The Challenge

The new Door Talker screens at Jeanswest were to be a high impact, cost effective marketing tool. But their installation was not a simple ‘plug and play’ exercise.

Few of Jeanswest’s outlets had the essential WiFi / Wireless Access Point (WAP) setup. Each outlet required individual networking as the size and layout of each store is unique. And, with the modem either under the counter or in a backroom, the question was how best to devise the installations so the Door Talker was within range and able to maintain connection.

To ensure the success of the rollout, and to enable the seamless, integrated push of content from central Marketing to each store, the panels had to be pre-configured.

Then there was the tight six week timeframe. Vu Trinh, POS System and Support Administrator at Jeanswest, says: “We wanted the rollout to happen quickly, irrespective of whether the stores were in cities, regional areas or New Zealand”.

The freestanding, 1.5m tall Door Talker screens and concept were provided by MusicMaker – the existing supplier of music to all Jeanswest stores. As the vendor did not have the deployment capability, Jeanswest’s IT team looked to outsource this critical part of the project.

Jeanswest stipulated minimum disruption to the outlets. Equipment deliveries were to be made just prior to the scheduled arrival of the technician and installations were confined to coincide with the quietest retail times. Vu says: “We couldn’t risk any down time over busy weekends. And we wanted experienced IT techs doing the work so we could be confident any issues would be resolved quickly”.

The Solution

Compnow, as Jeanswest’s long term, trusted ICT partner, was asked to take on the WiFi enablement and deployment of the new promotional display units. Vu says: “They put the business case, recommended the matching equipment and quantified what was to be ordered. It was easy to give the go ahead”.

Jeanswest’s IT team coordinated the delivery of the Door Talker components while Compnow took on the selection and ordering of associated cabling, power boards, WiFi and switching needs. The different layout of each store and the distance between the panel’s placement at the entrance and the router required a customised cabling and WiFi set up.

The brief required Compnow’s engineers to quickly familiarise themselves with the components of the system and pre-configure them for each store’s use.

Then the logistics came into play. It required coordinating the Just in Time delivery of the valuable displays and networking components.

With the appointment of an experienced Compnow project manager to the mix, the roll-out was on track to meet the delivery timetable. And jobs were allocated to the installing engineers as per the deployment requirements.

The Benefits

Compnow’s nation-wide coverage was critical to the streamlined roll-out. The completed project saw 164 onsite installations across Australia with Compnow’s accredited partner undertaking the New Zealand work to the same detailed brief.

While the preference had been for qualified technicians to do all the installations, for 36 of the more remote stores it was too costly to send a Compnow engineer. These were completed via comprehensive instructions and structured phone meetings with the store managers.

Vu says: “Compnow ironed out the best way to install the WiFi. They got that down pat in their pilot testing so everything was configured before the technicians were sent out to their allocated outlets. And they ensured that the right tech turned up at the right store at the right time.

“In all deployments of this complexity there are always going to be last minute or unique technical difficulties. But communications is key and Compnow’s Project Manager made sure we knew what was happening. Their techs would email me once they were on site and when they’d finished. Then all we had to do was the cutover testing and move onto the next store.”

With these services now complete, the Door Talkers at Jeanswest are now fully operational and integrated into its digital point of sale marketing strategy.