Objective
Create a future-proof, scalable Wi-Fi
network to serve as the backbone for
the new logistics centre
Approach
Compared multiple providers across a
set of 30 plus criteria
Case Study
Wollschläger goes wireless at
its new logistics centre
Retail enterprise installs reliable
HPE network solution
IT Matters
• HPE Intelligent Resilient Framework
(IRF) virtualisation technology ensures
that the company benefits from a
high-performance Wi-Fi network
• Simple configuration management
via HPE IRF
• The HPE Intelligent Management
Center (IMC) standard software
platform provides high levels of
transparency across the network status
Business Matters
• Reliable, high-performance Wi-Fi
network ensures the Wi-Fi network
in the logistics centre is very stable
• The company now has a future-proof
Wi-Fi network that can also be used by
the administrative department
• High levels of port security for all
data and systems, preventing
unauthorised access
Wollschläger uses solely
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
components to create a Wi-Fi
network for its new logistics
centre. The company has
installed a combination of
core switches, access points,
premium mobility controllers
and the HPE Intelligent
Management Center (IMC)
standard software platform
to create a high performing,
reliable and scalable solution.
Challenge
A highly reliable and available network
Within just 12 days, Wollschläger’s
employees moved around 400 lorry loads,
approximately 800 tonnes of material,
from the company’s existing site to its new
logistics centre on the opposite side of
Bochum. This was the biggest move that
the supplier of precision tools, welding
technology, health and safety and factory
equipment had ever carried out. The new
site not only serves as the central logistics
centre for the Wollschläger Group, but also
contains a rental and service point and
workshop. The site is also home to two
data centres, the mechanical engineering
department and a Wollschläger subsidiary.
The new centre brings all of the separate
areas of the company together under one
roof. This has enabled the company to
optimise its operational procedures and
improve the availability of its goods for
its customers, which are mainly industrial
companies, medium sized enterprises and
businesses in the trade industries.
Case study
Wollschläger
“The Wi-Fi network in the logistics centre is very stable. Having
high-performance 20GB connections in the most important areas of the
network is an excellent feature. And it also gives us plenty of options to
expand in the future - for example if the administrative department decides
to move to the new site.”
– Stefan Wörder, head of IT and project management, Wollschläger
Industry
Retail
Page 2
When it came to choosing the network for
the new logistics centre, the company was
looking for a future-proof, scalable solution
that would be able to support the company
as it grows. Wollschläger had already
installed a Wi-Fi network at its former
logistics site to improve the eiciency of
its warehouse logistics processes. Mobile
data capture devices were connected to the
SAP Extended Warehouse Management
System (SAP EWM), via Wi-Fi, which in turn
communicated with the SAP ERP system to
carry out tasks such as printing the invoices
for the relevant goods.
“The Wi-Fi network was ageing. As it was
installed some time ago, it wasn’t designed
for full redundancy, it didn’t have tools for
monitoring performance and the security
definitely needed some improvements,”
says Erdogan Caymaz, head of IT core
services at Wollschläger.
“We wanted to address and correct these
issues when we installed the Wi-Fi network
at the new logistics centre. As it was a new
build, we had the benefit of being able to
design the network from the ground up.”
During the planning phase, Wollschläger
began to research network component
manufacturers and solutions providers who
could take care of the installation.
The company’s catalogue of requirements
covered a total of over 30 criteria covering
technical, business-related and so-called
‘soft’ factors. Points were then assigned for
each parameter. Hewlett Packard Enterprise
and its partner K&K Networks achieved the
highest overall points total.
Solution
A Wi-Fi network with all-HPE
components
“The technologies behind HPE’s network
components really impressed us,” says
Caymaz. “From a business point of view,
it was very important to have a flexible
partner on our side who would talk to us
on our level as a medium-sized enterprise,
and also make the solution aordable for us.
We believed that K&K Networks would
be the best company to meet these
needs - and we were right.”
The company installed two HPE 7510 switch
chassis as a communications hub and
over 20 HPE MSM460 dual radio 802.11n
access points along with more than 50 HPE
MSM466 dual radio 802.11n access points,
ensuring the Wi-Fi network was accessible
across the entire logistics centre.
Case study
Wollschläger
Industry
Retail
Page 3
The HPE 7510 switches feature HPE
Intelligent Resilient Fabric (IRF) technology.
