Sao Paulo, BRAZIL, November 18, 2014 – Caedu, a specialized apparel and accessories retailer in Brazil, introduced Cisco® Wi-Fi technology to update its network infrastructure. Aiming for automation systems renewal to support administrative proceedings and mobility, the company installed Cisco Access Points in its stores, distribution centers and offices to provide management with efficiency and agility, while helping to ensure a secure and stable network infrastructure.

Focusing on quality fashion at affordable prices and offering a mix of diverse and complete products to its customers, Caedu presents constant market share growth in Sao Paulo state. With the business expansion in Sao Paulo state, the retailer has been forced to update the IT infrastructure, which didn’t follow the company’s business expansion’s speed. New business management systems and warehouses ended up unable to operate, as the previous Wi-Fi network system didn’t meet the functional and safety criteria needed for the smooth business operation.

In addition, much of the company’s operation was manually processed, from merchandise receipts to marking and markdown. Their distribution centers also lacked greater maturity, depending on a mobility solution, for example, for data collectors (handsets), an issue directly related to the wireless network infrastructure. Caedu realized that the Wi-Fi implementation would be the first step to full process automation, while enabling better use of the new recently acquired systems.

A new wireless network environment was then created, capable of supporting all the necessary upgrade changes. For optimal result it was provided: a functional Wi-Fi network for maximum application performance; Cisco technology environment; and deployment with minimum impact on both users and production. Altogether 170 Cisco Access Points were installed in 48 Caedu stores, two distribution centers – one located in Embu, in the metropolitan area of Sao Paulo, and another in Araguari – within the State, and in both their offices.

“Our biggest aim with this project was to provide mobility to applications and business agility,” said Denis Diniz, IT and Infrastructure Manager at Caedu. These capabilities also helped increase productivity. “We estimate an 80% growth in operational efficiency. Besides, these changes enabled us to reallocate employees to a diverse range of activities”, added the executive.

Productivity is one of the most important elements that technology – mobility in particular – can provide. According to Ana Claudia Plihal, Cisco Sales Director, investments in this area are no longer an advantage, but basic needs. “Mobility can leverage business productivity by automating processes that previously demanded manpower and unnecessary costs. Appropriate solutions in this field can be essential tools to face competition”, she explained.

Deployment and future mobility

Cisco’s partner Tripletech was responsible for the project deployment, and according to the company’s commercial director, Marcelo Oliva, Cisco’s solution offered an advantage which became even more evident in the distribution center in Embu, which required a much more robust operation compared to the stores. “Here we operate over 50 data collectors and 20 antennas, against an average of three collectors and three antennas per store. The distribution center demand for access was fundamental, and an unstable infrastructure simply wouldn’t work”, said the executive.

For the office area, a Wi-Fi network was made accessible for both employees and visitors alike, with segmented access. In the future, the wireless network access will be extended to all customers in stores, while working as a profitable and a custom service tool. According to Diniz, Cisco’s solution provided a more transparent and secure technology environment for Caedu. “The project surprised both users and visitors not only for the convenience but also for offering a safe and easy access to information,” he concluded.

About Caedu

Caedu has a blueprint of 38 years in the market, with a total of 48 stores across the state of Sao Paulo. Combining experience and modernity, Caedu offers affordable fashion to all customers.

The product mix available in each store is diverse and complete, catering to men, women and children with apparel that range from lingerie and swimwear to accessories for all different styles.

About Cisco

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