Case Study
Ikea
Ottawa
Industries:
Systems:
The Challenge
When IKEA required a new public address system integrated into its Ottawa location on Iris Street, IKEA hired Capello. The new IKEA location, measuring almost 37,000 square meters (the equivalent of five Canadian football fields) was now four times the size of the original IKEA, and the largest IKEA in Canada.
The Solution
The integration of an overhead paging system in a location the size of IKEA was no small feat. It required speakers, volume controls, an audio and video source, amplifiers and the ability to play internal commercials and emergency messages.
The store was divided into three zones, each with separate volume controls and amplifiers:
- All customer areas (traditional shopping area including the showroom, restaurant, customer exit area, exterior customer loading and the parkade)
- Staff only areas (offices, warehouse, and home delivery)
- All zones (used for emergency messages only)
The integrated paging system is used through the integrated phone system. All telephones have the ability to page each zone as needed. Its main control is housed in a lockable system cabinet that also provides a clear view of controls without unauthorized personnel being able to adjust volume or amplification controls.
In case of power failure, the system also has a two-hour uninterrupted power source (UPS)
The Results
Whenever the emergency message is played, all speakers in the store, parkade and the customer loading area automatically default to a pre-determined higher sound level and override any and all volume controls throughout the entire store - including all conference, training and office rooms. The emergency message is manually activated, continues to play until switched off, and has the ability to change and re-record the message on-site, without the need for a technician.
For advertising or informational purposes, the integrated ‘Adcaster’ system has the ability to record 30 second messages that can be automatically played on demand, or at certain times, for example, a pre-recorded ‘store closing in 15 minutes’ message played once a day. Whenever paging by phone or the Adcaster, the music automatically stops until the page is complete.
Capello’s public address system continues to be the lifeblood for IKEA Ottawa’s internal communication. System integration and automation make communication possible without a steep learning curve.
