Iceland Increases Colleague Satisfaction and Improves Operational Efficiency with Zebra’s Mobile Computing Solutions
Iceland is a prominent UK supermarket chain known for its groundbreaking frozen food innovations. Faced with growing online demand and operational complexity, Iceland wanted to enhance its technological capabilities.
Zebra Success Story: Iceland
Overview: Retail Challenge
Iceland integrated Zebra TC58 mobile computers into its operations, streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency and boosting colleague satisfaction across its stores. This allowed Iceland to standardize devices, optimize workflows and prepare for future expansion, ensuring ongoing growth and excellence in customer service.
Benefits / Outcomes
- Increased flexibility and efficiency with uniform device configuration
- Vastly increased colleague satisfaction
- A future-ready solution for further expansion
About Iceland
Iceland is a popular supermarket chain in the UK focused on frozen food innovation, convenience and value. Its strategy aims to leverage these well-established strengths to achieve long term sustainable and profitable growth.
Iceland’s history of innovation is an impressive one, dating back to its origins in 1970s Oswestry. It was the first supermarket to remove artificial colourings and flavourings from products, the first to remove GM ingredients from its own label products and the first supermarket to offer a nationwide home delivery service.
More recently, Iceland is also championing green initiatives to help reduce plastic and food waste. As a business, Iceland is a pioneer, relentlessly committed to finding new ways to deliver outstanding offerings to customers.
Running a business this ambitious and at this scale – across more than 980 brick and mortar stores and an online service – means that an omnichannel offering gets busy. To support workers on the frontline and in the supply chain, technology is key. Iceland wanted to ensure that it was standardising its best-in-class technology so colleagues were connected, optimised and empowered. In order to continue to function at such a streamlined level, Iceland decided it needed to increase its technological capabilities.
To do that, it turned to Zebra.
The Challenge
While Iceland’s operations had been running quite smoothly at the time of its recent collaboration with Zebra, it knew it needed to proactively improve its capabilities. Online orders were increasing as was Iceland’s scope of operations, two acute challenges in the face of globally disrupted logistics.
As an existing Zebra customer with strong ties in place, and in conjunction with Zebra Premier Solution Partner Peak Technologies, Iceland knew that it could rely on the team to support a technology modernisation. “There’s more than one group of colleagues at Iceland that relies on cutting-edge technology,” says Emma Tysoe, Head of IT Development, Stores & Marketing Systems at Iceland. “We’ve got our shop floor colleagues, IT teams, delivery drivers and of course customers who rely on the capabilities of the tech.”
Originally, Iceland introduced a range of Zebra devices to satisfy the different needs within the business. “The TC70 mobile computer was used by colleagues on the shop floor for inventory and order picking, and the TC56 devices were issued to store managers and delivery drivers, as they required external connectivity 3G/4G,” explains Tysoe.
“What we really wanted to do was rationalise the number of devices and standardise the form factor and platform,” she continues. “However, we couldn’t compromise on what we needed those devices to do, even if we wanted fewer units. The TC58 was particularly useful here.”
We send those devices preconfigured to where they need to go, depending on individual needs. The great thing about this setup is that even though the bespoke profiles are designed for specific uses, with a simple call to our IT service desk and a quick profile change, anyone can use anyone’s TC58.
The Solution
Peak Technologies supported with pre-sales, testing and validation, and commercials for Iceland. Barron McCann, a Zebra Registered Reseller, supports Iceland with maintenance of the devices. This collaboration ensured that Iceland received exactly the solution it needed.
Aside from shoring up operations, one of the main drivers behind acquiring the new devices was to simplify and streamline work for colleagues. Iceland wanted to equip its vast workforce with a tech solution that made sure work was efficient and free of obstacles.
With the TC58 as the baseline, Iceland standardised functionality across devices and across three profiles. “We created a profile for colleagues in-store, another for store managers and another for our drivers,” Tysoe explains.
The Zebra Difference: Outcome and Benefits
Iceland can respond to challenges faster than before with its new devices. However, when asked about tangible metrics, Tysoe is quick to point out who the real winners are. “Yes, with our new device pool, we’re vastly more flexible and can get more done on the same units. However, the real winners are our colleagues, be it in store colleagues, store managers or drivers. Their workload has been drastically simplified thanks to our improved device suite and the feedback we’ve had has been absolutely glowing.”
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