Case Study

Enhancing Operational Efficiency with Scalable Solutions

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Customer:

Woolworths Holdings Limited

Industry:

Retailing

Installation Type:

In-Building Signal Booster Solution

Building Size:

Average Store Size of 3200 m² 

Product:

WilsonPro A1000

Boosting Signal Strength in Key Retail Areas

Woolworths Holdings Limited, headquartered in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, is one of the country’s most prestigious retailers and a leader in sustainability in the retail sector. Renowned for offering high-quality products, Woolworths provides a wide array of apparel, homeware, accessories, footwear, beauty products, and private-label food offerings for men, women, and children. The company operates through omni-channel trading divisions, including Woolworths South Africa, David Jones, and Country Road Group. Additionally, Woolworths offers financial services such as in-store cards, personal loans, and credit cards. The company sells its products through both physical stores and online platforms under various brand names, with operations in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Woolworths store on Adderley Street in Cape Town holds historical significance as the first store opened by the company on October 31, 1931. This flagship store has evolved to meet modern retail demands, particularly in managing online orders through their Dash (also known as the Dark Store) section. Woolworths continues to uphold its reputation for providing good quality products, including apparel, homeware, accessories, beauty, food, and efficient online order fulfillment, reflecting its commitment to excellent service and sustainability.

Woolworths Adderley Street

The Problem

In our recent project at the Adderley Street branch, we addressed specific challenges related to maintaining strong and reliable cellular signals in the Dash online order fulfillment section. Woolworths stores experienced several signal problems that impacted their operations. High-traffic areas across different floors, particularly in the Woolworths Dash (Dark Store) at Adderley Street, faced significant operational inefficiencies due to poor signal coverage.

Specific sections of the Dark Store, including the Managers Offices, Wine section, Long Life section, and various storage areas such as server rooms, freezers, and chill rooms, suffered from inadequate signal coverage. This led to communication breakdowns and operational challenges, hampering the overall efficiency and ability to manage online orders effectively.

 Woolworths Dash Service

The Solution

To address the signal issues at Woolworths Dark Store in Adderley Street, we implemented WilsonPro A1000 Boosters to amplify signal strength and ensure robust and reliable connectivity. These amplifiers are renowned for their high performance and ability to support multiple users simultaneously, making them ideal for high-traffic areas. By installing these boosters, we significantly improved signal coverage across critical sections of the store, enhancing operational efficiency and communication.

Woolworths Adderley Street:

Areas that required boosted signal: Wine and Long Life Isles Areas

To improve signal coverage the solution involved:

  • 2 Yagi Antennas to capture and direct the signal. These donor antennas power the entire solution across all three floors.
  • 1 WilsonPro A1000 Booster to amplify the signal strength.
  • 4 Wall-Mount Panel and 2 Yagi Antennas to distribute the boosted signal.

 

Areas that required boosted signal: Server Room, Chill Room and Freezer Areas

To improve signal coverage the solution involved:

  • 1 WilsonPro A1000 Booster to amplify the signal strength.
  • 4 Wall-Mount Panel Antennas to distribute the boosted signal.

 

Areas that required boosted signal: Online Orders Notifications Area and Managers Offices

To improve signal coverage the solution involved:

  • 2  WilsonPro A1000 Booster to amplify the signal strength.
  • 1 Wall-Mount Panel, 1 Ceiling Dome, and a Sector Antennas combination to distribute the boosted signal.

 

The Solution for Woolworths Dark Store

This tailored approach, leveraging the advanced capabilities of WilsonPro amplifiers and strategically chosen antennas, provided comprehensive and reliable connectivity solutions for high-traffic areas. This setup ensures robust and reliable connectivity, significantly enhancing operational efficiency and communication throughout the store.

The Result

A site survey was conducted before our solutions were installed. This crucial step allowed us to identify all dead zones and ensure the correct amount of equipment was installed for reliable and stable cellular signal connectivity in the targeted areas. The beauty of our solutions lies in their expandability. You don't need to cover the entire building all at once; you can build your solution incrementally. This approach allows you to ensure that all vital operations are covered initially, and then expand to other parts of your building over time.

Post-installation, significant improvements were observed in signal strength:

After installation and expansions, signal readings improved from between -110 and -81 dB to between -92 and -46 dB across critical areas.

Siretta Readings Before

Siretta Readings After

The combination of WilsonPro A1000 Boosters, advanced antennas, and strategic installations has dramatically improved cellular connectivity in Woolworths Dash (Dark Store). These solutions have not only enhanced operational efficiency and customer experience but have also ensured reliable communication in critical areas, contributing to the overall success of Woolworths' retail operations.