From the desk of Andy Carlson, 17 year Ace store owner… Andy Carlson opened his original Ace Hardware store in 2006 after a twenty-year corporate career in technology.  Upon closing his store in September 2022, Andy joined forces with Paresh Rana to help expand DilSe.IT.  Andy has 17 years of Ace technology expertise including Epicor, Mango, Margin Master, PCI compliance, Benjamin Moore, the Ace Retailer app, Zebras and more.

At DilSe.IT, we take pride in creating innovative processes and technologies that add value for Ace Hardware store owners, managers, and associates.  We call our approach the AceTech OS^TM.

Mobile computing devices play an increasingly important role in the day-to-day operations of your Ace Hardware store because they enable the three retailer imperatives:

• Stay in-stock with the products customers need
• Deliver the fastest and easiest buy online, pick up in store/curbside experience
• Provide helpful customer service in-aisle for every customer, every time

While handheld computers in an Ace store are nothing new, more powerful devices running innovative software have made mobile computers an indispensable part of each Ace associate’s daily job.  Inventory management, speedy put-away of delivered product, picking, confirming and fulfilling online orders, knowledgeable in-aisle service, and even new associate training are all enabled by mobile.

However, all this power in the palm of your hand has put increasing demands on your store’s wi-fi network.  Mobile devices use a radio frequency (RF) signal to communicate with your store’s network.  For many years Ace stores have used “RF guns” for basic inventory and receiving tasks.  These older devices use character-based software which uses very little RF bandwidth.  And, RF guns typically communicated with an on-premises server.

Newer, more powerful applications from Ace and Epicor communicate to cloud-based servers over the Internet.  These applications run on the Android operating system with graphical user interfaces displaying not just text characters but also images and even video.  Furthermore, many stores now allow their employees to connect their personal smartphones to the store’s wi-fi network to receive order alert emails/texts or to use the Ace Retailer Mobile App.  The volume of traffic on a store’s wi-fi network has increased 10 to 100 times what it was several years ago. 

As these new mobile applications have improved and taken over within your store, your associates no longer learn the old manual ways of doing things.  If the mobile device does not work, they cannot do their job.  Plus, the mobile device must work everywhere including:  the remote corners of the store, in receiving and warehouse areas, in basements and mezzanines, and across outside selling areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, lumber yards, garden centers, and propane stations.

Searching For A Signal

Legacy wi-fi infrastructure usually consists of a single “dumb” access point located in the middle of the store or in the back room by the Internet demarc.  This has proven insufficient to handle the increasing demands. 

• Optimized access point placement
• Scanning for neighboring RF interference
• Frequency and channel tuning to minimize radio interference and maximize reliability and performance
• Fast-roaming capability for seamless hand-offs of mobile devices between access point devices.

The wi-fi network must use “smart” devices that are remotely monitorable and manageable so connected devices can be detected and monitored, RF signals can be tuned as surrounding conditions change, and problems can be detected and resolved quickly.

What About Security?

Many Ace stores on legacy wi-fi are still using outdated and unsafe WPA/TKIP security protocols that create unacceptable risks for a cyber security breach.  Even more concerning, most stores are allowing an increasing array of devices – many not owned or controlled by the company –  to connect to the same network that handles credit card processing.

Different network “segments” are required to put a firewall between the credit card processing network, which must stay PCI compliant, and the network where other mobile devices are connected.  In fact, DilSe.IT recommends three separate segmented networks:

• A secure, PCI compliant segment for Zebra devices, laptop computers, and RF guns that connect to the Eagle inventory and point-of-sale system
• A secure segment for non-Eagle devices such as key cutting machines, chip key programming consoles, knife sharpening machines, paint machines, training computers, and employee-owned devices accessing the Ace Retailer Mobile App
• A guest wi-fi segment for vendor and customer access

Your customers increasingly expect to have access to free wi-fi in your store – especially since Ace is asking them to use a mobile app to access their Ace Rewards, coupons, and product information.  Plus, we know that if both the customer and the associate have access to information in-aisle to solve the customer’s problem, it results in higher units-per-transaction and more sales!

DilSe.IT has more than 15 years of experience installing wi-fi networks in Ace retail stores.  We have extensive experience in the hardware industry including complex challenging situations like lumber yards, garden centers, and historic buildings.  Our wi-fi solutions are configurable, adaptable, proven, and reliable over many years of service – and they can be delivered anywhere!