The Re-Scanning Function

Re-scanning is a vital part of loss prevention when using Scan & Go solutions. Find out how it can improve customer satisfaction and the different ways of implementing it into the retail store’s process. 

How do you increase customer satisfaction and simultaneously keep a close eye on loss prevention? Since the use of any mobile self-checkout technology is based on trust, the strategy for keeping shrinkage at bay should best follow this principle: as few re-checks as possible, as many as necessary. After all, the idea of Scan & Go is to speed up the shopping process. And re-checks take that saved time away again. 

Therefore, a smart re-scanning function and efficient spot checks are valuable features which have the potential of raising the whole self-checkout experience to the next level. 

How the re-scanning function works

The re-scanning process involves some form of trigger, which notifies an employee to come and re-scan some or all of the items in the customer’s basket, to see if everything was scanned correctly. The triggers for a re-scan can be set:  

• randomly, through employee selection,  
• based on various parameters, through algorithm selection,  
• via smart exit gates, or 
• autonomously via computer vision and scale hardware. 

Triggers for the re-scanning function

Smart parameters to trigger spot checks include basket value, item count, and store location but also whether the customer belongs to a risk group or visits the store on a regular basis. 

More advanced technology, such as computer vision, that can trigger the re-scanning process autonomously, is usually much more costly. Moreover, it has not been proven that the efficiency surpasses the alternative methods in a way that justifies the higher price.