Interactive’s innovative network solution for Australia’s leading building supplier
Interactive, one of Australia’s leading IT service providers, has partnered with FletcherTech, the technology division for Fletcher Building, an end-to-end supply chain provider for Australia’s major construction and infrastructure projects, and dual listed on the NZX and ASX. Interactive has delivered leading network support services via its accreditation as a Cisco Gold Integrator and Gold Provider partner, supporting all devices across Fletcher Building’s network.
Since its inception in 1909, Fletcher Building has grown to a team of 14,900 people and operates over 30 diverse businesses across its core markets of Australia and New Zealand. These units are split into divisions including building products, distribution, concrete, construction and residential and development. With staff, customers and projects widely distributed, FletcherTech needed a network partner who could tailor the correct level of support to each business unit, without compromising on system uptime.
In 2010, FletcherTech made the decision to partner with Interactive to look after its Cisco back-end network. After working with Cisco to support back-end systems, FletcherTech recognised Interactive’s expertise in Cisco hardware maintenance and support. Interactive’s team of Cisco-trained and certified engineers provided the specialised skills Fletcher Building needed to ensure seamless, reliable system performance. By 2016, Interactive was responsible for supporting FletcherTech’s Cisco service solutions to 400 sites across New Zealand.
Jason Green, Network and Unified Communications Manager at Fletcher Building, said that partnering with Interactive has enabled better outcomes for the business.
“Connectivity is critical to the operation of our business. We needed a system that would support different hardware lifecycles across individual businesses. Interactive offers superior service and value by delivering individual service-level agreements to each of our business divisions. The knowledge and service are excellent and the staff go above and beyond to meet our needs.”
Interactive’s flexibility allows each business division to tailor solutions to their needs. For example, the Distribution division requires connectivity to support point-of-sale systems in a retail environment, such as hardware stores. At the same time, the Building Products division needs connectivity for mobile sites, including handheld scanners to ensure the correct products are dispatched.
FletcherTech has also streamlined operations and reduced complexity through this partnership. With a single point-of-contact, Interactive supports all the company’s switching and wireless networks and provides Cisco partner support services. This means 24/7 service desk support is available in New Zealand and Australia, and FletcherTech is guaranteed local Interactive parts.
Jason Green comments, “the level of support provided by Interactive is fantastic. Parts are local to where the device is under support and there’s no sharing between locations or cities. Interactive is also our single point of contact for all devices, so there’s no confusion about who to call when something happens. We aren’t waiting for assets, which is very important to a business like ours. If a plumbing site were to go down for a week while we waited for a part to arrive, we’d risk losing time, money and customer trust.”
Simon Durkin, Managing Director at Interactive said “today, consolidating the number of providers you work with transforms network support, driving faster response times, streamlined management, and strategic cost savings. Fewer vendors mean stronger partnerships, seamless service, and a network that’s resilient, agile, and ready for rapid innovation.”
For FletcherTech, consolidation has also delivered financial benefits. The company’s central billing platform provides visibility into network usage and costs, which enables smarter budgeting, quicker identification of inefficiencies, and more strategic decision-making to optimise resources. FletcherTech has also achieved economies of scale as they leverage the discount that comes with consolidating business units, while tailoring the technology to each business division.
Looking ahead, FletcherTech plans to continue working with Interactive to deploy configuration and visibility tools. This is especially important for security requirements in today’s digital environment, and to improve troubleshooting across its network.
Jason Green concludes: “As AI continues to evolve and integrate into every facet of every business, the importance of a robust, reliable network becomes even more critical.”
Learn more about Interactive’s Cisco Gold Integrator and Gold Provider Partner accreditations here.
