WEI boosts connectivity, flexibility, and customer success with IoT-enabled wireless meat scales for New England grocery retailer
Retail Case Study
CHALLENGE
A prominent supermarket retailer in the Northeast was struggling with its wireless meat scales. Because the scales’ wireless components were internal—to prevent damage from harsh cleaning chemicals—the metal frames of the scales interfered with the wireless connectivity.
The unreliable wireless connection not only complicated employee workflow but also jeopardized the customer experience. When the wireless scales lost their connection, employees faced long waiting periods while the devices reset. What’s more, not all employees were trained to reboot the connection. This led to the devices being out of order repeatedly—resulting in long customer wait times and an unwieldy number of tickets for the company’s IT team. Customers even avoided its deli department on days when downtimes were more common.
The company had worked with WEI on other wired and wireless projects, so they turned to WEI again, this time for a long-term solution to their meat scale frustrations.
SOLUTION
WEI took the company’s existing wireless scales and connected them to a new client bridge, providing the scales with wireless connectivity and a more robust means to transition data from the scales to the company’s database. The WEI team went a step further by modifying the meat scales to become IoT-enabled devices, essentially giving the wired scales wireless connectivity capabilities.
The new client bridge allows for a more intelligent, low-cost solution with more flexibility and better security. Because the deli staff no longer needs to rely on physical connections, they can use, move and clean the scales as needed without having to worry about harming the technical components.
Through their consultation with the grocery retailer’s IT leadership, the WEI team performed on-site testing and design, working with the scales’ manufacturer and introducing the new solution in the grocer’s model store. The new wireless solution was a clear success, so the grocer began scaling the solution to its most problematic stores.
OUTCOME
IT leaders at this prominent supermarket retailer are pleased with the technology’s success. Now with better coverage, the company is saving on costs because it requires fewer devices in each of its delis, and they are realizing significant cost savings because customers are no longer forced to wait in long lines or avoid the deli all together. Since the scales use internal components for connectivity instead of external components—which can be adapted to the requirements of each unique scale—deli staff can use the scales in any way they require. The new wireless meat scale solution improved speed of delivery, even more importantly, greatly improved the customer experience for the supermarket’s already incredibly loyal customer base.
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