Executive Overview

Industry:

Operating within the competitive Retail Grocery sector, our client is a prominent National US Retailer

Company: 

National grocery chain, boasting a robust portfolio of hundreds of stores and generating revenues in the billions of dollars.

Application:

The company’s operational excellence is underpinned by a suite of applications encompassing Business Continuity, Network Backup, Video Solutions, Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems, customer Wi-Fi, and Broadband Connectivity.

Problem:

The chain faced critical connectivity issues due to a fleet of antiquated MPLS, 3G and 4G routers serving as backup internet connections across their expansive SD-WAN network, spanning over hundreds of locations nationwide. This suboptimal infrastructure, compounded by substandard third-party installation practices, precipitated a host of operational dilemmas, including network congestion, diminished performance, unreliable backup systems, and an escalating risk of transactional losses—factors that collectively jeopardized customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Solution:

In response, MACH Networks stepped in to evaluate, plan, and deliver a comprehensive 5G solution, meticulously tailored to meet the needs of each individual store across the nation.

Result:

The deployment, orchestrated in close partnership with a MACH Platinum Partner, culminated in the provision of a fully managed, enterprise-grade 5G network solution. This strategic enhancement significantly bolstered store-level network reliability and cellular data throughput, thereby ensuring seamless operation of mission-critical business applications and fortifying the foundation for sustained customer satisfaction and business growth.

National Grocery Store Chain Turns to MACH Networks for Fully Managed SD-WAN Connectivity and 5G Failover Solutions

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INTRODUCTION

In the dynamic landscape of National Grocery Retail, the imperative for robust and reliable connectivity is paramount. These businesses rely on a myriad of mission-critical business applications including SD-WAN-driven applications that play a pivotal role in maintaining operational continuity and delivering a seamless shopping experience. The stakes are high: the strength of in-store connectivity is often the linchpin of a store’s operational efficacy and its capacity to engage and satisfy customers.

Regrettably, the industry is riddled with antiquated network infrastructure. Many grocers persist with outdated network topologies, such as legacy MPLS connectivity, coupled with inadequate backup connectivity solutions. This results in congested networks, diminished throughput and compromised speed and bandwidth. Such deficiencies in performance inevitably erode customer satisfaction and, all too frequently, culminate in lost business opportunities.

Enter the era of fully managed 5G networks—the vanguard of modern connectivity for retail grocers. Amidst fierce competition and the challenges posed by underperforming networks and third-party installers lacking expertise in enterprise-class retail networking, MACH’s 5G Solution portfolio emerges as a game-changer. MACH Networks, one of the nation’s leading WWAN Managed Service Providers, stands at the forefront of this technological revolution. MACH Networks bridges the gap to cutting-edge advancements by offering comprehensive network management—from site surveys to post-sales service, from optimizing carrier networks to providing nationwide installation and round-the-clock support. All these services are rendered either as a monthly OPEX fee or via CAPEX expenditures. Having such financial flexibility is not only beneficial for individual retail needs but also acts as a strategic investment in the retailer’s future.

THE CHALLENGE

The network lacked network management for remote locations, diversity in connectivity, sufficient bandwidth, and direct Cloud access to mission-critical applications. The network’s primary role in-store was to process credit card transactions and provide corporate headquarters with essential data for inventory, equipment, cameras, and grocery-specific sensors. The cost and network management challenges associated with hundreds of MPLS sites had become unmanageable. With a high volume of daily transactions and high bandwidth usage, the company needed a reliable, resilient wireless SD-WAN solution coupled with a failover system to safeguard against inevitable connectivity issues. ​

Most stores utilized firewalls, traditional MPLS services, and broadband for network connectivity, yet lacked sufficient layers of security at the edge and were missing sufficient redundancy. Each location was managed independently and also incurred the high costs of managing third-party vendors on separate VPNs, many of which required their own security and access to typically connected grocery devices such as refrigeration or IoT sensors. MACH Networks' new solution improved the network’s efficiency and proved to be a cost-effective alternative, relieving the stores of the financial burden of managing multiple vendors. ​

After a thorough evaluation, the corporation selected MACH Networks to deliver solutions that provided “four-nines” (99.99% uptime or better) network connectivity with fully managed 5G wireless failover solutions.​

For a national convenience store chain, reliable and resilient connectivity is crucial for selling and delivering quality products efficiently. The company recognized that traditional redundant landline circuits wouldn’t offer the expected protection, as both could fail during human-caused or natural disasters. 5G solutions have already demonstrated their ability to provide dependable, resilient network connectivity, even when caused by natural disasters or man-made outages.

