The Measurement Minute

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

A good measurement program starts with metrics and reporting. Starts, because metrics and reporting are themselves just the beginning of an analytics effort. Organizations often find themselves drowning in reports that nobody seems to pay attention to. But that doesn’t mean reporting is a step you can skip by diving right into analytics. It doesn’t work that way. Reporting sets the table for analytics by creating a shared understanding in the organization of what’s actually happening, where the potential problems are, and what the right way to think about the data is. The Measurement Minute starts an extended series on In-Store Analytics reporting and dashboarding beginning with why it’s necessary at all.

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

The summer outlook for both retail and entertainment is looking very favorable. A massive vaccine pipeline and an even larger stimulus are likely to create excellent short-term opportunities. But a lot has changed in the last year – not all of which is going to revert back to historical norms. The Measurement Minute explains why this is the right time to be investing in people-measurement and in-store analytics – an idea supported by the dramatic growth Digital Mortar has experienced this quarter, particularly in our high-end analytics products.

 

 

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

There are a wide range of options for people-tracking and in-store measurement and analytics. The main divide is between camera technologies and electronic sensing. The characteristics and capabilities of these two alternatives turn out to be almost opposite. Camera excels at full population measurement, positional accuracy and journey detail. Electronics sucks in those respects. Electronics is good for Associate tracking, full journeys and over-time journeys – things camera struggles with. Understanding the capabilities of each explains why we often choose to deploy both to meet a full-spectrum of measurement needs.

 

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

If Loss Prevention (LP) cameras aren’t great for people-tracking, what about the reverse? Can you use measurement-cameras designed for people-tracking to do Loss Prevention? The answer, unfortunately, is not great. Many people-measurement systems simply don’t support the video feeds necessary to do LP. Other systems provide some support but not capabilities that are equivalent to really good, modern LP systems. But, the story isn’t all bad…

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

It’s hard to tell one conference from another – especially online. Because one corporate presentation is kind of like another. But to me, the Digital Analytics Hub stands out, and the difference is wonderfully illustrated by the topic I chose for this year: Hypothesis Generation. The Measurement Minute explains why hypothesis generation matters, but also why it’s the kind of thing that would only get discussed at the DA Hub.

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

A few posts back the Measurement Minute explained why using Loss Prevention Cameras for people-tracking is tempting but usually not the right solution. Surprisingly, that’s because it costs too much not because it doesn’t work. Another recent post took a look at LiDAR and it’s very unique characteristics. What’s cool is that putting the two together yields a solution (FOR SOME APPLICATIONS) that really does let you get the best of both worlds…

 

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

It’s not strictly a measurement problem – but it is an operational queue problem. The Measurement Minute explains how simple adjustments to the Covid vaccination process could make the system vastly more efficient, communicative, fair, and usable while opening up a host of registration options for both the technologically sophisticated and the technologically averse.

 

 

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

I recently talked with Mark Shekleton about Smart Seal – his startup focusing on a embedded RFID tags. Smart Seal helps manufacturers and retailers build bridges directly to the consumer and supports a wide-variety of use cases across supply-chain, fraud prevention, pre-product marketing and post-product registration, warranty, reviews and experience. It’s a fascinating product that fits very well with Digital Mortar’s Merchandising Analytics solution.

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

Ahh the great GameStop short squeeze. Every so often small investors get a chance to stick it to the man to the great glee of almost everyone. And why not? But if (like me) you missed out on this rare opportunity to retire after one day of trading, it’s probably not a good idea to try to capture lightning in a bottle the second time around…

 

The Measurement Minute by Gary Angel

 

There are a lot of reasons why it seems like it would make sense to use existing LP cameras for people-tracking projects. In fact, it’s one of the most frequent questions we get from potential clients. And it’s a good question because sometimes you can use LP cameras. But a close look at comparative costs reveals a surprising truth.