Alan O’Herlihy, Founder & CEO of Everseen, is an experienced builder and inventor who has worked in every facet of retail, both in physical and digital channels, through privately owned retail propositions and by leading numerous SAP implementations.
Everseen is a technology company that specializes in Visual AI solutions designed to optimize and enhance retail operations. Their AI-powered applications work across the entire supply chain to reduce shrink, increase inventory accuracy, and solve complex retail problems. Everseen’s solutions are deployed throughout various retail environments, including the front of the store, back of the store, and shop floor. These tools help retailers break cyclical patterns, improve gross margins, correct flawed processes, and amplify awareness of key operational moments, ultimately improving financial and operational outcomes.
Can you tell us more about the founding of Everseen and what motivated you to focus on combating retail shrinkage with AI?
I have a passion for retail, technology, and problem-solving— all of which helped me to create Everseen. As a young child, I grew up working with my parents who ran a small mom-and-pop grocery shop in County Cork Ireland.
I went on to become a software engineer and became certified as an SAP business consultant where I learned how to transform critical business processes via technology. During this time, I felt there was a better way to manage business processes for retailers rather than just relying on out-of-date data stored in a database, this led to the creation of Everseen.
We are now working with ten of the world’s top 20 retailers to address the retail industry’s widespread issue of shrink, which represents more than $112 billion in annual losses.
How does Everseen’s computer vision AI technology work to detect and prevent shrinkage in retail environments?
We use a combination of computer vision and artificial intelligence to transform retail operations.
Our Evercheck product utilizes vision AI to detect issues at self-checkouts and staffed lanes– identifying anomalies such as unscanned items and product switching. The system then prompts the customer to rescan an item, or alert a store associate to provide assistance.
We also reduce loss and improve processes in the stockroom– analyzing deliveries, identifying compliance issues, and reducing shrink at delivery doors, as well as the shopfloor – analyzing excessive item removal, and on-hand availability status at the shelves.
These applications are operating on our vision AI platform, managing 140,000 Edge AI endpoints and processing over 300 years of video every day, in real-time. That scale and our proprietary visual AI enable us to deliver highly effective solutions.
Everseen is working with over half of the world’s top 20 retailers. Can you share some success stories or case studies where your technology has significantly reduced shrinkage?
We’re proud to support major retail brands such as Meijer, Kroger, and Woolworths. We are currently deployed in over 8,000 retail stores and more than 140,000 checkouts. Our solutions have been shown to improve retailers’ margins by up to 20 percent through a combination of reduced shrinkage and improved operations.
One major U.S. grocer who has broadly implemented self-checkout relies on Everseen to make that checkout experience successful. Our solution is installed at more than a thousand of their stores. When the system flags an error, their customers have been able to resolve the scanning issue themselves more than 75 percent of the time.
What are the key challenges you faced while developing and implementing your AI solutions, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge in the AI industry itself is value assurance. While many in the industry are excited about its potential, most struggle to operationalize it in a way that delivers real impact.
This is the challenge we’ve focused on solving. We’ve designed our platform with value assurance at its core, and the scale we’ve achieved with global retailers has enabled us to operationalize AI and drive significant, measurable business value– dare I say, something yet to be achieved by any other AI application.
Another challenge for us is that Everseen isn’t yet widely recognized. But that’s starting to shift. Customers are sharing their experiences with their peers, and we’re beginning to gain recognition for having established the largest global footprint of edge AI endpoints in retail. When we connect with customers, it quickly becomes a C-suite conversation because our solutions are positively affecting EBITDA and the bottom line.
You personally believe in the importance of an open-minded society that understands AI. How do you think public perception of AI can be improved, and what role does Everseen play in this?
Government and industry collaboration is crucial for fostering public trust in AI. Thanks to the efforts of federal agencies worldwide, organizations now have guidelines for responsible AI development which also allows room for creativity and innovation.
During our time working with some of the world’s largest global retailers, we’ve seen firsthand that AI is greatly beneficial to both the consumer and the company when used properly. In the retail AI sector, one of our top concerns is ensuring respect for individual shoppers while also addressing the business needs of retailers. That means applying ethical AI standards in a thorough and thoughtful way.
At Everseen, we ensure AI governance is at the core of everything we do. We are fully accountable and transparent about what our AI is doing and why. We have a great team of AI PhDs who are very passionate and committed to this part of the mission— something I am particularly proud of.
In what ways do you see AI transforming the retail industry beyond shrinkage prevention?
Computer vision AI is an invaluable asset, not only in mitigating losses but also in transforming the entire retail operation—from the stockroom to the shelf and checkout.
There’s a lot of initial effort required to get AI up and running and train it. Now that we’ve done that around shrink, we have a powerful infrastructure in place and more value can be built on top of that. We can start to address other issues like product availability, waste management, and shopper personalization. Having an AI platform will allow businesses to integrate customized vision AI solutions that drive ROI and positive customer interactions.
How do you balance the integration of AI technology with maintaining a human touch in retail operations?
Our solutions always keep people in mind, from the shopper to store associates to the vendor. In a recent customer conversation, we discussed the importance of finding the right balance of technology– it’s there to enhance the experience and add business value, but it’s also essential to maintain the simple joys of shopping, like seeing the lovely apples and oranges, and interacting with people.
In retail, there is always an opportunity for human engagement. Our customers integrate AI into their operations in a way that augments staff roles rather than replaces them. For example, Everseen systems prompt store associates on when to assist and interact with customers, and AI-enabled self-checkout lanes can also free up store associates to engage with shoppers throughout the store.
What advice would you give to other startups looking to implement AI solutions in their industries?
Focus on measurable ROI. There is a ton of excitement about the potential of AI solutions, but organizations are looking for gains from their investments. Startups need to begin with a data set that proves that there is a problem to be solved, then develop a solution and prove the impact.
We’ve been able to do that in the retail sector with our computer vision AI which has been shown to improve retailers’ margins by up to 20 percent through a combination of reduced shrinkage and improved operations.
How do you envision the future of AI in retail and other sectors over the next decade?
At the moment, it’s very siloed and everyone is building point solutions. I envision AI having an expanded impact in the future when there is more of a platform approach. Our vision AI platform is taking a step towards this future by ensuring access to large amounts of high-quality data, adhering to responsible AI practices, and delivering value assurance.
Another key part of planning for the future of AI is maintaining a steady focus on AI governance. This includes ethical considerations, transparency, and regulatory compliance to maintain trust and integrity in AI applications.
What steps does Everseen take to continuously innovate and stay ahead in the competitive AI market?
An innovative spirit is part of our company DNA, and we foster that in several ways. The most important way is by actively listening. We stay closely connected with AI trends and innovations, as well as being keenly attuned to our customers. We have a team that is dedicated to looking out on the horizon. They are listening, observing, and workshopping ideas on what the future might look like. Our innovation is also supported by close ties to academia and the diverse perspectives of our inventors, researchers, and experts from different parts of the world.
Thank you for the great interview, readers who wish to learn more should visit Everseen.
