Perfect Supermarket Service with Rittal
Innovative retail chains, like Lidl, are utilising flexible and ideal solutions from Rittal ensuring freshness of both your food, and service performance.
Anyone who goes to a supermarket nowadays wants to do their shopping quickly and easily. The foodstuffs should above all be fresh, though they must also be available in sufficient quantities. While that all sounds straight forward, it is not that easy to achieve in practice.
Lidl Finland
Innovative retailers like Lidl are therefore replying on the concept on the 'smart supermarket' and are establishing additional data centres within their branches. Since all the locations are networked with each-other, the supermarket discounter can check the inventory in real time and optimise planned deliveries. The cash register systems, bottle deposit machines and security cameras are also interlinked. This calls for a data centre that is available around the clock.
Together with the experts from Lidl, Rittal Finland has developed a solution for the flexible and rapid deployment of data centres at every branch. Rittal TS IT racks are also used and have been adapted to the budget supermarket's individual requirements. For example, it was not possible to retrofit existing branches with IT technology rooms. That is why a closed solution was developed that also operates with electronic door locks and security cameras. The IT racks are based on the standard products but they have been adapted to Lidl's requirements by means of special cable guides, ceiling fans, filters and cooling lines.
"The project has been going extremely well since the design phase. The experts
from Rittal have delivered what they promised. They have clearly understood what
we need in our stores."
- Patrik Sundgren, Lidl IT Infrastructure Manager
Results
Now, Lidl is monitoring its inventory levels in real time in order to improve the ordering processes even further. This way, customers always find their favourite products on the shelf. Optimising inventory also adjusts the amount of perishable foodstuffs available to the actual demand. As a result, less foodstuffs are thrown away into the garbage at the end of their shelf life, meaning that Lidl operates more economically and helps to protect the environment.
Italian Retailer
Imagine a supermarket's supplies of coffee beans are running short. The supermarket responds by placing an automated order with its wholesaler. The customer, who - according to the popular slogan - is always right, notices nothing of the supposed bottleneck and can still enjoy his morning cup of hot, steaming coffee. Scenarios like this one are already being simulated at a large Italian supermarket chain.
The company relies on IT infrastructure from Rittal to give its customers a unique shopping experience and to ensure the high availability of its IT processes.
Its supermarkets, which are often located on the outskirts of cities, will gradually be equipped with an identical Rittal IT solution. The Rittal Edge Data Center consists of two TS IT racks, equipped with two power distribution units and the CMC III monitoring solution, and does not require a separate room for installation. Each racks are cooled by a Blue e+ cooling unit mounted on the roof. The goal is to establish a consistent and standardised IT infrastructure in all supermarkets that guarantees high availability of all IT processes and thus a unique customer experience. To that end, in the future the price tags are to be digitised, for instance. During special promotion weeks, there is no need to replace the paper labels on the product shelf. But even then, you want to make sure that the cash register knows the price and the customer is charged correctly. In fact, the IT in the supermarket must function smoothly. After all, payment is also made via the customer's smartphone, which is faster than counting the cash.
Should the system fail after all, a service level agreement with Rittal ensures that a technician will show up within four hours.
Looking for more information? We can help with that...
If you want to know more about Rittal solutions to benefit your Food and Beverage production, or have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch on 01254 685900 and our Internal Sales Advisors or Technical Support Engineers will be happy to chat. Or, get your local Field Sales Engineer down to your site for some face-to-face advice!
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