Business Challenge

As one of Canada’s top book and music retailers, Indigo sought to further improve customer experiences by integrating new storefront technologies such as voice searching, mobile points-of-sale, and customer apps. However, legacy wireless and hardware systems could not accommodate new storefront initiatives, resulting in multiple dropped WiFi sessions, communication breakdowns, and bottlenecks.

Moreover, outdated devices proved to be more difficult for new employees to navigate due to their size and lagging interface. While most employees preferred a simplistic iOS solution, they still required a more ruggedized approach to hardware.

Lastly, large warehouses struggled in maintaining unbroken internet connectivity due to their size. Poor signals further worsened low pick rates, delays, and worker performance, which directly impacted the end user’s experience.

The Solution

Working with a wide variety of vendors and tech giants, Levata redesigned Indigo’s 8-year-old wireless system with a Wireless Solution across 90 storefronts. By creating a new wireless infrastructure, technicians could certify PCI compliance and remote diagnosis for additional solution hardware. Within 5 weeks, Indigo facilities were ready to integrate:

• Apple’s iOS – Apple was selected for its unbeatable familiarity and ease-of-use which required no user training. Indigo’s inhouse software development team was then able to create scanning apps dedicated to retail optimization.

• Data capture sleds – Over 700 iPods were equipped, staged, and deployed across 90 stores to add a rugged enterprise ready layer to Apple’s intuitive devices.

• MDM services – Devices received one standard configuration to facilitate sharing across facilities as well as seamless device management and faster reconnection in the event devices went offline.

In addition to software and hardware changes, Levata continued to support Indigo through additional services such as TrueSupport tech assistance and spare pool device management for seamless repairs that keep workers equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

Benefits and Results

Efficient warehouse and back-of-store modernization facilitated the integration and usage of newer devices in the storefront, upholding the customer-centric environment Indigo sought to preserve. Unbroken connectivity enabled:

• Improved transaction times from 5-10 seconds to sub-second responses
• Real-time retail analytics for all 90 stores
• Minimal training time
• Improved customer service

As Indigo continues to grow, it is expected that current automation solutions will be able to adapt and accommodate expanding workforce sizes and customer demands such as same-day shipping and real-time order tracking. Levata continues to foster a positive relationship with Indigo to maximize solution efficiency for an improved shopping experience.