Free Loss Prevention Calculator-4 WC Blog 219
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?-3
Skeptical Of Free Offers? No Need To Be With The Free Loss Prevention Calculator
How many of you have had someone offer you a great deal on something and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What’s it gonna cost me?” I think that every time I get a phone call from a telemarketer wanting to “send me on a vacation for two to the Bahamas at no cost to me”. I know there’s going to be a cost, I just never know what that amount is. Of course I learn it is going to require me to attend a session to learn about a new time share. It is this question that a retail business owner may ask when approached about a new system or program to help save money, “What’s it gonna cost me?” If I were to ask, “ Can Loss Prevention be free?”, you would say I was nuts. How about if I tell you there is a Free Loss Prevention Calculator that can help you see that Loss Prevention can be free? You would scoff, but let me explain how the Free Loss Prevention Calculator works.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool that can be used to show you how affordable Checkpoint System retail theft prevention equipment can be. It also estimates for you how quickly you will see a Return On Investment (ROI). By simply entering your annual sales and how much you are considering spending on Checkpoint equipment, the calculator generates a PDF showing you what your estimated monthly payment for the equipment would be and how many months it would take for the equipment to pay for itself. The information you input can be changed and you can experiment with different amounts you would consider investing. None of the information is saved or sent anywhere until you decide you would like to discuss the possibilty of purchasing an anti-theft system. If I ask again, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, when you see the totals, you will understand how it can be free by paying for itself.
I do understand skepticism. Recently I received a card in the mail from a local car dealer with a key attached to it. All I had to do was scratch the card and if my card showed a certain series of numbers I would be an automatic winner. I scratched my card and by golly, I was eligible to win a new car (forget the television, lottery tickets or whatever other prizes were on the card). AMAZING! I decided it was worth taking the trip to the dealership and trying my key, no investment other than my time right? My wife let me know she felt it was a waste of time and reminded me, I was NOT going to buy a car while we were there. That was silly of her, of course I wasn’t going to buy a car, I won one! We went to the dealership and surprisingly about a hundred other people must have won a car too…we were all so lucky! A representative ushered us in to a table and I had to answer questions that seemed suspiciously like an application to verify my financial ability to buy a new car. I started to smell a rat and let the representative know that I was broke, could not afford a car and only wanted to try out the key for my new car. My wife gave me the “I told you so” and “don’t even think about it” look, which steeled my resolve. After five minutes of explaining I was not interested and would not be applying to buy a car, the saleslady got annoyed and let me try out my key. I did not win. So, after spending my time and gas money what was my Return On Investment? Well, I did get a two-dollar lottery card that scratched for two dollars so I think I won, maybe. The contest was not what it was represented to be. So I understand if you are a little cynical.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is just that, FREE! Go to the website, enter any information you want and see the results. No high pressure sales pitch, no emails promising anything, simply a great way to see what you might be be able to prevent in theft every month. “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, the answer will surprise you.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How many of you have had someone offer you a great deal on something and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “What’s it gonna cost me?” I think that every time I get a phone call from a telemarketer wanting to “send me on a vacation for two to the Bahamas at no cost to me”. I know there’s going to be a cost, I just never know what that amount is. Of course I learn it is going to require me to attend a session to learn about a new time share.It is this question that a retail business owner may ask when approached about a new system or program to help save money, “What’s it gonna cost me?” If I were to ask, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, you would say I was nuts. How about if I tell you there is a Free Loss Prevention Calculator that can help you see that Loss Prevention can be free? You would scoff, but let me explain how the Free Loss Prevention Calculator works.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool that can be used to show you how affordable Checkpoint System retail theft prevention equipment can be. It also estimates for you how quickly you will see a Return On Investment (ROI). By simply entering your annual sales and how much you are considering spending on Checkpoint equipment, the calculator generates a PDF showing you what your estimated monthly payment for the equipment would be and how many months it would take for the equipment to pay for itself. The information you input can be changed and you can experiment with different amounts you would consider investing. None of the information is saved or sent anywhere until you decide you would like to discuss the possibilty of purchasing an anti-theft system. If I ask again, “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, when you see the totals, you will understand how it can be free by paying for itself.
