Major UK Food Retailer - WAN and LAN exchange over 2500 sites nationwide

Supplier selection was based on a Managed IT Services supply partner, with extensive engineer coverage spanning the UK, and supported by a 24-hour technical PMO function, Gentium (via it’s Channel client) was awarded the business.

The project for WAN is to exchange routers within 2500 stores during store closure. The scope is to decommission and replace Juniper routing equipment. Each engineer deployed is of CCNA level and accompanied by Gentium’s in-house team of lead engineers providing remote support during the installation, this helps to mitigate any problems that may occur during the deinstallation, installation and migration from old to new.

Currently, over 1500 stores have been completed, with another 1000 to be completed during 2023.

LAN is more intricate in nature, this involves the installation of Juniper access points and switches in 2000 stores across the UK. Each store differing in size and need. Sites ranging from 4 access points per store, to 40, including working at heights of 11+ meters meaning engineers are trained to a specific IPAF Certification (working at height), currently over 500 of these sites have been deployed with another 1500 due to complete by the end of 2023.

With the many moving parts associated to national roll out, Gentium has the ability to upscale engineers in numbers, from 10 to 50, one day to the next OOH and weekends. The PMO will work alongside the client to ensure installations run smoothly, PMO will then provide detailed digital reports via Gentium’s AP, during and after installation, concerning progress, as well as reporting on any potential problems that could occur during the installation where remote troubleshooting may be a requirement.