Most common concerns about people counting

After talking with many large and small retailers and real estate managers in multiple countries. These are the main questions and concerns that you should ask your people counter provider.

Otherwise, you risk getting incorrect insights that affect your business negatively, having a low cost-benefit or not complying with GDPR.

1. How accurate is the technology?

   Accuracy is key to being able to make informed decisions based on the data. The accuracy of people counters can vary depending on the technology used, the environment in which it is used, and the specific application. In general, the only accuracy that counts is one performed in real-world benchmarks.
   
   

2. How does the technology integrate with existing systems?

   Most customers want to ensure that the people counting system can easily integrate with their existing systems, such as point-of-sale systems and customer relationship management systems.
   
   This includes data format, data access, data structure, real-time capabilities, data security, and technical compatibility.
   
   

3. How secure and privacy-friendly are the data collection?

   All companies that ask a provider to crunch personal data for them, such as all people counting systems, are concerned about the privacy of their customers and the security of the data collected by the people counting system. But also to ensure that the data is protected from unauthorized access and theft.
   
   Great questions are: Does the visitor count use unique descriptions of customers based on their appearance to identify or re-identify them, and do you consider this biometric data? If not, what do you think it is? How should I inform my visitors? How are your processes regarding Personal Data Processing Agreements?
   
   These privacy concerns highlight the importance of ensuring that people counting technology is designed and used in a way that respects the privacy rights of individuals and protects their personal information. This may involve implementing privacy-by-design principles, providing clear information about data collection and use, and ensuring that the technology is used in compliance with privacy laws and regulations.
   
   Most people counting technology often involves collecting data on individuals, including their location and movements. This data can be sensitive and personal, and there is a risk that it could be misused or disclosed without consent. This is one of the reasons why Indivd has developed and patented an anonymization method for image data.
   
   But you should also ask questions about Data storage, Data sharing, and Data retention. The best retention period is data that is never stored. Indivd anonymizes all data in real-time and practically never stores any personal data at all.
   
   

4. What is the cost or what is the total cost of ownership for people counting?

   Retailers want to understand the cost of the people counting system, including any ongoing maintenance and support cost, so that they can determine if it is a good investment for their business.
   
   And the differences are staggering, many systems are really overpriced compared to what you get. And definitely compared to what you pay online. This is why Indivd is reducing the total cost of ownership by up to 95%.
   
   The important thing is cost-benefit ratio, what would you be getting by using and installing the people counter?
   
   

5. How does the technology work in crowded environments?

   Crowded scenarios cause challenges for everybody, even if you manually stand and count visitors. Some of the issues that will arise are Overcounting, Undercounting, crowded environments can have physical obstructions but also obstructions by other people, and multiple entry and exit points will create even more complexity.
   
   A great people counter needs to be able to deal with all of these scenarios.

Are you interested in trying out the market-leading people counter? Try Indivd for free.