Complete and constant connectivity of all communications systems and devices is the cornerstone of the competitive business. However, the larger the business is, the more communication tools it requires and uses, and the more cumbersome and complicated integrating all communication software, hardware, and platforms often becomes.
Case in point: mobile devices. Although becoming evermore flexible in what they can do in the hand of each user, getting them to easily integrate with internal servers and software is often an uphill climb.
What's a business to do when mobile devices won't "play nice" with its existing platforms? This was but one of the challenges facing PriceSmart when they reached out to Agle IT for help.
PriceSmart is a warehouse retailer based in San Diego. It operates membership club stores, selling food and consumer goods in warehouse-style facilities. Founded by Sol Price of Price Club fame, it began as a spin-off from the then-PriceCostco chain in 1993 and dates back to the founding of Price Club in 1976.
The Challenge
PriceSmart was experiencing "growing pains" as more and more employees were using mobiles as their primary communications tool. Along with the need to better integrate mobile devices into their existing systems (primarily, Exchange--the number one tool business use to keep distributed resources in the loop), PriceSmart was also seeking to expand its virtual capabilities. As PriceSmart is a U.S.-based company with stores throughout the Caribbean and Central America, the need for more virtualization was pressing.
On top of meeting the needs of mobile integration and virtualization, PriceSmart was also looking to implement an improved, Windows-based point-of-sale (POS) system, and looked to Agile IT to address all of these vastly different but similarly critical needs.
The Solution
Before beginning any work at all, the Agile IT team ensured that "issues were diagnosed and explained...in such a way as to instill confidence in the solution," says PriceSmart Development Manager Dave Hahn. This is standard procedure for Agile IT: analyze, diagnose, explain, and implement, always with the end goal of giving the customer total understanding and control of any and all solutions delivered.
The Result
Agile IT delivered "a tailored solution that met [PriceSmart's] specific needs... mobiles can now connect. The Point-of-Sale systems are functioning, but more importantly, the understanding of the solutions implemented, and the knowledge that we have a resource available to address future concerns is comforting," says Hahn.
There were additional benefits: Agile IT was "extremely customer savvy... [and] delivered clear insight into what it takes to provide service to our end-users. I was, and remain, very impressed with Agile IT" says Hahn. "No one is better than Agile IT at untangling complicated Microsoft issues.."