Retail group Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets Carrefour, which currently has 110 stores located in 17 countries, has implemented a company-wide LifeSize video solution as part of international expansion plans.
It is hoped the new LifeSize videoconferencing facilities – which incorporate mobile options for executives – that have been deployed in each of the company’s regional headquarters will help the company expand to a total of 200 stores in 27 countries by 2017.
When initially considering a new system, the company pin pointed an increase in efficiency as a primary objective: the new system would be expected to reduce travel costs, increase productivity and support decision-making as the expansion plans took shape. Another reason for assessing LifeSize’s offering was the appeal of minimal IT involvement with the new solution. The IT team would be integral in the implementation and adoption of the video technology and any communication solutions would have to be managed centrally by the company’s internal staff, therefore the system had to be comprehensive to minimise work.
The final detail was for the solution to offer a high quality experience for senior staff, directors and board members. This meant the service had to be exemplary to ensure the reputation of the IT Network and Telecom team was maintained.
“As a company, we have bold ambitions. Videoconferencing is vital in supporting expansion while keeping our current stores performing at a high level,” explained Ahmed Bahgat, the network and telecom manager at Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets.
“We needed a communication tool that could radically cut our travel expenses and save time without impacting our decision making processes. That’s exactly what we got with LifeSize.”
The solution comprises a LifeSize Bridge at the company’s Dubai headquarters. This is connected with the hardware based on LifeSize’s 220 Series solution located in each regional office, as well as a network of mobile clients through LifeSize UVC ClearSea. This enables sceniro managers to use the LifeSize video solution for everything from conducting meetings over a secure chatting environment to sharing full presentations and reports remotely.
Plans are in place to increase the videoconferencing facilities to the new offices as and when they open in the new locations. Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets Carrefour will also be taking advantage of a buyback promotion from LifeSize, which helps alleviate the costs by offsetting them against previous investments in legacy technology.
“The support we’ve received from LifeSize has been incredible,” Bahgat added. “Their customer service combined with reliable and simple-to-use high definition video technology has made this implementation a big success and it’s going to be crucial to our business plans in the coming years.”