“The upgrade to a 5G solution by MACH Networks has significantly improved our network reliability and performance, ensuring seamless primary and failover capabilities across all our locations.”

– Network Service Manager, US Grocer

THE SOLUTION

MACH Networks proposed a fully managed, enterprise-class solution featuring the Cradlepoint W1850 5G router, 5G service on the best available network for each location, and comprehensive remote monitoring, management, and technical support.​

The solution achieved overall cost savings for their storewide internet and Wireless WAN connectivity, which in turn was leveraged to pay for the updated SD-WAN solution and the new security-rich 5G hardware. In addition, the MACH Networks Solution eliminated the need for single managed MPLS sites, eliminated the need for manual data center failover, and made routing easier and more comprehensive by enabling direct 3rd party application access and Cloud routing from each site while at the same time, removing MPLS ‘hair pinning” which was a method previously used to enforce security policies and manage traffic more effectively. ​

The Cradlepoint W1850 gateway is an enterprise-class device that ensures “four nines” reliability, complementing any existing local landline service. Cradlepoint’s NetCloud, a cloud-based management platform, minimized on-site visits and allowed centralized deployment and management of devices across all locations.

The Cradlepoint W1850 also added an additional layer of security to the grocer’s network by offering:​

• Firewall Protection with a stateful zone-based and application-aware firewall to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic.​
• VPN tunnels, allowing secure remote access and encrypted communication for 3rd party vendors.​
• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), which minimized the attack surfaces by ensuring that only authenticated and authorized devices can access the network.​
• Integrated threat management capabilities were enabled to help detect and mitigate potential security threats, and….​
• Secure Boot, a security protocol that ensures the router boots only trusted software and protects against unauthorized firmware modifications.

The Retail Grocer now plans to replicate the significant cost-savings and performance gains across its entire store and warehouse network.

IMPLEMENTATION

In a strategic alliance with the client’s Network Operations Team, MACH Networks crafted a comprehensive deployment and installation plan. This initiative commenced with a pilot program encompassing 25 select store locations, setting the stage for a broader rollout.

The routers of choice were the Cradlepoint® W1850 and W1855 enterprise-class 5G routers, renowned for their robust enterprise capabilities, durability, ease of management, and consistent delivery of dependable 5G connectivity. Through the integration of Cradlepoint’s NetCloud—a sophisticated cloud-based remote management platform—MACH Networks achieved a streamlined process for device deployment, configuration, and management. This approach significantly diminished the necessity for physical site visits, thereby facilitating centralized oversight throughout the proof-of-concept phase and subsequent transition to widespread deployment.

MACH Networks’ commitment to customer satisfaction was further demonstrated through their pre-sales engineering efforts and established partnerships with premier wireless network providers, including AT&T®, T-Mobile®, and Verizon Wireless®. By conducting a thorough multi-carrier coverage analysis, MACH Networks identified the most suitable network for each retail and distribution site, ensuring unparalleled connectivity for all locations and devices.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS

MACH Networks provided a cost-effective, fully managed solution that not only modernized the client’s network but also significantly enhanced performance, provided streamlined monitoring and management of remote networks, reduced costs, and virtually eradicated network downtime. The client experienced superior routing and convenience, heightened network security, and the flexibility to use any network connection for primary and backup connectivity.

As a result, the stores now operate seamlessly, even if construction, storms, or ISP service interruptions disrupt a landline. Furthermore, the solution’s success led MACH Networks to recommend similar solutions for their entire Fortune 500 customer base.

The comprehensive management of the solution not only resolved the grocer’s connectivity and backup exigencies but also ushered in significant cost efficiencies. The advanced connectivity framework instilled a sense of assurance across the organization, safeguarding the uninterrupted operation of their mission-critical applications.

Quantifiable outcomes of the upgrade were striking:

• A 20% reduction in network downtime
• A tenfold decrease in latency
• A thirtyfold surge in cellular throughput
• A fortified network resilience against outages

Moreover, the implementation furnished a cost-effective mechanism to accelerate the launch of new stores, slashing the timeline for establishing connectivity from weeks or even months to days or even hours.

Emboldened by the triumph of the initial 25 pilot locations, the grocery store chain swiftly extended this model of cost-efficiency and modernization to its expansive network of hundreds of retail outlets and distribution hubs, achieving this remarkable feat within a six-month horizon.

Note: These are average results across hundreds of stores. Store-to-store differences may apply.

To learn more and get your retailer on a similar path to 5G, Contact us HERE.