Aruba创建了移动第一平台，以鼓励Benelux零售商的全渠道卓越。

Maxeda DIY Group是Benelux的主要DIY零售商。它在四种格式上经营389家商店：荷兰的实践和formido，比利时的Brico和卢森堡的Brico以及比利时的Plan-IT。

该小组面临着零售业中许多其他人熟悉的挑战：如何在全渠道世界中最大化客户支出。马克斯达（Maxeda）希望增加在线销售，同时使其更容易，更高效，更愉快地在物理出口购物。

For Erik Cuypers, Group CIO, Maxeda Group Benelux, the goal is a single view of the customer, with the means to optimise the customer experience at every touchpoint. This means seamlessly connecting those touchpoints, and acting upon the rich amounts of data generated.

他说：“无论是使用我们的网站，我们的应用程序，售货亭还是店内购物，这都是同一位客户。”“对于这种全渠道零售，Wi-Fi是关键的推动者。”

升级和标准化无线网络

Aruba Mobile First Architecture的可编程性和开放性，以及它提供的监视和管理功能，使我们能够以自动和可靠的方式进行大规模部署。这将为我们的社区创造真正的移动体验。Erik Cuypers,Group CIO, Maxeda Group Benelux

Cuypers承认该集团的无线基础设施公顷d become less than ideal. With some kit coming to end-of-life, Matt Masterson, IT manager, Maxeda Group Benelux, says there was a lifecycle management opportunity: "It's safe to say we had not invested heavily in this kind of infrastructure for years. The wireless set-up needed a complete upgrade, and we had a high-level view of some of the new services we could run off an improved network."

There was also an opportunity to standardise. Maxeda's Dutch business had one wireless network, the Belgian one had another. "We wanted one solution, one support structure, and a fully aligned business," says Masterson. "We wanted a common infrastructure."

阐明可能性

The search for a solution began with a demo from Aruba and local partner SecureLink. This was eye-opening, says Masterson.

"We had an idea of how wireless could underpin new services, but it was only when we met Aruba that things started to get real," he says. "We could see that wireless was just the start, and we could start to articulate these possibilities to senior management."

Aruba/SecureLink合作伙伴关系不仅仅是销售谈话。该提案包括提供两家商店的概念证明，一家在比利时，另一家在荷兰，使Maxeda可以在网络上测试新用例。这两个POC都表现得非常好，并满足了所有期望。

对网络性能的粒状洞察力

The solution comprises 2,234阿鲁巴iAP-315 indoor access pointsand 20阿鲁巴iAP-275 outdoor access pointsacross 320 Maxeda stores in Belgium and the Netherlands. Crucially,阿鲁巴空军网络管理provides the granular detail to accurately plot coverage in each store, from the small-scale city stores to the large, edge-of-town warehouses.
Masterson说：“我们已经预算了一个直截了当的访问点更换。信号是弱或实时识别黑点，以及我们是否需要更多或更少的访问点。”

通过三角剖分和热图从Airwave获得的此信息，帮助计划了该信息，并为每个商店提供了正确的访问点数和位置。它使Masterson可以监视任何商店的影响：“我们可能想更改销售点，店内或移动一些商品销售点。使用Airwave，我可以看到这些变化是否影响Wi-Fi的强度，并且可以相应地做出反应。”

Operational improvements today; innovation tomorrow

The roll-out began in Belgium and gained pace as stores in the Netherlands migrated to the Aruba solution. "It's fair to say we learned lessons along the way – retail poses unique challenges, given the range of different locations and zero tolerance for network downtime, but the last 150 stores went surprisingly quickly."

Masterson承认直接影响纯粹是后台：“我们终于在无线上标准化了一个提供商。我们有一个快速推出的解决方案，并且可以快速进行优化。此外，我们实际上能够有效地管理从一个接口中的300多家商店中的网络。从业务角度来看，下一个重要的里程碑是我们开始部署客户Wi-Fi时。”

This is where the interesting stuff happens, says Cuypers, "Once we can identify customers, through their log in, we can create heat maps, we can see where they've been in-store, we can sync with their loyalty membership."
In theory, he explains, the company will be able to identify a customer who is browsing for bathroom accessories via the app, then track them as they come in-store and log on to the Wi-Fi. "And if we see they are spending 30 minutes in this section, that gives us a pretty good idea they might be planning a bathroom renovation. Our marketing team can then produce personalised offers."

该小组在其社交渠道上有480,000名关注者，这是“制造商”社区的一部分。Cuypers说：“店内Wi-Fi将使识别，参与和启发这个社区变得更加容易 - 更接近购买点。”

In order to provide a secure and properly integrated store Wi-Fi environment for customers, Maxeda are deploying阿鲁巴ClearPass Policy Manager. They also plan a PoC in two stores to test mobile engagement within their stores based on阿鲁巴Bluetooth Beacons.

Looking to the future

他补充说，他们为许多近乎未来的创新打开了大门，但关键是它现在能够以扎实的指标和业务成果从事业务：“我们不是在谈论零碎的位置和字节，但要算了。企业理解：客户足够的脚步，店内热图和最佳商店布局。”

This is transformative stuff. The business plans to overhaul its customer-facing apps and use Bluetooth Beacons to help with in-store wayfinding. There are also plans for floor staff to use tablets, and for customers to log in via social media. All these projects will involve IT.

"A good Wi-Fi environment is more than simply good infrastructure, it's about the tooling that Wi-Fi provides the business, for example, real-time stock inventory, personalised promotions, heatmapping, directions and expert advice via social channels. Wi-Fi makes it possible to serve our customers better," concludes Cuypers.