Managing network connectivity across multiple business locations creates complexity that directly impacts your bottom line. From juggling multiple vendor relationships to troubleshooting finger-pointing between providers, the hidden costs add up quickly.
The Multi-Vendor Problem
A typical multi-location business faces these challenges:
- Different ISPs at each location due to availability
- Multiple bills with varying due dates and formats
- No single point of contact for network issues
- Providers blaming each other during outages
- Inconsistent service levels and support quality
- Time wasted managing vendor relationships
A 10-location company might deal with 5-7 different providers, each with their own contracts, billing cycles, and support processes.
Hidden Costs of Fragmented Networks
Beyond the obvious monthly service charges, fragmented networks cost you:
Administrative overhead:
- Staff time processing multiple invoices
- Contract management across vendors
- Renewal negotiations with each provider
Operational inefficiency:
- Longer mean time to repair (MTTR) due to finger-pointing
- Multiple support calls to diagnose issues
- No unified monitoring or visibility
Strategic limitations:
- Cannot implement consistent security policies
- Difficult to deploy unified communications
- No leverage for volume pricing
The Single-Provider Advantage
Consolidating your network through a single provider or aggregator delivers immediate benefits:
One bill: Simplified accounting with a single monthly invoice regardless of how many locations or underlying carriers are involved.
One call: A single support number for any issue at any location. No more being bounced between providers.
One SLA: Consistent service level agreements across all locations with a single point of accountability.
One relationship: Strategic partnership instead of transactional vendor management.
Case Study: 10-Location Retail Chain
A regional retail chain with 10 locations was spending $18,000/month across 6 different providers:
| Before Consolidation | After Consolidation |
|---|---|
| 6 different providers | 1 provider (FiberFed) |
| $18,000/month total | $10,800/month total |
| 8-hour average MTTR | 2-hour average MTTR |
| No unified monitoring | 24/7 NOC monitoring all sites |
| 6 contracts to manage | 1 master agreement |
Annual savings: $86,400 (40%)
How Aggregators Reduce Costs
Network aggregators like FiberFed achieve savings through:
Volume purchasing: Buying bandwidth across hundreds of customers creates leverage with underlying carriers.
Right-sizing circuits: Expert analysis often reveals over-provisioned or under-utilized connections.
Technology optimization: SD-WAN and traffic engineering extract more value from existing infrastructure.
Operational efficiency: Centralized NOC and support reduces per-site management costs.
Implementation Strategy
Consolidating a multi-location network typically follows this path:
- Network assessment: Document current providers, costs, and contract terms
- Design optimization: Right-size bandwidth based on actual usage
- Phased migration: Transition sites as contracts expire
- Unified monitoring: Deploy centralized visibility tools
- Ongoing optimization: Continuous improvement based on analytics
Getting Started
The first step is understanding your current network costs and architecture. We offer complimentary network assessments that identify:
- Potential cost savings
- Performance improvement opportunities
- Consolidation timeline aligned with contract expirations
- ROI projections for your specific situation
Schedule your free network assessment or call 855-342-3737.
