TCS Logistics Case Study

The solution

Like all business networking partners, Affinity Blue runs projects based on the required client deadlines, complexity and available team capacities. Network surveys tend to have high demand, almost like medical specialist consultations. It was common for the next available project slot to be several months after the client makes the initial project request.

For this survey request, however, Affinity Blue was able to find an open slot for the same project type in just a few days. “Having total visibility over every task within the business really helps in cases like this,” said Hayward. “Our project tracking system allows us to maximise our schedules and ensure that even seemingly-impossible jobs like this one get a fair go. In this case, we were lucky a slot opened up – but the ability to instantly identify and book that slot goes well beyond pure luck.”

Nicky Monk, Affinity Blue’s wireless survey specialist, quickly reviewed existing floor plans and arranged an onsite visit for the electrical firm’s customer. The site had newly-installed Aruba Access Points (APs), so the Affinity Blue team prioritised a coverage check using Ekahau and Sidekick II software/hardware. They also confirmed that every AP was in fact installed according to the electrical firm’s maps and floor plans. In doing so, the electrical firm required the Affinity Blue project team to only take photos of the ceiling locations that matched the APs, due to the project confidentiality requirements.

The AP checks led Nicky to make several updates to the firm’s network map after she discovered a handful of the APs were incorrectly marked. Once the on-site work was completed, the data was then analysed to generate a final report with heat maps. Items prioritised included individual AP signal strength, spectrum results, and identifying “rogue” APs that were potentially misbehaving or causing interference.