency.

Three Key Applications of Facial Recognition

Currently, the group applies FaceMatch in three areas:

1. Employee Attendance: This system integrates with existing cloud attendance services via an API. When the camera detects an employee's face at the ground floor access gate, it automatically records their entry and exit times. This data is then sent to the cloud attendance service, saving employees from the hassle of traditional clock-in methods.   

 2. Conference Room Management: The system also integrates with the existing conference room management system, ensuring that only employees who have booked the room for the specific time slot are granted access to use it.

3. Access Control System: Combining FaceMatch with the access control system, the camera uses facial recognition to determine whether a person has permission to enter. Only authorized personnel can access critical and confidential areas of the building, such as IT staff being the only ones allowed into the server room. This facial recognition system offers a higher level of security compared to traditional password or card-based access methods.

Four Reasons for Choosing Advantech

Peng noted that compared to many facial recognition solutions on the market, Advantech's FaceMatch was the group's top choice due to the following four features:

1. FaceMatch is a Hardware and Software-Integrated Solution: During the development of FaceMatch, Advantech conducted extensive hardware and software integration tests, ensuring that businesses can implement the solution swiftly. For example, Advantech helped customers adjust camera positions and angles based on the site environment, ensuring accurate facial recognition without requiring the IT team to fine-tune the system, making it very easy to adopt.   

 2. Comprehensive API Support: Advantech has pre-developed numerous APIs that integrate seamlessly with various systems, such as attendance tracking, conference room management, and visitor management, fully catering to the diverse needs of its customers.   

3. Extensive Implementation Experience: With strong brand recognition and extensive experience in deploying systems across various sites, Advantech’s entire system, from hardware to software, is made in Taiwan, boosting the group's confidence in implementation.   

 4. High AI Recognition Accuracy: The facial recognition engine used by FaceMatch achieved a 99.8% accuracy rate in tests by the world-renowned National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), ranking in the top 10 globally. The system's software and hardware are pre-calibrated to ensure stable recognition of facial features and identities, even when individuals are wearing hats, masks, or have changed their hairstyle.

In the future, the group plans to expand the application of FaceMatch, by integrating it with visitor management systems and membership databases. This will extend facial recognition applications from internal operational management to external customer service and marketing technology, maximizing the value of AI across various business functions.

Company Profile

Established in: Between 1970 and 1980 

Industry: Retail services 

Headquarters: Taiwan 

Operations: Retail business 

Company Size: Multinational corporation

Case Benefits

1. Integrated cloud attendance service to accelerate employee entry/exit and reduce the risk of timecard fraud. 

2. Managed conference room access to ensure only those with reservations can use the rooms. 

3. Controlled access to critical areas via authorization management, effectively enhancing security.

Advantech WISE-IoT Solution

The WISE-IoT FaceMatch is a facial recognition management solution that integrates both hardware and software. utilizing AI-powered intelligent video analysis, it delivers highly accurate facial recognition results, making it ideal for applications such as access control, attendance tracking, equipment verification, and retail VIP membership management.

Know more about WISE-IoT