Decathlon, a global sporting goods retailer with a vast network of stores across the globe, faced a challenge in optimizing their workforce efficiency and enhancing the in-store customer experience. Seeking to leverage the widespread usage of smartphones among their employees, Decathlon turned to Dstny’s FMC (Fixed-Mobile Convergence) solution as a replacement for their existing on-prem DECT phone system. This customer case study explores how Decathlon Belgium successfully implemented the FMC solution, resulting in improved operational efficiency, enhanced security, and a seamless customer experience.
Decathlon, founded in France in 1976 by Michael Leclercq, has established itself as a prominent name in the sporting goods industry. With a presence in over 60 countries and 1,600 stores worldwide, Decathlon designs, manufactures, and sells sports equipment and apparel. Their extensive store network spans Europe, China, the United States, with each store designed to provide a superior customer experience.
Decathlon faced a challenge with their existing DECT phone system. Seeking to harness the convenience and widespread adoption of smartphones among their employees, they aimed to integrate these devices with their PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system. The goal was to enhance employee efficiency and accessibility. However, the DECT phones necessitated individual base station deployments per store, resulting in ongoing costs, administrative complexities, and unreliable connectivity due to range limitations and interference.
Dstny’s FMC solution proved to be the ideal alternative for Decathlon’s DECT phone system. The existing DECT phones were replaced with a cost-effective FMC solution that capitalized on the readily available mobile network within Decathlon stores. This transition eliminated the need for DECT base stations, significantly reducing costs and simplifying user management. Moreover, by adopting a cloud-based infrastructure in a dedicated environment, Decathlon achieved enhanced security and ensured consistent network quality and availability.
“As our users already performed their day-to-day actions on a smartphone, we wanted them to use this smartphone also like a real wireless phone of the telephony solution” says Jérémy Pauliat, IT leader at Decathlon. “Now they can also use their smartphone to call everyone within the company, to be reachable by others, to manage their presence and status, all without having to pass through the main number at the reception desk, like they had to before.”
The implementation of Dstny’s FMC solution delivered several key outcomes and benefits for Decathlon Belgium:
Compared to the arduous and time-consuming process of DECT setup, FMC significantly accelerated the configuration, SIM provisioning, and device deployment. This newfound efficiency allowed Decathlon to scale their operations with ease.
FMC empowered employees by enabling them to make calls directly from their smartphones. This eliminated the need to navigate through the main reception number, making communication more efficient and improving overall reachability. Additionally, the solution provided greater visibility of employee availability, crucial for effective coordination within the store.
With large store areas requiring robust communication coverage, replacing DECT phones with FMC offered cost advantages and broader coverage. Leveraging existing employee smartphones and utilizing the reliable mobile network infrastructure eliminated the need for additional antennas and cabling.
“It’s much more practical, as I used to carry both my smartphone and DECT phone on the shop floor – it’s now combined into one device, which is more convenient” says Margaux Hauman, Shop floor Assistant Decathlon Belgium. “Customers can now call me directly, so I am more reachable and if I need to call a department I can just call directly, rather than the main number at the reception desk – making me work much more efficiently”.
By embracing Dstny’s FMC solution, Decathlon Belgium successfully overcame the challenges associated with their DECT phone system, resulting in a more efficient workforce and an enhanced in-store customer experience. The transition allowed Decathlon to leverage existing employee smartphones, reducing costs, simplifying management, and ensuring reliable and secure communications throughout their stores. With the optimized setup and improved reachability, Decathlon stands poised to continue providing exceptional service and experiences to their customers worldwide.
Want to know more about what Dstny can do for you as a service provider. Read more about our FMC product, Dstny Converge here.