Managing a Complex Global Deployment in 25 Countries

Multinational companies are a staple of an increasingly globalised economy. But having multiple sites across the globe can be extremely difficult to manage if they have different systems and infrastructure. The solution is a global transition to the same systems and technology, with a streamlined process.

Aura worked with a leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to do just this, transitioning over 30 sites in 25 countries.

30+ sites, 25 countries, various systems

Providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries, our customer’s global network of 32 sites spans the EMEA, APAC and LATAM regions. Each site had its own system and infrastructure, varying from Cisco and legacy Avaya to more dated solutions.

The aim of the transition was to move all sites in all regions to Avaya, with new gateways, servers and phones alongside updated licences, training and support. They needed a team that could guarantee deployment of all sites within a single calendar year, across Europe, Asia, North Africa and Latin America.

As well as a fully managed simultaneous migration, the customer required seamless flexibility in the quoting process. Each quote had to be signed off internally by each of their 32 sites in multiple countries. That called for not only responsive requoting for any issues, but also long guarantees on each quote allowing more time for internal sign off.

Merging 32 into one

A one-stop shop

With a truly global network to match our customer’s requirements, Aura provided completely new Avaya solutions, including gateways, servers and phones. Our diverse expertise gave the customer a one-stop shop for all their requirements, covering licenses, software and site surveys.

Support

As well as installation and deployment, we also provided full support and maintenance across all of the organisation’s sites. This allowed us to easily start the co-term support process in-house and  manage the customer seamlessly with no hidden charges or surprises.

Flexible quoting

Because of our close relationship with partners in each country, it was possible to hold quotes for longer than 120 days, providing plenty of time for internal sign-off. Quotes were specifically designed against identical requests per site, including bespoke services and maintenance packages.

Uniform pricing

Uniformity in pricing was guaranteed across the globe. With all local taxes and duties built into the price and clearly outlined, the customer could plan their budget for three years with confidence.

Responsive terms

Our close relationships with partners across the globe allowed us to meet target pricing for several of our customer’s sites. We also allowed payment terms to change with ease, getting agreement from all fulfilling partners within 30 days.

Fully managed

The whole process was overseen by an Aura Project Coordinator. Working with the customer and hand-picked local partners, the Project Coordinator made sure everything the customer required was provided and importantly, on time.

Hassle-free transition

With Aura’s global network on their side, the organisation had one single provider for all their sites across a long list of countries. That avoided having multiple vendors and partners on site, simplifying installation and migration.

Thanks to our established relationships and seamless communication, local partners in each country were able to fully understand the scope of the project and provide impressive flexibility. As well as working with change controls mid-project and allowing for extra days on site to complete installation, they provided free-of-charge storage for sites that weren’t ready to accept kit.

The success of the project is reflected in the customer’s orders since completion, including extra kit and additional services for six of their sites.