Operational cost
Illustrative figures based on a typical mid-sized DC with Wi-Fi that's "mostly fine". Adjust the numbers above to match your operation. A site survey tells you exactly where you stand.
Single-floor DC, standard racking, no outdoor coverage needed, small office area (10 to 15 staff).
Multi-zone DC, mezzanine, outdoor yard, office, and full pick-and-pack operation.
Large DC, cold stores, multi-building sites, high-bay racking, extensive yard, large office space with breakout rooms.
Warehouses have a combination of large foot print, high ceilings and variable signal attenuation due to racking. All of these factors make a standard office Wi-Fi of utilising omnidirectional AP’s, mounted at ceiling height, entirely unfeasible.
Politicians answer time - It depends! There’s a huge volume of factors including ceiling height, racking layout, pallet contents, floor only or high/mid level scanning, RFID tagging, and how many scanners operate concurrently. A typical 30,000 sq ft distribution centre needs 12 to 20 access points, but the number can can vary significantly. A site survey gives you the real number rather than a guesstimation.
Yes, as long as the network is designed for them. Handheld and forklift-mounted scanners from Zebra, Honeywell and Datalogic need fast roaming, consistent coverage through aisles, and plus support for their specific radio capabilities. We design the network around your actual device fleet and integrate with your warehouse management system.
Yes. We install outdoor-rated access points on the building exterior or on poles to cover loading bays, trailer parks and yard areas. Useful for yard management systems, driver check-in tablets and load tracking.
Yes. We can install in phases, at weekends or on night shifts to avoid disrupting operations. We'll agree a schedule after the survey that works around your pick and despatch cycles.
We're vendor-agnostic. For warehouses we most commonly specify Cisco Meraki, Aruba, Ruckus and Cambium — all of which have high-density and outdoor-rated products built for industrial environments. The exact choice depends on your budget, existing infrastructure and us workshopping with you your required features and functions.
Yes. Cold stores need a pragmatic approach based on temperature, humidity and use case- for some an IP rated AP maybe sufficient, for others an external Antenna might be the best fit. We’ve been putting Wi-Fi in the freezer for over 17 years now so have a plethora of real world experience to call down on.
A typical 30,000 sq ft distribution centre ranges from £4,000 to £8,000 for installation (including configuration services) depending on AP count, Access Arrangements, cabling complexity and outdoor coverage. Site surveys for warehouses start from £1,200 and are credited against installation. Every quote is fixed-price after the survey
