In 1965, Roger Drake commenced his supermarket retailing career with the Coles Group. In 1974 Roger established his own business by purchasing his first store in Adelaide, South Australia. The company has since grown and now owns 57 stores throughout South Australia and Queensland, with a turnover in excess of $1B and 5500 employees nationally. Drakes Supermarkets is the largest independent grocery retailer in Australia and specializes in supermarket retailing. In addition to their supermarket stores, the company operates a liquor store and several news agencies. The company’s strength lies in operating on the principles of a family business and supporting local manufacturers and suppliers. Roger prides himself on knowing as many of his staff as he can by name. He spends time every day out in his supermarkets, talking to staff and customers alike, and always endeavoring to improve the level of service the company provides. Despite its expansion, the company has managed to keep its focus on the important aspects of the supermarket business – The customer – by always striving to provide superior customer service. This is the company’s competitive edge – along with its family values and South Australian roots. One of Roger’s best-known sayings is “I am not your boss, the customer is your boss, for without the customers, none of us would have a job!”
Technology Needs
• Create a secure, stable and resilient network environment for multiple sites and locations
• Ensure compatibility with specialist supermarket mobile applications
• Deliver a solution that was timely to deploy, with minimum on-site maintenance
Results
• Centralized management and zero-touch deployment has significantly reduced deployment time, and enabled quick problem resolution
• Mobile applications with high performance connectivity have increased staff productivity and customer service
• Access Points require no network controllers or overlay networks