I do understand skepticism. Recently I received a card in the mail from a local car dealer with a key attached to it. All I had to do was scratch the card and if my card showed a certain series of numbers I would be an automatic winner. I scratched my card and by golly, I was eligible to win a new car (forget the television, lottery tickets or whatever other prizes were on the card). AMAZING! I decided it was worth taking the trip to the dealership and trying my key, no investment other than my time right? My wife let me know she felt it was a waste of time and reminded me, I was NOT going to buy a car while we were there. That was silly of her, of course I wasn’t going to buy a car, I won one! We went to the dealership and surprisingly about a hundred other people must have won a car too…we were all so lucky! A representative ushered us in to a table and I had to answer questions that seemed suspiciously like an application to verify my financial ability to buy a new car. I started to smell a rat and let the representative know that I was broke, could not afford a car and only wanted to try out the key for my new car. My wife gave me the “I told you so” and “don’t even think about it” look, which steeled my resolve. After five minutes of explaining I was not interested and would not be applying to buy a car, the saleslady got annoyed and let me try out my key. I did not win. So, after spending my time and gas money what was my Return On Investment? Well, I did get a two-dollar lottery card that scratched for two dollars so I think I won, maybe. The contest was not what it was represented to be. So I understand if you are a little cynical.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is just that, FREE! Go to the website, enter any information you want and see the results. No high pressure sales pitch, no emails promising anything, simply a great way to see what you might be be able to prevent in theft every month. “Can Loss Prevention be free?”, the answer will surprise you.
Need information on the Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Checkpoint Tags-5 WC Blog 200
Checkpoint Hard Tags-5
Electronic Article Surveillance-5
Stop Shoplifting – 4
Target Hardening; It’s What Happens When You Use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Target hardening is a term you may have heard in the news lately but were not really sure what it means. For police, military or security personnel, it means strengthening something. Wikipedia defines it as, “…the strengthening of a building or installation in order to protect it in the event of an attack or reduce the risk of theft. It is believed that a “strong, visible defense will deter or delay an attack.” A good example of target hardening would be when the government issues a heightened terrorist threat level and more police officers are added to locations such as airports or national landmarks. Banks may be hardened with added security guards if a rash of bank robberies has taken place at their branch locations. In the same manner, retailers can be seen as “soft” targets by shoplifters. Those stores that do not employ any type of security measures are typical soft targets. They are easy to steal from and there is almost no chance a thief will be caught let alone prosecuted for theft. One simple way any retailer can harden the store as a target and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Checkpoint hard tags incorporate electronic article surveillance technology in strong, solid casings that are extremely difficult to defeat. Checkpoint tags are available in several designs, from the Auto Peg Tag that snaps over the hang tab or peg hole of merchandise packaging to Gen 2 and Gen 3 hard tags for apparel. By adding these anti-theft devices to your inventory you make it much more difficult for a criminal to steal from your store. Because tags are designed with electronic article surveillance capability it is critical to add electronic article surveillance antennas to the store at entrances and exits. The antennas read the signal emitted by the Checkpoint tags and when a tag is carried within range, the antenna alarm activates. Checkpoint hard tags provide a visual deterrent to stop shoplifting, but with the antennas, teeth are added to the defensive measures making it a much more intimidating system to would-be thieves.
You may be concerned that your store is a small to mid-size business or you may even have a couple of stores, but you don’t think you can afford to invest in Checkpoint tags or electronic article surveillance technology. I would like to challenge your concerns. Can you afford NOT to invest in the technology? What is your annual merchandise shrinkage (the amount of product you are losing each year due to theft and fraud)? The 2014-2015 Retail Global Theft Barometer reported that shrink in the U.S. was 1.92% for stores that participated in their survey. This percentage included shoplifting, employee theft and administrative losses, with theft and fraud accounting for approximately 87% of that number. Most of the stores in the survey spent some money on Loss Prevention measures, varying from as little as .01% to as much as 1.41% of their total sales. If those stores are experiencing shrink approaching 2%, what is the amount of merchandise your store is losing if you are not using Checkpoint Hard Tags and antennas?
Investing in Checkpoint tags should not be viewed as an expense with no return on investment. As you spend money on Checkpoint hard tags, which are re-useable, you will stop shoplifting and merchandise that was going missing will not have to be replaced anymore. Those items will be available to be purchased, thereby driving sales and profits. Antennas are a one-time investment and only require occasional maintenance or upkeep.
Don’t allow your stores to be soft targets for criminals. Use Checkpoint tags and electronic article surveillance antennas to increase security and stop shoplifting. Put the bad guys in check by “target hardening” and watch profits grow and shortage decline!
Checkpoint Hard Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Target hardening is a term you may have heard in the news lately but were not really sure what it means. For police, military or security personnel, it means strengthening something. Wikipedia defines it as, “…the strengthening of a building or installation in order to protect it in the event of an attack or reduce the risk of theft. It is believed that a “strong, visible defense will deter or delay an attack.” A good example of target hardening would be when the government issues a heightened terrorist threat level and more police officers are added to locations such as airports or national landmarks. Banks may be hardened with added security guards if a rash of bank robberies has taken place at their branch locations. In the same manner, retailers can be seen as “soft” targets by shoplifters. Those stores that do not employ any type of security measures are typical soft targets. They are easy to steal from and there is almost no chance a thief will be caught let alone prosecuted for theft. One simple way any retailer can harden the store as a target and stop shoplifting is to use Checkpoint Hard Tags.
