Compugen helped a large Canadian retailer refresh aging store technology across approximately 400 locations while keeping a complex national deployment on schedule.
Working alongside the retailer’s technology services partner, Compugen coordinated configuration, installation, logistics, and field support across the country. Phase two alone included 2,612 HP Elite t655 thin clients and 356 Zebra DS8178 scanners.
For a retailer with hundreds of locations operating each day, replacing outdated technology is rarely a simple swap. Shipments must reach the right stores, technicians must arrive at the right time, and issues need to be resolved without slowing the broader rollout. The larger the store network, the harder it becomes to deliver a consistent result.
The Challenge
The retailer needed to replace aging hardware and software across approximately 400 locations. Its existing technology had fallen behind current standards, leading to slower task completion and equipment that sometimes needed to be rebooted before it would work.
Standardizing the environment was important for both daily operations and future growth. The retailer wanted more consistent technology across its stores and an environment that could scale as its needs changed.
The size and reach of the store network made the refresh especially challenging. Compugen and third-party technicians had to be scheduled across Canada, including at remote locations. Shipments needed to be tracked, stores had to be kept informed, and technicians required support while completing installations on site.
All of this had to happen within the required project timeline.
The Opportunity
The refresh gave the retailer an opportunity to replace end-of-life technology with a more current and consistent foundation across its store network.
Rather than managing each location as a separate installation, the project could follow a coordinated national approach. Consistent planning, communication, configuration, and field support would help the retailer maintain momentum across hundreds of sites.
Compugen brought the national reach, retail technology experience, and deployment expertise needed to support that scale. Working with the retailer’s technology services partner, Compugen helped move the initiative through its second and third phases while responding to issues as they emerged.
The Solution
Compugen provided the professional services, configuration, deployment, installation, and technical support required to carry out the refresh.
During phase two, the team deployed:
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2,612 HP Elite t655 thin clients
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356 Zebra DS8178 scanners
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Dell, Toshiba, and Zebra technologies were also involved across the broader initiative.
Compugen coordinated its own technicians and third-party resources across the country. The team maintained regular communication with stores, tracked shipments to confirm equipment arrived when needed, and supported technicians when questions or escalations arose on-site.
This coordinated approach reflected many of the services included in a large-scale technology deployment, including planning, logistics, tracking, configuration, installation, and field support.
The team also worked through challenges that could easily have slowed a project of this size. Some stores were not aware of their scheduled implementation despite earlier notifications. At other locations, technicians needed help finding shipments or identifying the hardware to be replaced because a complete inventory list was not available.
Thin-client installations also had to pause while an internal server issue preventing recognition of the new devices was resolved. Compugen remained engaged throughout these challenges, supporting technicians and managing field escalations to help limit repeat visits and keep the broader rollout moving.
For a national retailer, field services provide the on-site support needed to connect a central technology plan with the realities of hundreds of individual locations. That capability was critical to keeping this deployment consistent across urban, rural, and remote stores.
The Outcome
Compugen completed the deployment within the required timelines, helping the retailer replace outdated technology across approximately 400 locations.
The refresh created a more current and consistent technology environment across the store network. According to the customer’s project feedback, the new technology improved consistency and supported a better store and customer experience.
The engagement also demonstrated that a rollout of this size could continue moving even when shipments, hardware locations, technical dependencies, and field schedules did not always line up as planned.
By maintaining communication with stores and technicians, tracking equipment, and responding to escalations, Compugen helped the retailer and its technology services partner manage those challenges without losing sight of the national schedule.
The Future
What began with phase one has now grown into three phases of technology upgrades. Further refresh opportunities are also being considered as the retailer continues updating its store environment.
The phased approach gives the retailer a proven model for future work. Deployment planning, configuration, logistics, installation, and technical support can be coordinated across the store network as new refresh requirements emerge.
It also creates an opportunity to connect future deployments with a broader device lifecycle strategy, helping the retailer manage technology from initial preparation and deployment through ongoing support and future replacement.
The Relationship
The project depended on close coordination between Compugen, the retailer’s technology services partner, store teams, technology vendors, and technicians in the field.
Compugen’s national reach made it possible to support installations across approximately 400 locations, including remote stores. Its retail and technology experience helped the team understand both the technical requirements and the operational realities of working in active retail environments.
Most importantly, Compugen remained responsive when issues arose. By supporting technicians, tracking shipments, and managing escalations, the team helped keep the project moving and demonstrated the value of a Technology Ally that can work across partners, technologies, and locations.
What's Next
Planning a technology refresh across multiple retail locations? Explore how Compugen helps retailers build stronger technology foundations that support consistent operations and customer experiences.
If your refresh is already taking shape, connect with a Compugen expert to discuss how coordinated configuration, logistics, deployment, and field support can reduce pressure on your team and keep work moving across every location.
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