How to test-drive a facial recognition solution for the full 100%

RecFaces company is a vendor of biometric products based on facial recognition technology, which are in demand in various sectors of the economy.

According to Sergey Novikov, technical director of RecFaces, the total number of installations of the company has now exceeded 200. Some of these successful projects were implemented initially in the form of a test drive, which can take two forms: granting a demo license or working as a pilot project. In either case, it helps to determine whether the biometric solution is suitable for the client's environment, and whether it can be used to meet their requirements.

The demo license and the pilot project have a number of significant differences. The first allows customers to learn about the product and gain experience, while the second, the pilot project, allows you to implement and test the solution for specific tasks of the client, and at the end of its implementation to obtain actual results.

In contrast to the demo the results of the pilot project not only a set of technical requirements and recommendations, but also organizational aspects are defined. The pilot project allows to test the solution on site in more detail and make conclusions about the possibility of its further usage. In practice, there have been cases where, as a result of a pilot project, the customer has concluded that the project concept has been changed.

For example, RecFaces conducted a pilot project with a major international bank that lasted for six months. As part of it, the credit organization not only studied technical and organizational aspects, but also solved the questions of determining the structure for implementing the solution. While the bank had originally planned to implement the solution and control data movement in a single system, during the pilot it was decided to use two systems simultaneously. The security service and the business unit, which had different approaches and criteria for the effectiveness of the solution, were responsible for them. In other words, the result was a new internal regulation.

Another difference between the demo license and the pilot project is the timing. If the timeframe for the demo is, according to the regulations, three months, in the case of the pilot project the timeframe is determined individually, considering the specifics of the project.

The demo license and the pilot project are also different in terms of the degree of RecFaces involvement in the project. In case of the demo license, RecFaces delivers the full product in a demo license format, with a set of recommendations and instructions documents, according to the client's request. The customer installs the system on their own, according to the instructions they receive. RecFaces stays in touch and promptly advises the customer in case of questions.

RecFaces takes an important part in solving the technical and administrative tasks in pilot projects. The customer defines the tasks to be solved with the product and on this basis, the company formulates a work plan which is agreed with the customer and adjusted if necessary.

A pilot project is a joint activity of the client and the company, in which integrators from the client's side can also take part. The company employees are involved in the installation of the equipment both remotely and at the client's site as required. RecFaces monitors the implementation of the project, tracking all stages. At the end of the pilot project, the company prepares a report with an expert opinion on the applicability of the solution and the possibility of fulfilling the tasks set by the customer.

In preparation for the test drive, attention is paid to every detail. After the customer has made a choice between a — demo or pilot, the company discusses with him the final goal of the project, defines the work plan and provides recommendations, including the scheme of equipment installation and its list. All details — which cameras to install, installation locations, lighting, etc. — are discussed. For this purpose, the customer provides a floor plan, a description of the installation locations and lighting characteristics. All of this enables the RecFaces experts to give recommendations on additional configuration and technical or organizational measures that can help to successfully complete the task. As a result, the cost of the pilot project can be determined after agreement.

The RecFaces team recommends that customers start with free training to guide them in setting the right goals and avoid missing important details. Practice shows that once the customer is more familiar with biometrics, it is easier to set goals and understand the specifics of working with the technology.

What must be paid special attention to during the test drive? Firstly, a clear objective must be set. Second, you need to select the right equipment (RecFaces recommendations can help with this). Thirdly, the customer needs to strictly follow the RecFaces instructions.

As a rule, the demo takes usually a month. Also test-drives are faster when the customer only needs to prove or disprove a hypothesis. In any case, the main and only criterion for a test drive is the customer's satisfaction with the result. If it has achieved its goals, it has been a success. That is, the solution has shown its effectiveness, the customer eventually buys the product and starts to use it.

A successful test-drive in the joint RecFaces and Pelco pilot for biometric passenger identification implementation at Nairobi International Airport in Kenya once more proves the necessity of customer's advance preparation. The Kenyan partners were fully trained and all RecFaces recommendations were considered during the demo. The entire process from request to completion of testing took several months and then the contract for use of the product was signed.

Therefore, for a successful test drive of facial biometrics, it is necessary to follow 7 simple rules

1. Receive training for a deeper dive into biometrics;
2. Clearly identify the goals and objectives to be achieved by conducting a test drive;
3. Decide on the form in which the test drive should take: a self-study, a demo license or a pilot project;
4. Select the equipment and approve the plan and layout of the equipment;
5. Draw up an activity plan;
6. Analyse and monitor each of the stages;
7. Verify the achievability of the project goal.

Would you like to discuss the possibility of a test drive at your site?
Contact us via email: sales@recfaces.com
Get training on biometric solutions at: https://recfaces.com/training