Wired and Wireless Infrastructure Upgrade in Food/Retail Sector

Operating within the food and retail sector, the client maintains a strong presence across the United Kingdom with high-volume distribution and production sites critical to the supply chain. The project spanned two of the client’s primary operational sites: Wincanton and Somercotes. Both sites are fundamental to their logistics and manufacturing operations, requiring always-on, reliable network infrastructure to support daily activities across warehousing, distribution, and administrative functions.

1. End-to-End Wireless Design and Deployment
   FNG’s involvement began with comprehensive wireless design engagements. Using Ekahau tools and methodologies, FNG completed:

• Passive Site Surveys to assess current RF conditions
• Predictive Wireless Designs to propose optimal AP placements
• AP-on-a-Stick (APoaS) Validation Surveys to test theoretical designs in practice
• Post-Implementation Surveys to validate installation success and identify remediationsThese services were critical not only in optimizing coverage and performance but also in ensuring that AP placement avoided areas of high interference or risk.

2. Structured Cabling Survey and Refresh
   At Wincanton, a full audit of existing structured cabling was conducted. FNG’s engineers identified multiple instances where legacy cabling failed to meet performance standards. Physical damage and mislabeling were also discovered. In response, a site-wide refresh was implemented, replacing outdated cabling with new Cat6A infrastructure and ensuring proper termination, labeling, and routing. For Somercotes, structured cabling was limited to support new APs, though care was taken to align installations with future scalability needs.
3. Technical and Operational Support
   FNG provided advanced configuration support, including detailed recommendations for Cisco Catalyst APs based on the latest firmware, RF profile optimization, and advanced feature sets such as band steering and roaming assist. FNG’s technical consultants also worked directly with the client’s IT team, often attending network design and change management calls to bridge internal knowledge gaps.
4. Project Coordination and Flexibility
   Given the critical nature of the client’s business operations, FNG coordinated all installation work around site production schedules. Work was completed during evenings, weekends, and other downtime periods to avoid interference with day-to-day operations. FNG’s engineering team remained on-site as needed to troubleshoot and adapt in real time, demonstrating agility and commitment to service continuity.

5. Future-Proofing and Cost Efficiency
While addressing immediate concerns, FNG also took a forward-thinking approach. All cabling was laid with expansion in mind, AP placements were selected to allow for future scaling, and equipment choices were made to align with the client’s broader digital transformation roadmap. Importantly, all of this was achieved while maintaining a cost-conscious approach, helping the channel partner and end client stay within budget.

Upon completion of the initial phases of work, the client expressed high satisfaction with the outcomes. They specifically noted improvements in WiFi stability and performance across production areas and praised the professionalism and responsiveness of the FNG team. Post-survey work led to a few recommended configuration remediations, which were promptly implemented. The client has since expressed interest in expanding the wireless upgrade model across other sites, citing the quality of FNG’s design and deployment process.