From "cable maze" to "digital thoroughfare": One machine and one network help Chengtiantai campus network upgrade

Lin Haibin, currently the project director of Shenzhen Sujin Network Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Sujin Network), is a ten-year veteran digital upgrade "operator". He has led digital construction and upgrade projects such as more than 130 outlets of the Agricultural Bank of China Shenzhen Branch and Midea Zhuhai Factory. On May 1, 2024, he helped Shenzhen Chengtiantai Cable Industrial Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Chengtiantai) to carry out a "one machine, one network" digital innovation. The following is his actual sharing of the operation of this project.

The real scene of Chengtiantai's factory

Behind the "series" switch + cable "maze" is the mismatch between campus network construction and business development

As the person in charge of implementing the network update for this project, I think Cheng Tiantai's network upgrade is a very typical project in recent times.

Chengtiantai is a leader in the field of wires and cables, and started network construction relatively early. However, as time went by, the network infrastructure that supported the early development gradually showed signs of fatigue. Although the company continued to pursue excellence in production efficiency and quality and introduced an advanced ERP system, the network infrastructure that had been running continuously for 13 years could not support the operation of this efficient software.

In the huge space of more than 60,000 square meters of Chengtiantai, there are 10 conventional workshops, 1 super-large workshop, 2 comprehensive buildings and 3 dormitories that need to be renovated. The information points are relatively independent. After entering the computer room, the cables that have been added in the past 13 years are as complicated as a "maze", which brings considerable challenges to operation and maintenance management. In order to ensure coverage and transmission, a lot of transceivers are used in the factory, and the switches connected in series one after another show "traces of time".

Monitoring system before transformation

Trapped in such a network layout, once a problem occurs in a certain link, it will trigger a series of chain reactions, making troubleshooting extremely difficult and seriously affecting daily operations. Among them, network jams and packet loss problems are the most direct threats to the stable operation of the ERP system. For manufacturing companies, the ERP system is the core operation platform related to key business processes such as order processing, production scheduling and logistics delivery. This means that core business operations such as receiving customer orders may be stagnant until the network returns to normal.

Therefore, Cheng Tiantai's core demand is to build a basic network that can guarantee production and support the stable and efficient operation of the ERP system. There are more than 300 monitoring points in the park for production and daily safety, as well as production telephone lines for processing customer orders and business communications. The network for monitoring cameras and telephones must be stable and unobstructed. At the same time, Cheng Tiantai Cable is also renovating the computer room space, hoping to save space to create a spacious and bright factory exhibition hall with a more technological feel.

The " one machine, one network " solution was put into operation in two days : reliable, efficient and timeless

"Time is money, efficiency is life", in such a leading factory, the value of time is self-evident. Faced with a vast factory area of ​​60,000 square meters and 16 workshops, the 9 people in our team had to complete all the work from equipment verification, switching, deployment and testing in just 2 days. This race against time was as tense as putting out a fire, so we held two coordination meetings before the construction, and every second was crucial.

Lin Haibin, the person in charge of implementing the network update of Chengtiantai project

In addition to the close cooperation of the customer's information engineers and electricians, the efficiency of the "one machine, one network" solution was also fully demonstrated here. The uniformly configured equipment simplified the deployment process and saved precious time. We even took out half a day to sort out the complicated network cables that were like a "maze". At 10 o'clock the next night, with the final inspection and test, the overall network upgrade project was completed.

On the morning of the third day, the network faced the challenges of a new day of production. Since its stable operation in May, customers are very satisfied, and their most "painful" and urgent problems have been solved: the smooth operation of the ERP system provides strong support for production management and daily office work. At the same time, it also ensures that the surveillance camera does not drop off the line, ensuring real-time monitoring and record traceability of production and safety; the factory telephone system is unobstructed and stable, so important information is not missed; and the computer room space is saved.

Mr. Huang, the IT manager of Cheng Tian Tai, believes that this network transformation not only solved the current problem, but also built a stable, efficient and flexible network foundation for Cheng Tian Tai's long-term development. He commented: "Ruijie's one-machine-one-network solution supports efficient and stable production. The upgrade implementation and service of the overall equipment room migration are also excellent, in place and professional."

As Manager Huang said, what we provide is a scalable and upgradeable network foundation, which lays a solid foundation for future planning and expansion.

From a practical perspective: Which organizations are suitable for "one machine, one network"? Why?

Looking back on this project, from successful bidding to final delivery, winning the trust and satisfaction of customers and even opening up new business opportunities, there are two key factors: the first is the selection of a "one machine, one network" solution that is highly adaptable to customers, successfully solving the problems that have long plagued customers; the second is the establishment of a highly cooperative, sincere and professional team.

Simple cabinet and stable monitoring after transformation

Ruijie's "one machine, one network" solution, with its unique design concept, integrates the flexibility, scalability and stability of the network, providing Cheng Tiantai with a reliable and efficient network infrastructure: integrating multiple services through a single device not only simplifies the complexity of the network, but also greatly improves the convenience of maintenance, combining flexibility, efficiency and stability.

1.Flexible : Supports multiple interface types and can easily cope with the mixed optical and electrical network environment, whether it is an optical port or an electrical port.

2. Efficiency: Through optimized data transmission paths, the smooth operation of the ERP system and production control terminals is ensured.

3. Convenience: Network maintenance and troubleshooting become faster and more accurate.

Based on my own work experience and understanding of digital transformation, I believe that these types of organizations are particularly suitable for adopting the "one machine, one network" network upgrade solution:

1. Organizations that want to achieve equipment flexibility in optical-electrical hybrid networks: Such enterprises require front-end equipment to have the versatility of optical and electrical ports to adapt to changing technical requirements. The one-machine-one-network solution can provide an ideal solution;

2. Organizations with many network usage scenarios and different requirements for each scenario: Different remote modules of the one-machine-one-network solution can adapt to the needs of different scenarios, with flexible options such as indoor, shelf, and desktop hanging.

3. For organizations with high requirements for network expansion capabilities: When business changes require the temporary addition of information points, new information points can be added at any location through the one-machine-one-network website remote entry module, and the deployment method is also very flexible, whether it is installed next to a table or deployed in a weak current box. At the same time, it supports unified management by the host, which will not bring network failure points or increase maintenance difficulty.

With the successful implementation of the one-machine-one-network solution, Chengtiantai Cable has not only solved the current network bottleneck, but also laid a solid digital foundation for the long-term development of the company. It is also a manifestation of actively creating new quality productivity and pursuing higher quality development.

The "one machine, one network" solution that solves current pain points and ensures future expansion is a digital tool that pursues high-quality development and creates new quality productivity. It can help companies build a more flexible, efficient and reliable network environment to meet growing business needs and market challenges.

Editor's Note

Sujin Networks: Ruijie Networks' core partner in Shenzhen, with rich and solid experience in customer service practices, can meet the IT application and service needs of customers in various fields.

Cheng Tiantai: Founded in 1983, it is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, production and sales of wires, cables and cable accessories. Its products have obtained network access permits from the State Grid, China Southern Power Grid and power grids in many provinces and cities. It serves many well-known corporate customers such as Vanke and BYD, as well as many key engineering projects such as Shenzhen Airport and Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station.