34 CASESTUDY


ZEEMAN NETWORKS ITS WAY TO SUCCESS


A consultative approach provides European retailer, Zeeman with an IT network capable of supporting rapid store expansion and business growth


A truly


consultative development process… enabled us to utilise multiple best- of-breed local carriers, with the reliability and fl exibility we require to continue to grow our business


the fashion retailer operates more than 1,150 stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France. Based on founder, Jan Zeeman’s philosophy that, “Good clothing and textiles don’t have to be expensive,” the company has realised extensive growth and has the ambition to become the most effi cient link between producer and consumer. As Zeeman continues to grow in both new and existing geographical markets, with two stores are being opened every week somewhere in Europe, its IT Team was looking for a network service provider who was able to cope with the company’s international expansion strategy and adapt to change as quickly as Zeeman does. Zeeman used to have two networking suppliers: a


Z


telecommunications company and a service provider with unclear responsibility and limited experience in the deployment of international wide area networks (WAN) and voice-over internet protocol (IP) telephony. Yet the retailer’s WAN is the crucial link between the head offi ce and the stores as it carries both speech and data communications. In order to keep track of sales and stock fi gures, Zeeman needs to communicate with the electronic point-of-sale (EPoS) systems run across the WAN and pass key information onto other key areas within the business, such as purchasing and logistics. Additionally, Zeeman wanted to replace the legacy infrastructure still deployed in some stores and implement a new WAN, which would support VoIP across key European sites as well as managed payment, transaction and alarm services, while also enabling future requirements like online and thin-client applications. Zeeman’s Reliance Globalcom solution covers the implementation and management of a WAN to


eeman Textielsupers B.V. supplies modern, high- quality fashion and textiles for a low, reasonable price. Established in 1967 in Alphen aan den Rijn,


connect over 1,150 European Zeeman stores to central headquarters. The new network supports VoIP across key European sites, in addition to managed payment, transaction and alarm services. With its hybrid virtual network operator (VNO)


business model, Reliance Globalcom was well positioned to support Zeeman’s expansion strategy, via the integration of multiple new local providers into the network, while retaining key legacy relationships that helped build the retailer’s credibility in established markets. Reliance Globalcom provides a single point of management for all Zeeman’s contractual, billing, and fault management processes, delivering consistent service assurance and service level agreements (SLAs) across the network regardless of the underlying network carriers. With improved transparency on usage and issue


identifi cation managed centrally, local Zeeman IT resources could be deployed on the implementation of new VoIP applications, and the introduction of networked payment and transaction processes over the WAN. High on the agenda is a new EPoS system from which Zeeman can retrieve stock and time and attendance data. Additionally, Zeeman is working on a project to improve its logistic planning processes. All of these elements facilitate Zeeman’s expansion


strategy and signifi cantly increases effi ciency across the business, enabling collaboration and increasing the speed, accuracy and ease of customer transactions – serving to enhance the Zeeman brand with new and existing customers.


The additional benefi ts of Zeeman’s VNO relationship include the fl exibility to scale operations rapidly, ensuring Zeeman is competitive in every market by using multiple best-of-breed local carriers, while maintaining a single point of contact and SLA regardless of the underlying infrastructure provider at each location. Service visibility and transparency is also provided through O-zone, Reliance Globalcom’s real-time online service delivery performance and reporting portal. Andre Unkel, Zeeman corporate IT manager, commented: “Reliance Globalcom’s technical expertise and deep understanding of the dynamics of different national telecom markets enabled them to better identify our specifi c needs and future requirements, than any other provider we engaged with. A truly consultative development process, completely consistent with our own philosophy, enabled us to utilise multiple best-of- breed local carriers, with the reliability and fl exibility we require to continue to grow our business.“


RETAIL TECHNOLOGY MARCH/APRIL 2011


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