Following several years of rapid growth, Fintyre is the leader in Italy’s tyre replacement market today. Fintyre operates up and down the country, providing daily or twice-daily deliveries out of 14 strategically located warehouses; and selling directly to consumers from a network of 39 retail stores.

Much of Fintyre’s growth stems from adding distributor FranceGomme and retailers Pneusmarket and LGg to the group. Interconnecting the companies’ disparate networks was a complex task, as Paolo Pessi, Fintyre’s ICT Director, explains:

“We were dealing with several different network solutions and providers, so it was challenging to define a good SLA for the whole network. And as a mid-size company, we were too small to get the help and attention we needed from our main provider at the time.”

As a result, Fintyre struggled with a high volume of network incidents. “Every week, one of our warehouses would lose network connectivity, and every day there was a problem for at least one of our stores,” says Mr Pessi. “Losing access to our critical apps put business and revenues at risk.”

Mr Pessi decided that the best way forward was to start over with Fintyre’s network. “I wanted to work with a single provider that could deliver better network performance, ensure fewer incidents, and offer a more proactive service,” he says.

The right performance at the right price

Mr Pessi cites the key reasons for choosing Colt to transform the Fintyre network. “Colt showed they had taken our needs and priorities on board. With SD WAN, they proposed an advanced technology solution that fitted the bill perfectly and simplified the complexity of integrating acquired companies’ networks,” he says. “What’s more, they put forward a good price for a good service — a balanced economic proposal that I could confidently take to the board.”

The Colt managed SD WAN provides a choice of access methods depending on data volumes and performance requirements at each site. At major sites, as well as the two data centres hosting Fintyre’s business apps — including ERP, ordering, invoicing, warehouse management and BI — where data volumes are high and performance must be optimised, MPLS circuits have been installed.

At smaller sites, including retail stores, a third-party ISP connection is used. And for the first time, those smaller sites also have backup connections — often provided using 3G/4G. “Backup circuits for our stores is a new benefit with Colt that helps to keep them connected and avoid lost revenues,” says Mr Pessi.

Easy access everywhere

Now all of Fintyre’s brands are connected by a fully managed, modern network. “Colt provides the right amount of bandwidth to assure the quality and performance they promised in their proposal,” says Mr Pessi. “Wherever we are — in the office, on the road, or at home — we can easily and securely exchange data, collaborate, and access all the apps that allow Fintyre to keep doing business.”

Colt’s proactive network management means Fintyre has seen a dramatic drop in incidents compared with its previous network. “The high level of network uptime we now have with Colt is an important measure for us,” says Mr Pessi.

As well as having visibility of the network using Colt’s customer portal, Mr Pessi can contact his service manager when questions or issues arise. “Being able to speak to someone directly is an experience I’ve not had with any other provider. It’s a refreshing approach to customer care,” he says.

And when Fintyre is ready to expand its business into other European countries, extending the Colt SD WAN will be straightforward. “We know that with Colt, we’ll have the convenience of a single provider and the reassurance of consistent service levels across our European operations.”