Big Lots rolls out major mobile computing solution.

Tuesday September 07, 2004 - Strategic Systems and Technology Corp. has recently partnered with Zebra Technologies to provide a comprehensive shelf labeling solution for retail giant Big Lots, the company announced last week.

"Big Lots was looking for a portable printer to use for a shelf labeling application," said Rick Bissonnette, president of Strategic Systems and Technology Corporation. "The company had evaluated a 4-inch printer from another manufacturer, but was not satisfied. The application called for a 2.5-inch wide shelf label that could also be used in the freezers of the stores' frozen food department. We felt the Zebra QL 320, with its optional LCD display, was a good choice for the project."

Strategic's recommendation was a perfect fit for the nationwide retailer and led to the successful design and implication of the project in Big Lots stores. At the time of its completion this year, the project sent 1,500 Zebra QL 320s and 850 Symbol PPT2800s on their way to being applied with the new labeling solution.

So how did Strategic Systems and Zebra partner together to generate results?

Strategic Systems worked closely with Big Lots to develop a thorough understanding of business processes within the retail stores to zero in on what their needs would be when utilizing a labeling solution. Armed with a comprehensive understanding of the company's needs, Strategic then turned to Zebra Technologies and began working with them to develop a customized solution for Big Lots. From there, the solution was constructed and the Zebra QL 320s were preloaded with the custom data crafted by Strategic Systems and Zebra.

"We completed the installation and setup in our offices. This included loading the PPT2800 applications, charging all the batteries, loading labels, and testing the application. This eliminated the time-consuming setup process experienced by Big Lots in the initial rollout," said Bissonnette.


For more information on Strategic Systems' undertaking of Big Lots' shelf labeling needs, be sure to check out the September 2004 edition of Business Solutions magazine, featuring Rick Bissonnette on its cover.