CANAC Eliminates Daily Wi-Fi Issues Across Stores and Warehouses with RUCKUS^®

Recurring Wi-Fi issues were creating operational friction across CANAC’s stores, outdoor yard areas, and distribution environments. Store teams depended on mobile devices, scanners, and wireless voice communications to stock shelves, serve customers, manage inventory, and support day-to-day operations, but the legacy network created weekly support tickets tied to poor coverage, inconsistent performance, and gaps in hard-to-reach areas. As CANAC continued to grow, the business needed a wireless environment that was more reliable, easier to manage, and ready to support new stores without adding complexity for its small internal IT team.

CANAC partnered with Present and RUCKUS to modernize its wireless infrastructure through a proof of concept and phased rollout across stores, yards, and warehouses. With RUCKUS indoor and outdoor access points managed through RUCKUS SmartZone™ controllers, CANAC standardized Wi-Fi across more than 36 retail locations, extended reliable coverage to outdoor pickup areas, and supported operations across a 1.2 million sq. ft. distribution footprint. Wi-Fi-related support requests declined from one to two tickets per week to approximately one request per month, even as wireless device counts grew from roughly 200–300 devices in 2020 to more than 1,500 devices by 2026.

The Challenge: Legacy Wi-Fi issues disrupted stores, yards, and warehouses

Frequent Wi-Fi issues were disrupting operations across CANAC’s stores and distribution environments. With the legacy network, it was rare for a week to pass without support tickets related to poor wireless coverage in certain store areas. A mix of legacy technologies created inconsistent performance, coverage gaps, and ongoing complaints from teams relying on mobile devices, scanners, and wireless voice communications for inventory, customer service, and store operations. The problem extended beyond store interiors to outdoor yard areas and large warehouses, where dense materials, changing layouts, and scale made reliable connectivity harder to maintain. At the same time, CANAC needed a solution that could support continued expansion without increasing complexity for its small IT team or driving up long-term costs.

The Solution: A phased RUCKUS rollout standardized reliable wireless coverage

CANAC worked with Present and RUCKUS to standardize its wireless infrastructure using RUCKUS R750 and R850 indoor access points and RUCKUS T350 outdoor access points, managed through RUCKUS SmartZone™ controllers. The deployment began with a proof of concept to validate performance, followed by a phased rollout that replaced legacy access points across stores and extended coverage to outdoor yard areas. The team used site surveys, planning tools, and post-installation validation to optimize placement and ensure consistent coverage across complex environments. The result was a scalable, easy-to-manage wireless foundation that could be deployed quickly and adapted as CANAC expanded.

Key Results: Reliable connectivity reduced support tickets and simplified growth

CANAC significantly reduced Wi-Fi-related support tickets after deployment, moving from recurring coverage complaints to stable, reliable connectivity across stores, outdoor areas, and large distribution environments. Network uptime and client connectivity have remained strong, supporting users, mobile devices, scanners, operational equipment, and IP wireless telephony with minimal disruption. The standardized approach also simplified deployment and reduced hands-on management, helping new sites come online quickly once equipment is installed and configured. As CANAC continues to open new locations and expand operations, the network is positioned to scale without reintroducing the challenges it replaced.

• Standardized Wi-Fi across 36+ retail locations and distribution environments
• Extended reliable coverage to outdoor yard and pickup areas
• Supported operations across a 1.2 million sq. ft. distribution footprint
• Delivered required wireless coverage using an estimated 10–15% fewer access points than alternative solutions evaluated during network planning
• Enabled fast, low-touch deployment for a small internal IT team

Present partnered with CANAC and RUCKUS on the wireless modernization effort, helping validate the solution through a proof of concept and supporting the phased deployment across stores, outdoor yards, and distribution environments.