Checkpoint hard tags incorporate electronic article surveillance technology in strong, solid casings that are extremely difficult to defeat. Checkpoint tags are available in several designs, from the Auto Peg Tag that snaps over the hang tab or peg hole of merchandise packaging to Gen 2 and Gen 3 hard tags for apparel. By adding these anti-theft devices to your inventory you make it much more difficult for a criminal to steal from your store. Because tags are designed with electronic article surveillance capability it is critical to add electronic article surveillance antennas to the store at entrances and exits. The antennas read the signal emitted by the Checkpoint tags and when a tag is carried within range, the antenna alarm activates. Checkpoint hard tags provide a visual deterrent to stop shoplifting, but with the antennas, teeth are added to the defensive measures making it a much more intimidating system to would-be thieves.
You may be concerned that your store is a small to mid-size business or you may even have a couple of stores, but you don’t think you can afford to invest in Checkpoint tags or electronic article surveillance technology. I would like to challenge your concerns. Can you afford NOT to invest in the technology? What is your annual merchandise shrinkage (the amount of product you are losing each year due to theft and fraud)? The 2014-2015 Retail Global Theft Barometer reported that shrink in the U.S. was 1.92% for stores that participated in their survey. This percentage included shoplifting, employee theft and administrative losses, with theft and fraud accounting for approximately 87% of that number. Most of the stores in the survey spent some money on Loss Prevention measures, varying from as little as .01% to as much as 1.41% of their total sales. If those stores are experiencing shrink approaching 2%, what is the amount of merchandise your store is losing if you are not using Checkpoint Hard Tags and antennas?
Investing in Checkpoint tags should not be viewed as an expense with no return on investment. As you spend money on Checkpoint hard tags, which are re-useable, you will stop shoplifting and merchandise that was going missing will not have to be replaced anymore. Those items will be available to be purchased, thereby driving sales and profits. Antennas are a one-time investment and only require occasional maintenance or upkeep.
Don’t allow your stores to be soft targets for criminals. Use Checkpoint tags and electronic article surveillance antennas to increase security and stop shoplifting. Put the bad guys in check by “target hardening” and watch profits grow and shortage decline!
Checkpoint Hard Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Bottle Lock-3 WC Blog 186
Bottle Locks-5
Liquor bottle security-4
Bars And Grocery Store Businesses Aren’t The Only Establishments That Can Benefit From Using Bottle Locks: Part 1
If you are like me there are only a few businesses I can think of off the top of my head that sell or serve alcohol. What comes to mind for me are alcohol beverage control (ABC) stores in some states, grocery stores, and bars. With those in mind, I have written a number of articles on the need to use bottle locks to prevent and deter theft. I am a proponent of using anti-theft devices as much as possible to keep thieves from accessing product and to also keep prices down. What I had not considered before was all the other locations where alcohol may be sold. I went to the ttb.gov website (alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau) and found an entire listing of retail beverage alcohol dealers. Some of the businesses listed deal only with beer or mini bottles for mixing drinks, and these may not benefit from liquor bottle security, but for those that use or sell from full size wine or liquor bottles, bottle locks can help keep expenses down.
Bottle locks are covers that are placed on the tops of bottles and lock in place. Once locked it requires a special detachment key to remove the lock so drinks can be poured. Without a key it is nearly impossible to remove a lock and attempts to force a bottle lock off will likely cause a bottle to break. Keeping bottles on store shelves secured deters theft. If a bottle in a bar has already been opened, locks prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access and pouring without paying, or stealing an entire bottle outright which costs the business money.
So what locations does the government list as retail beverage alcohol dealers? Some of these are obvious and I will list them first:
• Clubs
• Convenience Stores
• Stores
• Liquor Stores
• Lounges
• Package Stores
• Private Clubs
• Restaurants
• State Stores
• Supermarkets
• Taverns
A number of these may sound very similar, such as “state stores” and “liquor stores”. Often the names are interchangeable depending on the state in which you live. Clubs may include nightclubs, bars, and vary from private clubs only in the aspect that one requires some type of membership to enter and the other is open to the public. Lounges may also be known to some people as clubs. The distinctions are probably made by the website to minimize the opportunity for someone to try to intentionally manipulate the “type” of establishment they are operating.