This virtualisation technology allows up to
nine physical switches to be combined into
a single, logical, virtual device. Once the
switches are combined, the virtual switch
is contacted via a single IP address. This
greatly reduces the amount of time spent
on configuration as there is only one
device to set up. The switches are mainly
connected via 10 or 40GB Ethernet
interfaces. By using a special configuration,
these connected devices can be used as a
single, virtual device.
Benefit
High performance and reliability
“The HPE IRF technology ensures that the
network is reliable and highly performant,”
says Caymaz. “It means that we can actively
use connections that we have in place
for redundancy reasons. And if there is
an error, the network is back up within
50 milliseconds - we don’t even notice it.”
This essentially means that the network
never goes down.
Two HPE MSM760 premium mobility
controllers with a seamless failover
feature and virtual controller redundancy
ensure that the Wi-Fi network remains
highly available.
Wollschläger worked closely with K&K
Networks to plan the network. This included
factors such as load distribution, locations
for radio cells and how it would secure the
network against unauthorised access. “In
the old warehouse, we had a flat network, i.e.
all of the switches were connected together
in a single network. In the new logistics
centre, we have introduced port security,
which means that authentication within the
network is carried out using the IEEE 802.1X
protocol. We have also created numerous
virtual local area networks (VLANs) as
sub-networks and configured them with
individual access rules. This enables us
to prevent any unauthorised access on a
network level,” says Caymaz.
Caymaz is also very satisfied with how
smoothly the project ran. “We are really
happy with the results of our collaboration
with K&K Networks. There were no disasters,
interruptions, misunderstandings or
anything like that throughout the whole of
the project. The experts from K&K Networks
were available around the clock - even on
weekends. The support we received was
very good, both in terms of rectifying
errors and in providing advice when we
needed it. Everything was explained quickly
over the phone.”
Case study
Wollschläger
Industry
Retail
Customer at a glance
Application
SAP Extended Warehouse Management
System (SAP EWM)
Hardware
• HPE 7510 switches
• HPE MSM460 dual radio 802.11n
access points
• HPE MSM466 dual radio 802.11n
access points.
• HPE MSM760 premium
mobility controllers
Software
• HPE Intelligent Management Center
(IMC) standard software platform
About Wollschläger
Wollschläger GmbH & Co. KG is a
systems supplier for precision tools,
welding technology and health
and safety and factory equipment.
Wollschläger is a competent partner
for industrial customers, medium
sized enterprises and businesses in
the trade industries. Its systemised
operating procedures enable it to
deliver high-tech tools across Europe
within 24 hours. The retail, technology
and service company can deliver items
from its extensive range worldwide
within 48 hours.
About K&K Networks
K&K Networks GmbH is based in Unna,
Germany, and provides consulting,
planning and implementation services
for company-wide IT networks. It not
only oers its customers components
tailored for its solutions, but also
a range of essential services and
maintenance options. The company
specialises in IT infrastructures. It also
has partner companies covering areas
including ERP, CRM, DMS and
CAD solutions.
“The HPE IRF technology ensures that the network is
highly reliable and performant. It means that we can
actively use the connections that we have in place for
redundancy reasons. And if there is an error, the network
is back up within 50 milliseconds - we don’t even notice it.”
– Erdogan Caymaz, head of IT core services, Wollschläger
Wollschläger is currently working with K&K
Networks again on a few adjustments to
ensure that all of its handheld devices can
connect to the Wi-Fi wherever they are
on the site. “This depends on a number of
variables such as how full the warehouse is
and what types of materials are in stock. But
we are making great progress.”
Complete transparency with HPE IMC
Caymaz has found the HPE Intelligent
Management Center (IMC) standard
software to be a very useful tool for
operating the IT system. “The software has
given us complete transparency over the
entire network for the very first time. We
know exactly where it is getting overloaded
and where this causes performance to
drop and we can use this information to
counteract it.”
In future, Wollschläger wants to use HPE
IMC for additional monitoring applications
outside of the network. “Our vision is to use
HPE IMC to monitor many other systems
within our company so that we have
transparency over possible errors within
the network and the causes behind them,
both within the local network and across
the WAN. HPE IMC is going to be a very
important tool for us,” says Caymaz.
Learn more at
hpe.com/networking
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© Copyright 2015-2016 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP. The information contained herein is subject to change
without notice. The only warranties for Hewlett Packard Enterprise products and services are set forth in the express warranty
statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
4AA5-7672EEW, April 2016, Rev. 1
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