Askari Leverages the SOTI ONE Platform to Reduce Customer Return Time by 50%

For two decades, Askari Sport GmbH (Askari) has been the leading European specialist for fishing, hunting and outdoor sport equipment. With 200 employees and 14 stores across Germany, the family-run business offers a superior omnichannel shopping experience. This is enhanced by its state-of-the-art, fully automated logistics center in Lüdinghausen, which ships 2,500 parcels daily.

The Challenge

With the help of its partner, ncc guttermann, Askari discovered it was experiencing difficulties with unmanaged devices and a lack of remote support as the company expanded. When a problem with an in-store device occurred or an update was needed, the device had to be shipped to headquarters for diagnostics and troubleshooting maintenance.

Additionally, the company used a paper-based return process that caused delays in finding customer purchase details and warranty information. These documents were also faxed between stores and headquarters with inconsistencies in the form details that could result in lost or incomplete documents.

The Solution

Leveraging the SOTI ONE Platform, the company was able to innovate and automate its operations. With SOTI MobiControl’s advanced remote management capabilities, the company estimates it is saving two weeks in reduced downtime, equating to 100 hours of reduced operational downtime per device. Askari has seen a drastic improvement in device issue resolution and its ability to remotely update devices across the entire fleet

SOTI Snap has digitized manual business processes and workflows while improving communication between all departments. Making customer information and purchase history more easily available has resulted in a smoother returns process for customers. Before SOTI, Askari dealt with up to 100 hours of store downtime every two weeks, leading to a poor customer experience. Now, Askari has an automated, streamlined and highly efficient process that enables exceptional customer service.

The Result

Thanks to SOTI MobiControl, Askari can schedule device updates remotely to reduce downtime. Subsequently, device repair time has decreased from three or four days to minutes. The implementation of SOTI Snap has improved the returns process for Askari and enhanced its operational communications

Customer wait times for returns have decreased from two weeks to one week. Thanks to in-store tablets supported by SOTI, Askari can now instantly confirm stock availability, ensuring an outstanding customer experience.