In each of these businesses, clearly liquor bottle security can play an important role. Clubs, bars and taverns sell alcoholic beverages by the glass, requiring a bartender to pour and mix the drinks. There have been numbers of incidents where patrons have gone behind a bar or reached over the bar and stolen a bottle that has been left within their reach. In some cases dishonest bar and club employees have stolen bottles of wines and spirits and taken them home. If bottle locks were in use, and detachment tools strictly controlled, this type of theft would be prevented and therefore profits would improve. Even after a bottle has been opened and a drink(s) sold from it in a bar, the bottle is re-capped. The bottle lock can easily be placed back on the bottle and the bottle left safely behind the bar.
State stores and supermarkets that sell wines and/or spirits benefit in improved in-stocks and reduced theft when they employ a bottle lock on each beverage. Not only is there the deterrent effect when thieves notice the liquor bottle security device in place, but there is also the EAS antenna factor that comes into play. Shoplifters notice the antennas when they enter the store and consider whether they are going to take the chance of stealing something and setting off the alarm.
In part 2 of this article I will share some other venues where liquor may be sold and how they too could benefit from using liquor bottle security. In the meantime, start using bottle locks today and watch your in-stocks and profits start to grow!
Get more information on liquor bottle security. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
If you are like me there are only a few businesses I can think of off the top of my head that sell or serve alcohol. What comes to mind for me are alcohol beverage control (ABC) stores in some states, grocery stores, and bars. With those in mind, I have written a number of articles on the need to use bottle locks to prevent and deter theft. I am a proponent of using anti-theft devices as much as possible to keep thieves from accessing product and to also keep prices down. What I had not considered before was all the other locations where alcohol may be sold. I went to the ttb.gov website (alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau) and found an entire listing of retail beverage alcohol dealers. Some of the businesses listed deal only with beer or mini bottles for mixing drinks, and these may not benefit from liquor bottle security, but for those that use or sell from full size wine or liquor bottles, bottle locks can help keep expenses down.
Bottle locks are covers that are placed on the tops of bottles and lock in place. Once locked it requires a special detachment key to remove the lock so drinks can be poured. Without a key it is nearly impossible to remove a lock and attempts to force a bottle lock off will likely cause a bottle to break. Keeping bottles on store shelves secured deters theft. If a bottle in a bar has already been opened, locks prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access and pouring without paying, or stealing an entire bottle outright which costs the business money.
So what locations does the government list as retail beverage alcohol dealers? Some of these are obvious and I will list them first:
• Clubs
• Convenience Stores
• Stores• Liquor Stores
• Lounges
• Package Stores
• Private Clubs
• Restaurants
• State Stores
• Supermarkets
• Taverns
A number of these may sound very similar, such as “state stores” and “liquor stores”. Often the names are interchangeable depending on the state in which you live. Clubs may include nightclubs, bars, and vary from private clubs only in the aspect that one requires some type of membership to enter and the other is open to the public. Lounges may also be known to some people as clubs.The distinctions are probably made by the website to minimize the opportunity for someone to try to intentionally manipulate the “type” of establishment they are operating.
In each of these businesses, clearly liquor bottle security can play an important role. Clubs, bars and taverns sell alcoholic beverages by the glass, requiring a bartender to pour and mix the drinks. There have been numbers of incidents where patrons have gone behind a bar or reached over the bar and stolen a bottle that has been left within their reach. In some cases dishonest bar and club employees have stolen bottles of wines and spirits and taken them home. If bottle locks were in use, and detachment tools strictly controlled, this type of theft would be prevented and therefore profits would improve. Even after a bottle has been opened and a drink(s) sold from it in a bar, the bottle is re-capped. The bottle lock can easily be placed back on the bottle and the bottle left safely behind the bar.
State stores and supermarkets that sell wines and/or spirits benefit in improved in-stocks and reduced theft when they employ a bottle lock on each beverage. Not only is there the deterrent effect when thieves notice the liquor bottle security device in place, but there is also the EAS antenna factor that comes into play. Shoplifters notice the antennas when they enter the store and consider whether they are going to take the chance of stealing something and setting off the alarm.
In part 2 of this article I will share some other venues where liquor may be sold and how they too could benefit from using liquor bottle security. In the meantime, start using bottle locks today and watch your in-stocks and profits start to grow!
Get more information on liquor bottle security. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
SEEING IS BELIEVING WITH ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Thunder Tag-3 WC Blog 196
i-pad theft-3
I-pad Innovations In The Medical Field Put Information At Doctor’s Fingertips; Alpha Thunder Tags Protect That Data
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
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