STORES Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 64)

NUTS AND BOLTS / IT OPERATIONS It is not necessary for IT staffers to physically go to the stores to configure the software. In fact, 70 percent of the 750 respondents to Network Computing’s 2007 reader survey indicated that they had never actually finished a network management deployment. While the survey was somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it does highlight the difficulty of deploying large-scale network management solutions. By automatically deploying across a network, CITTIO’s solutions help its clients avoid complicated, drawn-out installations that often remain partially finished. Once it’s found the equipment, WatchTower studies its operation and notes when performance falls outside prescribed parameters. “It allows stores to get control of all their equipment,” Lerner says. Reduced deployment time At the same time, deploying the software is fairly straightforward and quick. Because the applications are configured to automatically hunt across the network for the components to monitor, a 100-store chain can be deployed in a matter of weeks, Lerner says. Moreover, it’s not necessary for IT staffers to physically go to the stores to configure the software, which traditionally has been a large chunk of the expense of implementing monitoring applications. “The license fee is dwarfed by the cost of flying someone to each store,” he says. “Our automation technology drastically reduces the manpower required.” The notification can be tailored to var64 STORES / JULY 2008 ious users: the IT staff can get a detailed explanation of the problem and its likely causes, while management can get a dashboard of summary data. Or, a regional manager can tailor the application to show data only for the stores within his territory. The price of the software can be calculated on a per-store price, based on the number of pieces of computing equipment or the retailer can pay a monthly fee and allow CITTIO to host the software itself. While CITTIO wouldn’t fix any problems its software discovers, its employees could handle the software administration and make sure that information on out-of-compliance systems is transmitted to the appropriate employees and managers. No matter which pricing method a retailer chooses, the return on investment results from the retailer’s enhanced ability to detect potential problems and take corrective action before customers and store operations are impacted, says Lerner. This can reduce unplanned outages and downtime, which cause delays and frustrated customers and lead to abandoned purchases. This should also reduce inaccurate or late store reporting of financial results. Greater uptime also increases the productivity of employees, as they’re less likely to be sidelined by malfunctioning systems. This has become increasingly important as more sales associates use technology not only to ring up sales, but also to check stock at neighboring stores and enroll customers in loyalty programs. Customization capabilities WatchTower, which Mervyns uses on a license basis, monitors available disk space, as well as CPU usage and memory. “Our team can be pro-active when problems appear” and decide if it makes sense to add hardware or software or to remove some applications in order to remedy the problem, Guisti says. Without CITTIO, the process would be “much more manual.” More significantly, the administrator would be more likely to miss potential problems, given the range of operations he or she would be expected to keep tabs on. A manual approach also would leave the system administrator with less time to focus on day-to-day support. Guisti and his team also are working with CITTIO to use some of the customization capabilities available within WatchTower. For instance, they may program WatchTower to monitor some applications that are specific to Mervyns. Mervyns uses WatchTower to monitor store-level equipment and devices, says Cheong, who oversees the POS VLANs (virtual LANs), each of which includes about 35 devices, from POS terminals to access points. Because deployment of CITTIO began just a year ago, it’s too early to determine the degree to which system downtime has been reduced, Cheong says. However, because he and his team are able to log into the system to view information on the servers’ operations, they’re more likely to notice potential trouble spots and take preventive action. Previously, no one at headquarters would know of any problems in the field until a store manager called. Cheong’s next task will be to put the POS terminals onto the CITTIO application. As stores are added, the number of devices under CITTIO’s watch will leap from about 177 to 4,000 – turning that single pane of glass into a panoramStORES ic window. Karen M. Kroll is a business writer based in Minnetonka, Minn. WWW.STORES.ORG http://WWW.STORES.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of STORES Magazine - July 2008

STORES Magazine - July 2008 Contents Executive Editor's Page President's Page Dearth of Retail Creativity What Shoppers Think Wow, Is That a Wawa? 10 Things You May Have Missed Numbers Worth Counting Full Price/Markdown Retail People Merchandising Strategy Concept2Watch Point of Sale Outsourcing Human Resources Top 100 Retailers Store Design RFID IT Operations Systems Managements LP Vantage Point Newsbeat Cover Story Emergency Response Systems Background Checks LOEB Retail Letter Point of View NRF News Retail Crossword Retail Industry Calendar Last Laugh

STORES Magazine - July 2008

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