Test Lab Relocation - Case Study

Case Study Customer

Location

American-based multinational corporation

West London

Project Requirement

Equipment

Test Lab Relocation

Numerous Prototype Switches, Routers and Servers

Additional Services Engineering Resource Packaging & Logistics Knowledge

Introduction Our Client is an American based Global corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics, networking, voice and communications technology and services.

Their annual revenues accumulated to more than 40.0 billion US$ as of 2010.

With Headquarters in San Jose, California our client also runs several engineering test labs at a number of key global locations to conduct their R&D activities.

One such location is based in the UK and due to recent re-structuring there was a requirement to relocate a number of R&D test beds to an alternative facility within Europe, each test bed consisted of a number of servers and network devices varying is size and weight with multiple power and data connections.

In addition to this the equipment was distributed in various labs across a campus environment.

Our Clients requirement was therefore to locate and remove all devices from their rack locations, log and label all relating parts of the devices for ease of installation into their new locations, package and prepare the devices for shipment.

Unit 10, Hounslow Hall Estate, Drayton Road, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes, MK17 0BU Tel +44 (0)845 413 6000 Fax +44 (0)845 413 3250 Email sales@puffinsolutions.com

Project Scope The scope was to liaise with the engineering department to identify all of the equipment that was to be removed and shipped to the new site. Before we could decommission any equipment our engineers had to ensure that each device was no longer in production, all of the services had been removed from the device and carrying out the relevant checks to make sure the device was powered down.

Once powered down Puffin engineers could remove all data connections from each device, trace out propriety connections from host devices to service devices. Once each cable was identified this would be labelled and packaged with its original host and prepared for shipment. The power cables were then removed which allowed our engineers to decommission the equipment from the active racks. Any mounting rails or shelves used to support the devices where removed labelled and prepared for shipment with the device. Preparing the devices for shipment involved carefully packing each device with anti-static protective wrap, then labelling each device with its unique test bed location, rack number, position, device name and serial number so that the device could easily be recommissioned in the same location at its new site.

Challenges Each device had its own characteristics whether it is weight and size or connections and mounting options, our client needed a partner with proven experience in handling a broad range of hardware and the safe removal of equipment. Our client required detailed scope of works to ensure that no live equipment would be effected by the proposed works, minimum down time between decommissioning and re-commissioning of the equipment into their new locations, Identifying proprietary connections between devices and ensuring each connection was packaged correctly and labelled to minimise disruption when re-commissioning.

Conclusion As a trusted partner and service provider Puffin Solutions provided their client with the expertise that allowed the quick and safe decommissioning of the R&D labs so they could be shipped to a new location and re-commissioned with a minimal amount of disruption.

Unit 10, Hounslow Hall Estate, Drayton Road, Newton Longville, Milton Keynes, MK17 0BU Tel +44 (0)845 413 6000 Fax +44 (0)845 413 3250 Email sales@puffinsolutions.com