R. Nussbaum AG

Vision

Embracing wireless innovation

As the largest supplier of plumbing and heating fittings in Switzerland, R. Nussbaum AG have established themselves as a trusted supplier to the Swiss construction industry.

Critical to their success has been their commitment to quality as well as their ability to continually innovate.

Their products are manufactured entirely in their facilities – including their in-house foundry – giving them complete control of the output and ensuring the highest quality products. These products are supplemented by a range of smart building services, enabling their customers to control their water and heating systems remotely or integrate them into broader building management systems.

In addition, they’ve been expanding the level of services they provide to their customers, enabling them to ensure that the right products arrive at the correct location on site as they are needed. This just-in-time approach is critical in Switzerland where storage space on construction sites is at a premium.

While their culture of innovation has put them at the forefront of the industry in Switzerland, they decided they needed a more modern network to enable greater collaboration and more seamless communication across their head office, manufacturing facility and branches.

Transformation

Creating a future-proof wireless network

Previously only selected locations in their buildings were covered by Wi-Fi. Realizing the potential that universal coverage could provide they embarked on a process to identify the best solution for their needs.

After evaluating their options, they selected a Cisco Meraki solution. ‘We didn’t just want to have full coverage, we wanted to have the latest technology,’ says Reto Pedrazzi IT Director at Nussbaum. ‘The existing wireless network only covered a few key areas such as meeting rooms and the IT department, but we know that to enable our technology vision we needed a future-proof solution.’

After partnering with us we conducted a complete site survey of their head office and manufacturing facilities. ‘With all the complex machinery in our factory, correctly positioning the access points was essential, but the NTT team ensured that wherever our people are they have full access to the network.’

In addition to their administration and production buildings, Nussbaum also has 17 branches across Switzerland, and they needed to deploy the new access points in these locations. Working with our team they identified the optimal location for the access point in each branch and then each device was pre-configured and then dispatched to the branch where it was installed by their on-site electrician.

In total they deployed more than 160 access points across their facilities. With a unified view of all the infrastructure they’re able to ensure that all their employees remain connected.

Results

Connecting all parts of the company

With full coverage of their key facilities, Nussbaum can leverage this to allow their employees to work anywhere, as well as fully explore the opportunities that this enables across their foundry, manufacturing and logistics operations.

Modern network

The wireless network seamlessly integrates with their existing wired network enabling them to choose the best connectivity method for each device across their various environments.

With central management of the wireless network the team at Nussbaum can monitor the network and quickly act should any issues arise.

With plans in place to expand their manufacturing to a second building, wireless can be integrated at the planning stage, creating a more connected workplace.

Enhanced employee experience

Nussbaum are already implementing automated systems within their logistics operations, enabling them to dispatch their products in a just-in-time fashion to sites across the country. Full wireless coverage allows them to accelerate this process, exploring the potential of a connected environment.

Creating a connected, collaborative environment

With an expanded Wi-Fi footprint, their employees are free to work anywhere across their premises. This enables them to collaborate securely and seamlessly, even when they’re away from their desks