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Retail Access Control Case Study
Modernizing Access Control Without Replacing the Hardware Investment.
Neiman Marcus Group needed a more cost-effective, scalable access-control strategy—without walking away from its existing investment in Mercury controllers.
The Retail Challenge
Security Budgets Were Under Pressure.
The original case study was published during a difficult period for retailers, when shrinking sales, staffing pressure, COVID-era operational changes, and rising concerns around retail shrink were forcing security teams to do more with fewer resources.
For Neiman Marcus Group, the parent company of luxury retail brands including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Last Call, and Horchow, the existing access-control environment had become increasingly difficult and expensive to support.
The company needed a long-term plan that was easier to manage, more scalable across locations, and capable of preserving investments that were still providing value.
38Stores nationwide referenced in the original 2021 case study
HybridArchitecture used to preserve existing controller investments
CloudBrowser-based management from smartphones, tablets, and computers
Multi-SiteEnterprise expansion without rebuilding the access-control stack
Protecting the Existing Investment
Keep the Mercury Controllers. Change the Management Layer.
Neiman Marcus had already made a significant investment in Mercury access-control controllers and wanted to continue using those boards. Any replacement software therefore had to support Mercury while also accommodating another controller family selected for newer readers.
That made an open, hybrid approach the logical path. IMRON was selected as the software layer capable of managing more than one hardware vendor inside the same access-control environment.
Instead of a rip-and-replace project, the system could evolve around hardware that was already installed and functioning.
OPEN ARCHITECTURE
One Platform Across Different Controller Families.
The core value of the project was not simply moving to the cloud. It was giving Neiman Marcus a management layer that could span existing Mercury hardware and additional access-control technologies rather than locking the company into one proprietary controller ecosystem.
01 / PRESERVE
Reuse Mercury Hardware
Existing controller investments could remain in service instead of being replaced solely because the management software changed.
02 / COMBINE
Support Multiple Hardware Vendors
The system could manage a hybrid access-control architecture through a common software platform.
03 / EVOLVE
Add New Technology Over Time
A more open architecture made it easier to introduce additional sites and technologies as requirements changed.
Cloud Management
More People Could Manage the System Without Being Tied to One Workstation.
The move to UnityIS® gave authorized users browser-based access from smartphones, tablets, and computers. Multiple users could manage the system at the same time, which the previous solution did not allow.
That change helped streamline internal processes and reduced dependence on dedicated access-control workstations and personnel. Authorized associates could add users, update records, assign access rights, monitor doors, and review events from different locations.
The case study also highlighted real-time events, graphical maps, reporting, database backups, and remote software/database maintenance as part of the hosted management experience.
PERSONNEL
Add & Update Users
Authorized users could create new personnel records and update access attributes without being tied to a single local workstation.
DOORS
Monitor & Control Remotely
Doors and access events could be viewed through the web interface from authorized connected devices.
OPERATIONS
Multiple Concurrent Users
More than one authorized employee could manage day-to-day access-control operations at the same time.
ENTERPRISE
Expand Across Sites
The hybrid architecture made it easier to bring additional locations into the enterprise system over time.
Retail Workflows in the Original Deployment
Access-Control Features That Supported Changing Store Operations.
The 2021 case study highlighted several workflows that were particularly relevant to retail operations during the COVID-19 period.
Occupancy Controls
Limit the number of people allowed into selected areas.
Hands-Free Mode
Allow configured mobile-access workflows without presenting the smartphone directly to the reader.
Guest Pass
Send temporary access credentials to visitors electronically.
Remote Mode
Control configured access points remotely from an authorized connected device.
First-Man In
Automatically unlock configured doors when the first authorized person arrives.
Last-Man Out
Automatically secure configured doors when the final authorized person leaves.
Lockdowns
Lock or unlock predefined groups of doors from the management platform.
Real-Time Events
Give operators immediate visibility into activity across connected locations.
Support Matters
The Software Was Only Part of the Project.
The original case study emphasized that technical support played an important role in the transition. Neiman Marcus needed the new environment brought online quickly with minimal interruption to existing operations.
Once the hybrid platform was in place, additional sites could be added to the enterprise environment without forcing the organization to standardize immediately on a single hardware vendor.
That gave the company a more flexible foundation for introducing new technology as business and security requirements evolved.
Historical Case Study
A 2021 Example of the Open-Architecture Strategy IMRON Continues Today.
This article reflects the Neiman Marcus deployment as described in 2021, including references to COVID-era retail requirements, the UnityIS® feature set and hosting model at that time, and the company's store footprint then. The lasting point of the case study is the architecture: preserving viable field hardware while modernizing the management software and allowing multiple controller technologies to coexist.
UNITYIS® FOR RETAIL
Modernize the Software Without Throwing Away Good Hardware.
UnityIS® gives multi-site organizations a path to centralize access control across compatible hardware technologies while choosing cloud or on-premises deployment based on the needs of the environment.
