CASE STUDY to consolidate devices by removing the need for separate radio headsets . Microsoft Teams , with its Walkie Talkie functionality , is supported with the builtin push to talk button on the Samsung devices . With one touch , associates can instantly and seamlessly communicate with each other and with the head office . It has also aided other aspects of the business from timesheets to rolling out new visual merchandising . Effectively conducting training and sharing companywide announcements helps River Island improve engagement levels and supports a strong team culture and increase retention .
Results
The organisation has been able to buck the trend of using what were deemed to be the most resilient of solutions and equip over 5,000 store associates with their own Scandit-enabled , Samsung smartphone , bringing multiple benefits .
Initially integrating Scandit Smart Data Capture into River Island ’ s IT ecosystem and workflows was seamless . “ The documentation is good , the support has been fantastic and the willingness to engage on our journey with us to achieve our ambitions has been there throughout ,” said Cooper . “ From a technology perspective , it just worked .”
River Island rapidly rolled out the device deployment in just eight weeks and the Scandit software in a matter of days . Store associates were trained with a simple one-pager in advance despite the radical shift in infrastructure . The IT team ’ s ambition was that scanning was not an impediment in the hearts and minds of employees . In the new world , Cooper confirmed : “ Scanning has been a non-event which has been a really big success .”
The change has driven a dynamic shift in store associate morale too . On store visits , Cooper said : “ The tone of visits is dramatically different . Now it is amazing – everything is quick , the prices are correct and we can communicate with everyone individually . Fundamentally , the quality of life for our store associates has improved dramatically .”
In addition , store associate productivity has also increased . Dan Butcher , Flagship Store Leader at the Sheffield Meadowhall store says , “ It is a great tool as it gives us that instant visibility of what the stores hold in terms of stock which allows the team to be agile and efficient from a customer service perspective . Equally , it tells us what we don ’ t have so the team doesn ’ t waste time looking for stock throughout the shop , but can immediately order it from the website instead .”
Looking ahead , River Island is excited about the future possibilities this technology platform has unlocked . The return on investment from hardware savings opens up opportunities that were not feasible before due to being locked into a long-term , restrictive device ecosystem . River Island also sees an opportunity as stores become more connected and the boundaries blur between the physical and digital . Cooper concluded : “ The consumer will increasingly be wanting to use their own phone in-store which means if we want to drive them to product , it will need to be on a barcode basis and Scandit is at the heart of that .” p
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE 61