A large Canadian lumber and building materials (LBM) retailer with more than 1,000 locations nationwide, partnered with Compugen to pilot modern frontline communication and strengthen endpoint security across dealer-operated stores.
Using Microsoft Teams, Defender, and Intune, the organization validated a more connected, secure, and manageable store environment while preserving the independence of individual dealers.
Retail organizations with distributed store networks walk a fine line every day. They need to keep teams connected, protect devices and data, and maintain consistent standards across locations that often operate independently. For this retailer, that balancing act was getting harder to manage. They turned to Compugen as a Technology Ally to build a more secure, connected, and manageable environment without disrupting the independence of individual dealers.
Working within a dealer and franchise model, the retailer needed a better way to connect people, systems, and security across a wide and varied retail footprint. Communication between corporate teams and store staff was not consistent. Frontline employees needed faster, more reliable ways to collaborate in real time. At the same time, IT leaders were under pressure to strengthen identity, device, and data protection across both corporate and dealer-operated locations.
Endpoint deployment and management also looked different from store to store. This made it difficult to maintain consistent security controls. The organization wanted to modernize how devices were deployed, secured, and managed while improving threat detection and monitoring. All of this had to happen in a way that respected the independence of each dealer location.
This was more than a simple technology update. It was an opportunity to build a modern foundation for communication, security, and endpoint management across the retailer’s national network. By running a focused Proof of Concept, the organization could test new tools in real store environments, confirm they could standardize key controls, and map out a clear path for broader adoption.
Working with Compugen created a way to design a solution that supported both corporate priorities and the realities of independently owned stores. The goal was to improve frontline productivity, strengthen security, and deliver experience by design for employees and customers.
Compugen led the engagement from start to finish, bringing experience in modern workspace, frontline collaboration, and enterprise security. The team worked with multiple stakeholders and delivered both the technical solution and the training needed to support adoption. Compugen also worked closely with Microsoft to secure ECIF funding to help support the pilot. This reduced financial risk for the retailer and made it easier to validate the solution in real store environments before committing to broader rollout.
Compugen deployed Microsoft Teams for Frontline in six retail locations across 30 devices to test how it performed in live store environments. The pilot introduced store-level chat, calling, meetings, and Walkie-Talkie capabilities on Zebra handheld devices. Associates were able to collaborate more quickly, resolve customer and operational issues faster, and stay connected through a mobile-first experience built for frontline staff. Corporate teams also gained a more consistent and direct communication channel to store managers and associates.
To strengthen the retailer’s security posture, Compugen implemented a set of Microsoft security and management technologies. These included Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud Apps, Defender for Identity, and risk-based Conditional Access to improve protection across users and data.
Intune, Autopilot, BitLocker, and Entra ID Join were introduced to modernize and secure endpoint deployment. This created a more consistent and manageable device environment across both corporate and dealer-operated locations. The solution was also integrated with the retailer’s ReliaQuest monitoring and detection service to provide continuous threat visibility.
Compugen delivered the project through a full lifecycle approach that covered discovery, design, build, test, and deployment. The team ran workshops, developed technical design documentation, created user guides and frontline training materials, and produced administrative runbooks. Pilot testing was completed across multiple endpoints and retail locations to make sure the solution worked as expected in real store settings.
Through the Proof of Concept, the retailer validated modern frontline communication tools in live store environments. They confirmed they could standardize key security controls across both corporate and dealer-operated locations while still allowing flexibility for independently owned stores.
The pilot also improved coordination at the store level and supported faster incident response. Just as important, it created a scalable blueprint for rolling out modern communication, security, and endpoint management practices across the broader retail network. The organization now has a proven and secure foundation to support the next phase of its digital modernization.
Following the success of the Proof of Concept, the retailer is evaluating how these communication and security capabilities could be expanded to a broader group of dealers. They are also exploring additional frontline solutions and considering how the security and endpoint management framework could be extended to more store and head office systems. With a strong foundation now in place, the organization has the flexibility to scale when the time is right and continue modernizing retail operations at a pace that makes sense for the business.
Connect with Compugen’s experts to see how a Technology Ally can help you modernize collaboration, strengthen security, and design experiences that work in the real world.