dm chemist’s shops has equipped all of its employees with smartphones
dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co.KG/Uli Deck
The drugstore chain dm, with its almost 2,100 German stores and around 46,000 employees, began integrating smartphones into the work process back in 2017 as part of its internal digitalization strategy. The aim was to improve internal communication between employees, who are spread across the many locations throughout Germany, and to make inventory management easier. Among other things, the mobile connection of staff was hoped to improve customer advice by making product information available via an app. The second project was also carried out with Brodos in order to achieve a standardized solution.
The decision in favor of Brodos
dm chose Brodos as its implementing partner for both the initial installation in 2017 and the follow-up project in 2021. For dm, the reason for this was that Brodos not only supplies the necessary hardware and accessories, but also supports the project with appropriate services.
This includes the following contents:
- Thanks to Brodos’ partners, dm was able to benefit from attractive leasing offers. In addition to financing, all lifecycle processes were redesigned, introduced and further developed.
- Before delivery, a protective film was applied to all Samsung devices to prevent them from being dropped.
- A customizable bumper was produced with the company’s own dm logo and attached to the corresponding end devices.
- The power supply unit was also tested in accordance with DGUV-V3.
- Before shipping, a “dead on arrival” check was carried out to ensure the current performance of the devices.
- Flyers were enclosed for employees to provide them with information. A quick guide explains how to activate the smartphone. Once switched on, the devices were ready to use immediately.
- dm uses Samsung Knox to integrate the smartphones. Accordingly, Brodos has registered and integrated the new devices on this platform. This means that dm’s in-house IT department can manage all devices centrally and initiate updates, for example.
- The Brodos Swap Service ensures that day-to-day operations can continue despite defective smartphones. A replacement device is delivered directly to the employee within a defined period of time.
- Eine weitere Dienstleistung von Brodos betrifft die Vermarktung der Alt-Geräte. Hierbei wird vor dem Verkauf eine zertifizierte Datenlöschung durchgeführt, sodass der Datenschutz zu jeder Zeit gewährleistet wird. Durch diesen Lebenszyklus der Smartphones kann dm einen sinnvollen Beitrag zur Nachhaltigkeit leisten.
dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG / Uli Deck
The roll-out
The second major rollout started in July 2021. Within four months, a total of 16,000 smartphones of the new Samsung Galaxy A52 Enterprise Edition were assembled and distributed to dm stores in Germany ready for use. Despite the pandemic, the project went very smoothly and was only delayed by a few weeks within the planned timeframe. The challenges were the difficulties in the delivery process caused by a worldwide chip shortage. The rapid rollout on this scale was only possible thanks to the good contact with the device manufacturer.
Ongoing support for DM employees
As part of the ongoing support for employees, defective devices are immediately replaced with spare devices from a device pool (swap service) specially set up for dm. The swap pool is then replenished with the repaired smartphones. Old devices that are no longer required outside of the lease are sent to Brodos and prepared for remarketing with certified data erasure or disposed of professionally. In such a lifecycle management system, not only the protection of sensitive company data is a top priority. Sustainability is also an important aspect that is taken into account by dm and Brodos throughout the entire device cycle.
dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG / Uli Deck
The great benefit for DM
One major benefit for dm is the support provided by Brodos for the approx. 35,000 smartphones. This ensures that all store employees are equipped with their personal, ready-to-use smartphones at all times without much effort at the dm head office. The advantage here is that all devices are centrally controlled by the in-house IT department. As a result, it was possible for dm to introduce leaner processes in the stores. The joint, successful project also saved time and money and made a valuable, sustainable contribution to the environment. Another useful side effect is the increased satisfaction of the employees, which the company can use for strong employee retention.
The collaboration
“The project was completed without any major difficulties thanks to collegial cooperation and communication at eye level. Brodos did a great job. We are very satisfied with the quality of the devices and services, which is why we chose Brodos again for the second rollout.” –
Christian Stäblein (Area Manager dmTECH GmbH)
