How FletcherTech enhances network support with Interactive

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.

Fletcher Building is dual listed on the NZX and ASX, with a focus on accessing the best ideas from around the world and driving innovation to make its customers’ lives easier. This is especially true when it comes to FletcherTech’s technology partners.

Fletcher Building business units operate in a dynamic environment where network connectivity and uptime are crucial to operations. With staff, customers and projects widely distributed, FletcherTech needed to support hardware across various business units without compromising on uptime.

After working with multiple providers across network hardware and services, FletcherTech was also looking to streamline operations.

Jason Green, Network and Unified Communications Manager at FletcherTech, 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. Their knowledge and service are excellent, and the staff go above and beyond to meet our needs.”

Cisco Hardware Maintenance and Support

Interactive delivers leading network support services via its accreditation as a Cisco Gold Integrator and Gold Provider partner, supporting all devices across Fletcher Building’s network. Interactive’s team of Cisco-trained and certified engineers provided the specialised skills FletcherTech needed to ensure seamless and reliable system performance.

Tailored, Flexible Solutions

Interactive’s flexibility allows each business division to tailor service-level agreements 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.

Technology Consolidation

Interactive provides a single point of contact for all network hardware maintenance services, simplifying support and reducing the complexity of managing multiple vendors. Interactive supports all the organisation’s switching and wireless network hardware 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.

“The level of support provided by Interactive is fantastic,” said Green. “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 retail 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.”

Interactive’s single point of contact provides unparalleled support and flexibility for FletcherTech. As a result, FletcherTech has achieved economies of scale by leveraging the discount that comes with consolidating business units, while tailoring the technology to each business division.

FletcherTech has also reduced complexity through this partnership, which has 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.

“Interactive’s commitment to providing superior service and value has enabled us to focus on our core business activities, confident in the knowledge that its network hardware support needs are in capable hands,” said Green.

Simon Durkin, Managing Director, Systems at Interactive, says consolidation is key to success for Australasia’s leading building supplier.

“In today’s digital environment, 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,” said Durkin.

FletcherTech’s partnership with Interactive has positioned the organisation for continued success in the construction and infrastructure markets. FletcherTech plans to continue working with Interactive to deploy configuration and visibility tools. This is especially important for security requirements in today’s cyber environment and for improving troubleshooting across the 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.”

• Cisco-trained and certified engineers ensure reliable system performance.
• Flexibility allows each business division to tailor solutions to their needs.
• Technology consolidation drives faster response times, streamlined management.
• 24/7 service desk support, with local parts guaranteed.
• Cost-savings via a central billing platform.