GROCERY CHAIN MAXIMIZES NETWORK UPTIME

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1 CASE STUDY A LEADING GROCERY CHAIN IN THE SOUTHEAST WITH 900+ RETAIL STORE LOCATIONS GROCERY CHAIN MAXIMIZES NETWORK UPTIME Network uptime can spell the difference between a successful business and one that struggles. When a regional retail grocery chain saw sales disrupted by outages with its in-store networks, they needed a partner with the expertise and the geographic reach to implement at more than 900 locations. GCI created a managed service that delivered four-hour SLAs with 99.99% performance rate.

2 OVERVIEW Project Scope The grocery chain needed a faster, more efficient method to troubleshoot problems with in-store routers. Their existing process was convoluted and caused business outages; a four-hour Service Level Agreement (SLA) was imperative to resolve network issues and keep stores operational and productive. Approach GCI engaged our 7x24x365 Global Services Center to provide support to the grocery chain s 900+ stores. The proposal included a four-hour resolution SLA to provide on-site remedial router maintenance, leveraging GCI s Deployment Services, Logistics Support and Managed Services capabilities. Results GCI developed a managed services offering to support in-store networks and provide round-the clock support. Adhering to a four-hour resolution SLA at a 99.99% performance rate, GCI provides exceptional response time to network issues, allowing the chain s IT staff to focus on other strategic IT projects. GLOBAL CONVERGENCE, INC. GCI is a specialty distribution and IT services company providing partners access to rapidly emerging, innovative and disruptive technologies complemented by a full line of global IT services. 2

3 NETWORK NIGHTMARES Help Wanted: Outages, Delays Lead to Frustration When it came to supporting 900 locations, the IT staff of this regional grocery retailer was low on resources and patience. Technicians were forced to manage through multiple priorities and manual processes, for example troubleshooting in-store network outages that required negotiating manufacturer warranty claims on faulty equipment and managing returns on broken routers. Replacement units and response times often were delayed, and the stores productivity was suffering. The grocer s IT team had a four-hour internal response SLA in place for the stores, but regularly missed that deadline. Both the IT team and the stores were increasingly frustrated with the process that hindered the repair of business-critical networks. The team needed help from a third party that could streamline their outage resolution processes, keep spare equipment on hand in close proximity to their stores and provide a four-hour resolution SLA to ensure operations remained up and running. They selected the perfect partner in GCI, which had the regional logistics framework to keep spares on-hand near store locations, a Global Support Center (GSC) to provide 7x24x365 dispatch services and the team of technicians to respond quickly to equipment outages. SERVICES PROVIDED Deployment: implementation services Logistics: staging, testing services, project management, returns processing Management: dispatch services, monitoring and reporting 3

4 AT YOUR SERVICE Analyzing the Problem, Developing the Solution Business-critical network outages can have a major impact on the grocery chain s ability to complete transactions, so maximizing network uptime is vital to the organization s financial success and customer satisfaction. GCI resources analyzed the company s networks, diagnosed the issues and ultimately recommended a solution that would improve response time and provide more reliable in-store IT networks. After an initial assessment, GCI determined that it could provide the necessary resources and coverage to dispatch and deliver in-store remedial router maintenance within a four-hour SLA window. Leveraging its broad geographic reach, GCI offered to keep spare equipment near each of the grocery chain s 900+ stores, ensuring that GCI could meet the SLA requirement. Further analysis found that the chain s IT staff had an inefficient process for returning damaged equipment for replacements, driving administrative costs higher. GCI designed a program to support the grocery chain s entire returns and warranty process on their behalf. The comprehensive router dispatch, maintenance, logistics and disposal program was implemented to support all of the chain s stores throughout the Southeast. 4

5 RESULT Business Back on Track, Focus on the Future The grocery business is highly competitive and margins are slim. Consumers have many choices in the marketplace and highly available networks are essential for grocers to support Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, manage inventory and provide efficient service to customers. GCI designed a customized managed service solution to provide on-site maintenance and logistics of their in-store networks, combining technical expertise to their outstanding logistics engine to provide a solution. The GCI team was able to guarantee round-the-clock on-site service and remediation within a four-hour window at a performance rate of 99.99%. As a result, the customer experienced a significant improvement to its in-store network availability for all locations with GCI s support. The store locations received better service response times from partnering with GCI, and their internal IT team was able to redirect their time to focus on additional projects critical to the ongoing success of the business. (800) servlink@globalconvergence.com 5