3xLOGIC, Inc., an established provider of integrated security solutions, has successfully partnered with Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. to implement its VIGIL Trends Business Intelligence software across all of Panda's locations in North America.
This large-scale initiative, led by Interface Security Systems of St. Louis, Missouri, represents a significant development for Panda, which encompasses well-known brands like Panda Express, Panda Inn, and Hibachi-San.
Panda Express: Growth and Core Values
Panda Express holds the title of the largest family-owned restaurant chain in the United States. With more than 2,000 stores globally, 35,000 associates, and $3 billion in sales, the chain has shown substantial growth since its inception in 1983.
Founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng lead the privately-owned enterprise with a focus on company values, employee development, and community engagement.
Deployment of Business Intelligence Tools
The VIGIL Trends software was tailored to meet Panda's specific needs starting in August 2017
The VIGIL Trends software was tailored to meet Panda's specific needs starting in August 2017, with deployment beginning in early 2018. The software became operational at its first location by March of the same year.
Now integrated with Panda's existing video surveillance and alarm systems, Trends is active in 1,960 locations.
Sean Foley, senior vice president of national accounts at Interface Systems, noted the seamless integration of Trends with existing intrusion and video systems, all achieved remotely without the need for on-site technicians.
Enhancing Store Operations
Panda's application of business intelligence aims at broader operational improvements rather than just retail loss prevention. The Trends software enables Panda to monitor and enhance various aspects of store operations:
- Employee Development: Managers can review transactions and address training opportunities with staff promptly.
- Performance Comparison: Dashboards display store performance metrics against regional counterparts and past periods.
- Operational Efficiency: Visual insights show workforce allocation and hourly revenue productivity.
- Intrusion Monitoring: Insights on store openings, closings, deliveries, and security system status.
- Cash Management: Tracks available cash, safe contents, and petty cash transactions with receipt verification.
- Custom Dashboards: Multiple levels of the organization can access dashboards that outline responsibilities and priorities.
Commitment to Safety and Operations
Lyle Forcum, executive director of asset protection at Panda Express, emphasized that safety and loss prevention remain core operational goals. He stated, "We worked with 3xLOGIC and Interface for over a year to implement a highly-customized solution to meet these priorities. Now, we have a cutting-edge tool deployed across the entire enterprise that we can all be proud of."
3xLOGIC, Inc., a major provider of integrated, intelligent security solutions, and a three-time Deloitte Technology Fast 500 winner, announced that Panda Restaurant Group, Inc. (parent of Panda Express, Panda Inn, and Hibachi-San) has completed deployment of 3xLOGIC’s VIGIL Trends Business Intelligence software to all of its North American locations.
Interface Security Systems, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is the integrator and overall project manager for this ambitious endeavor.
Largest family-owned restaurant
Panda Express is the largest family-owned restaurant in America, with more than 2,000 stores globally, 35,000 associates and $3 billion in sales. Since it was established in 1983, Panda has steadily grown with roughly 125 stores opening each year.
Privately owned and operated, the restaurant is guided by the core values of its co-founders and co-CEO, Andrew and Peggy Cherng and is dedicated to developing its team members and giving back to the community.
Business intelligence solutions
“As an industry leader, Panda Express’s culture sets an expectation of best-in-class results,” explained Lyle Forcum, executive director of asset protection at Panda Express.
“Accordingly, we needed a state-of-the-art business intelligence solution to provide us with truly actionable information. Intelligence we can act on is central to Panda’s business strategy, which focuses on meeting high standards through continuous operational improvement.”
Starting in August 2017, 3xLOGIC and Interface Systems worked with Panda Express to customize Trends to meet the company’s unique, comprehensive needs. Interface began system deployment in QI 2018 with the first location going live in March 2018. Presently, Trends is deployed at 1,960 locations and has been integrated with existing Interface video surveillance and alarm systems.
Tracking and improving operations
“It was impressive that we were able to integrate Trends so seamlessly with existing intrusion and video systems,” said Sean Foley, senior vice president of national accounts at Interface Systems, “and the entire solution was rolled out without a single technician visiting any store.”
Unlike many retail BI implementations, the focus at Panda Restaurant Group is not solely on retail loss prevention, but also on tracking and improving all operations at every store. Here are some of the key elements of store operations that Trends enables Panda to monitor, track, and improve:
- People Development: To set its people up for success, store managers are able to review all transactional behavior and address opportunity areas with employees within two days.
- Comparing Store Performance: The store managers’ Trends dashboard shows very clearly how the restaurant is performing compared to other stores in the region and to their prior month’s performance.
- Optimizing Store Efficiency: Trends visually displays how many people are working per hour, what job they are facilitating, and the revenue generated per hour.
- Monitoring Intrusion Data: Trends provides intrusion data, which shows in a very simple display when stores are opened and closed, deliveries are made, cleaning is done, and whether the store is being remotely armed and disarmed.
- Tracking Cash: Panda Express can track currency, how much is in the safe and when it was last counted, as well as petty cash spend along with scanned receipts for purchases.
- Custom Dashboards: The system provides an array of dashboards for all levels in the organization that give an at-a-glance or drilled-down overview of an employee’s priorities and responsibilities.
“At Panda, safety and loss prevention are key priorities in executing great operations,” said Lyle Forcum, executive director of asset protection at Panda Express.
“We worked with 3xLOGIC and Interface for over a year to implement a highly-customized solution to meet these priorities. Now, we have a cutting-edge tool deployed across the entire enterprise that we can all be proud of.”
