Building data racks and mounting 19” equipment can be a logistical nightmare when products ship from multiple manufacturers on different days. Boxes are misplaced. Boxes are thrown out. Some parts don’t show up. It’s a nightmare that doesn’t happen with STACK integration services from Great Lakes.
STACK is the integration of racks, cabinets, and wall mounts with accessories and customer supplied (or third-party) products. STACK takes customer service to the next level and provides a fast, flexible, and easy solution that saves time and money.
“I worked with the customer to create a drawing and establish exactly where accessories needed installed. We assigned the completely configured rack a single part number which made ordering incredibly easy for the customer. Communication with all parties involved has been a key factor in this project running so smoothly for over 15 years.”
–Rick Trombetta, former Regional VP of Sales, Northeast Region
In this STACK project, Great Lakes works closely with an integrator from the New England region to coordinate the assembly and shipping of racks to medical facilities throughout the United States. For 15 years, the integration, identification/tracking, and transportation have been a seamless effort to provide the end-user with a complete product upon delivery.
Before building the racks, Great Lakes sources third-party product, as specified by the integrator. Products, which deliver to Great Lakes, include a 1 RMU, UPS; 48-port patch panel plates; and keystone jacks in five different colors. In addition to product, the integrator sends Great Lakes an end-user instruction manual to include with each complete rack. The manual provides contractors with step-by-step instructions on installation of active rack mount equipment once the rack arrives to the medical facilities.
Each four post rack is assembled and bolted to a pallet. Great Lakes accessories, including vertical cable managers, 19” horizontal cable organizers, and a shelf are installed. Patch panel plates and keystones are assembled so that ten complete patch panels are installed in each rack. Great Lakes adds the keystone jacks to the patch panel plates—that’s 480 jacks per rack. All product is installed in the exact RMU as specified by the integrator.
A UPS is installed in the bottom 1 RMU of the rack. After installation, the UPS is powered on, and the UPS serial number is electronically recorded to correspond with the Great Lakes product serial number. Once an order is placed, the destination of each rack is documented with the serial number. Great Lakes provides serial number information to the integrator so that they can identify each UPS/rack combination and facilitate final installation of networking and active equipment.
Great Lakes assembles 30 racks at a time which are stored in the warehouse and available for immediate shipment when needed by the end-user. Racks that ship are identified with the integrator’s contact information so that onsite contractors at the medical facilities direct all inquiries to the integrator.
When inventory reaches 10 racks, the integrator is notified, the project is reviewed for any possible changes, and then an order for 30 more racks is placed with Great Lakes. The process repeats itself and the logistical disaster is avoided. Time is not wasted looking for pieces and parts and there aren’t 144,000 keystone jacks and patch panel plates that require assembly—each rack is ready for deployment as soon as it arrives onsite!