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“REPEATABLE” IS THE OPERATIVE WORD

repeatability

DataOne Manufacturing and the GDT Project Management team craft a repeatable deployment for hundreds of retail locations

With almost three hundred (300) retail locations in the United States, a global manufacturing corporation serving the business and residential markets needed to greatly expand its wireless network. If that sounds like a straightforward project, it’s anything but when the locations span four (4) time zones and must be completed in four (4) months. And to add to the complexity, it required utilizing contractors—in this case over two hundred (200)—from coast to coast. The project needed a network and systems integrator capable of managing large, complex projects end-to-end. It needed GDT.

Here’s what happens when GDT’s Project Management professionals and DataOne Manufacturing join forces

In the IT industry, a project that is initially poorly scoped is often how many start. This project was no different. However, unlike many project managers, GDT’s Project Management practice is familiar with the realities of the industry. That original scope of work is the first thing they carefully analyze. With tens of thousands of successful project implementations and deployments under their belt, they know that understanding exactly what’s needed to ensure a project’s success must come first. It’s about matching the right projects with the right professionals who can deliver the perfect solution accurately and on-time (in this particular case, on-time actually meant a month ahead of schedule).

Here was one (1) of the major issues—each location, which had up to four (4) access points, required customized cabling at each. When multiplied by almost three hundred (300) locations, that’s well over a thousand (1,000) custom-tailored cable assemblies. Purchasing this amount of Cat6 Plenum cable from manufacturers usually results in wastes of time, resources and cable. That is, unless DataOne Manufacturing is involved.

DataOne Manufacturing—its customized solutions continually set it apart from the others

Located less than a half mile from GDT’s Innovation Campus, the 40,000 sq. ft. DataOne Manufacturing production plant is a state-of-the-art facility where over a hundred highly trained professionals manufacture and test customized Layer One (1) assemblies.

This story follows a script that has been replicated hundreds of times—Project Management contacts DataOne Manufacturing. From customer-provided blueprints, DataOne Manufacturing not only ensured cable assemblies perfectly accommodated each location, but that they included required straps and industry standard-labeling that would enable contractors to more easily install and implement the solution.

When it all comes together

When disparate time zones and unique floor plans are combined with over two hundred (200) contractors, project managers who consistently bring their A game to the table is the difference between success and failure.

With a goal of completing dozens of locations each week, GDT Project Management deployed an online portal from which project status and communications could be monitored and exchanged. Contractors uploaded photographs throughout the installation process, which were closely monitored by a GDT Quality Auditor to ensure all implementations resulted in a cohesive, structured framework. The portal’s easy-to-use, intuitive dashboard needed to easily accommodate hundreds of contractors with varying levels of tenure and expertise—it did. And it also allowed DataOne Manufacturing to better facilitate shipping and help simplify invoicing.

Only after the customer’s engineering team had fully tested each access point—and GDT’s Quality Auditor had inspected all work—was the contractor released from the project.

“Repeatable” is key when deploying large-scale solutions

One (1) box per location. One (1) labeling standard. One (1) industry-leading project management practice. One (1) manufacturing organization that continually delivers what others don’t. When they all came together, they made one (1) customer very happy. In fact, they’re currently working with GDT to deliver the same solution to another three hundred (300) retail locations.

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