Project Overview
INDUSTRY
Retail
PROJECT
Better secure high-value merchandise while maintaining an open and convenient shopping experience.
Challenge
A leading national retailer faced a growing challenge: how to better secure high-value merchandise while maintaining an open and convenient shopping experience. Traditional lock-and-key systems created operational inefficiencies, with lost keys, manual key management, and limited visibility into access activity.
At the same time, Organized Retail Crime (ORC) and internal theft were on the rise. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2023 Security Survey, shrink increased to 1.6% of sales—representing $112.1 billion in losses across the retail industry. Bailiwick’s retail client needed a smarter, more scalable way to control access, monitor activity, and reduce shrink without slowing down customers or associates.
340
TOTAL LOCATIONS
IN NORTH AMERICA
26,000
TOTAL DIGITAL LOCKS
Solution Development
As a trusted managed IT services provider to Fortune 500 brands, Bailiwick partnered with the retailer to design a next-generation digital locking solution—a secure, flexible alternative to traditional locks that could integrate seamlessly into existing operations.
Research and Partner Selection
Bailiwick began with a detailed evaluation of the digital locking landscape, focusing on security-first technologies that align with enterprise IT and cybersecurity standards. The team identified a partner with significant experience in cybersecurity and were ISO 27001 certified.
Bailiwick’s solution uses encrypted chip controller technology. This technology allows any lock—whether a padlock, cabinet, or safe—to be managed through the same digital platform, without relying on Wi-Fi or network connectivity. This capability gave Bailiwick a versatile foundation to develop a solution that met the retailer’s specific needs.
Integration and Design
Bailiwick designed the solution to connect with its ServiceNow platform for proactive monitoring, maintenance, and reporting.
The integration allowed:
Real-time alerts if a lock was left open.
Low-battery notifications automatically routed to maintenance teams.
Video clips tied to access events, creating a full “storyboard” for incident review.
Centralized management of user access profiles and temporary digital keys.
This framework enabled Digital Locking as a Service—a turnkey model providing procurement, installation, 24×7 service desk support, monitoring, and maintenance.
Pilot and Rollout
Before full deployment, Bailiwick conducted proof-of-concept pilots with two major retail clients. The pilots tested:
- Ease of use for associates and store leadership.
- Integration performance within existing infrastructure.
- Lock reliability and accuracy of audit trails.
Following successful results that included the discovery that the digital lock opened significantly faster than the traditional solution, saving associates valuable time and delivering a clear, measurable ROI, Bailiwick structured a phased rollout plan. The plan included 30 days for pilot validation and 90 days for enterprise deployment, ensuring minimal disruption to store operations.
Operational Support
Once live, Bailiwick’s service teams managed every aspect of the program:
Reduced shrink through auditable access and real-time oversight.
Improved accountability with clear records of who accessed each lock and when.
Operational efficiency by eliminating key management complexity.
Enhanced customer experience through frictionless merchandise access.
With Bailiwick managing the deployment and lifecycle of the solution, the retailer gained a more secure, data-driven approach to asset protection—without compromising convenience for associates or shoppers.
Looking Ahead
Building on this success, Bailiwick continues to enhance its Digital Locking as a Service offering—integrating additional analytics, refining user experience, and expanding into new use cases across retail, logistics, hospitality, and critical infrastructure environments.
By combining cyber-secure technology, scalable deployment expertise, and 24×7 managed support, Bailiwick is redefining how enterprise clients secure their most valuable assets.