Build or Refresh the Wireless LAN
Right-size your WLAN to support your ever-evolving business needs.
- As a company in a society where technological demands are ever-changing and always increasing, you need to be adaptable to ensure customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Your end users are embracing wireless and you can’t afford to live in the past. They’re demanding faster and more reliable wireless networks as they push the limits of your network’s capacity with a growing number of devices per person.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Supply your stakeholders with historical network usage and capacity data when making the case for a Wireless LAN (WLAN) build or refresh in order to provide a benchmark and gain buy-in for the project.
- Define your technical WLAN requirements based on your business context and requirements.
- If you design your WLAN for capacity, density and coverage will follow.
Impact and Result
- Gain stakeholder buy-in by making a solid business case for your WLAN build or refresh project by understanding the value it provides to the business.
- Define the business context surrounding the WLAN build or refresh and make sure your technical requirements can satisfy your business requirements.
- Develop a comprehensive request for proposal based on your technical requirements and score your responses using a standard methodology.
- Craft a well-designed network implementation and monitoring process.
Workshop: Build or Refresh the Wireless LAN
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Define Your Wireless LAN (WLAN)
The Purpose
- In order to move the WLAN build or refresh forwards, it’s necessary to understand the base requirements from both a business and technical perspective.
- Initial stage of developing a network outline.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Full assessment and analysis of the current WLAN situation within the organization.
- Understanding of the business requirements driving the WLAN build or refresh.
- Complete list of the technical requirements driving the WLAN build or refresh forwards.
Activities
Outputs
Assess your current network challenges and project drivers.
- Full assessment of current state of organization’s WLAN
Document your goals for the WLAN build or refresh.
- Identification of strategic objectives
Assess your business context and requirements.
Assess your current state to decide whether to proceed with the WLAN build or refresh.
Determine your technical requirements.
- Complete list of technical requirements to complement the business strategy for the WLAN build or refresh
Module 2: Build the Business Case
The Purpose
- To obtain stakeholder buy-in for the WLAN build or refresh project.
Key Benefits Achieved
- High-level project timeline surrounding the WLAN build or refresh.
- Approximate cost for the WLAN build or refresh.
- Collectively informed group of project stakeholders.
Activities
Outputs
Put it all together; build the business case document.
- Business Case
Module 3: Select Your WLAN Solution
The Purpose
- Select a vendor based on technical qualifying factors, as well as its strategic fit with your organization.
- Review the contract prior to signing in order to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership moving forwards.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Full assessment of the vendor marketplace and analysis of which vendor(s) fit best with your organization from a strategic perspective.
- Final vendor selected for WLAN build or refresh.
Activities
Outputs
Create your initial vendor shortlist.
- RFP
Develop the RFP.
- RFP Scoring Tool
Score the RFP.
- Selection of a vendor
Module 4: Design the Network and Deployment Plan
The Purpose
- This phase moves into the tactical aspect of the WLAN build or refresh project by working through the physical design of the network.
Key Benefits Achieved
- During this phase, the project timeline is fully developed in order to further break down each of the individual WLAN activity tasks.
- A physical outline and structure for the WLAN is developed.
Activities
Outputs
Design your network.
- Network design
- Site survey (optional)
Estimate and mitigate downtime involved in the WLAN build or refresh.
- Mitigation plan surrounding reduction of overall network downtime
Build your WLAN implementation timeline.
- Wireless LAN Acceptable Use Policy
- Wireless LAN Implementation Plan
- Wireless LAN Task Monitoring Tool
Module 5: Implement and Measure Success
The Purpose
- Analyze how successful the initial implementation of the WLAN has been.
- Identify areas for improvement.
- Initiate a plan for continuous improvement.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Identification of areas of strength and areas of weakness with respect to the initial launch of the WLAN build or refresh.
- Established process to ensure continuous improvement.
- Set of standard performance metrics for WLAN monitoring purposes.
Activities
Outputs
Assess coverage using heat maps.
Plan and initiate staffing role transitions to take place.
Develop a plan for ongoing monitoring of WLAN.
- Plan for ongoing monitoring using pre-defined set of success metrics
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 1-phase advisory process. You'll receive 5 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
- Call 1: Define the WLAN state
Conduct a scoping call; understand your business context; determine your technical requirements.
- Call 2: Build the business case
Conduct a scoping call; review your project financials; review your business case.
- Call 3: Select the WLAN solution
Conduct a scoping call; review the RFP; review the RFP responses and contract.
- Call 4: Design the network and deployment plan
Conduct a scoping call; develop the implementation plan; finalize the plan.
- Call 5: Deploy the network and monitor success
Conduct a scoping call; review the initial project implementation; monitor the WLAN.
Contributors
- Michael Morgan, Senior Information Technology Manager, OASBO/ Waterloo Region District School Board
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