Inside Cinemark’s Data-Driven Approach to Security and Operations:
How a leading movie theater chain leverages video, AI, and a true tech partnership to detect fraud, improve operations, and stay one step ahead.
THE CHALLENGE
Scaling Security Across Hundreds of Locations
Before Envysion, Cinemark faced the same limitations that many security departments do:
- Thousands of cameras across hundreds of locations
- A lean security team of just four people
- A reactive and time-consuming process for addressing issues, driven by employee feedback or complaints and manual video footage review
- Natural limits on human time and attention
THE SOLUTION
A Three-Part Strategy for Smarter Security
Cinemark’s team leverages a powerful combination of Envysion tools that work together to uncover fraud and improve operations:
Managed Video Solution:
Cloud-Based Surveillance
Cloud-based video surveillance provides the team with access to high-quality footage across all locations, essential for gathering evidence, identifying trends, and eliminating blind spots.
Exception Reports:
Automated Transaction Monitoring
Automated reporting tools highlight suspicious transactions and patterns, helping the team and each location focus on what matters without digging through hours of data.
Fraud Detection AI:
No Customer Present Refund Detection
AI-driven alerts flag refunds processed without a customer present, flagging transactions that may indicate fraud or procedural gaps, so teams can quickly investigate and take action.
About 50–60% of the time, the AI finds something that wasn’t done right. Even if it’s not theft, it’s still valuable because we can correct behavior before it becomes a bigger issue. — Patrick Burns | Cinemark VP, Security & Loss Prevention
THE RESULT
Millions in Value and a True Partnership
Thanks to Envysion’s AI and cloud-based tools, Cinemark’s lean Loss Prevention team is able to do the work of a much larger internal audit department, without sacrificing quality.
KEY OUTCOMES INCLUDE:
- An exceptional 98% recovery rate on known fraud cases, far exceeding the retail industry average of just 11% recovery (According to Jack L. Hayes Annual Retail Theft Survey 2023)
- Millions in savings from prevented fraud and recovered losses
- 85–90% of fraud cases discovered proactively, without relying on internal audits or employee reports
- Hundreds of fraud and operational incidents identified annually (cases that could have been missed without Envysion’s AI-driven detection)
- Expanded use of Envysion data across departments (marketing, operations, HR, and facilities) to optimize staffing, tailor promotions, improve employee management, and identify procedural and safety issues before they happen
More Than a Vendor, a Strategic Partner
Envysion’s impact goes beyond fraud detection. Cinemark leverages video analytics and data insights to enhance guest experiences, optimize staffing, and support departments like marketing, risk management, and human resources, helping the entire organization work smarter and deliver exceptional service.