About Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Europe
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Europe is part of the global automotive supply chain, specialising in the design and manufacture of vehicle wiring systems and electrical components for automotive manufacturers. Operating across Europe, North Africa, and beyond, the business relies on stable, high-performance wireless infrastructure to support its manufacturing operations, warehousing, handheld devices, and operational mobility across multiple international warehouse and manufacturing sites.
In an environment where any network downtime affects production, logistics and supply chain continuity, reliable Wi-Fi is an essential part of operational infrastructure.
The Challenge
In early 2023, SEWS‑E engaged Performance Networks to review and enhance the wireless connectivity across one of its warehouse and manufacturing facilities. The goal was to ensure the network could fully support the demands of a busy industrial environment, where seamless mobility and reliable device performance are essential. While the existing setup met expected specifications on paper, Performance Networks’ assessment highlighted opportunities to strengthen real‑world performance and optimise the experience for both users and equipment operating throughout the site.
The site presented a challenging RF environment, with moving stock, industrial materials, machinery and changing warehouse conditions all impacting the wireless performance. The client required more than a standard heatmap or basic access point refresh; they needed a wireless design built around operational behaviour.
The Solution
Our team began with a detailed Wi-Fi survey and a consultancy-led redesign process. The objective was not simply to improve coverage, but to create a wireless environment capable of supporting roaming handheld devices and operational continuity across the site.
The project included:
- Detailed RF surveys and consultancy
- Wi-Fi design and access point placement strategy
- wireless infrastructure deployment
- Controller infrastructure configuration
- Hardware procurement and provisioning
- Verification and optimisation surveys following installation
- Ongoing monitoring, fault resolution and support
We redesigned the network to improve roaming performance, reduce device dropouts and create more stable wireless connectivity throughout the warehouse and manufacturing sites.
Once hardware was installed, our team carried out verification and optimisation surveys to validate real-world performance, working closely with both SEWS-E headquarters teams and local site teams to ensure consistency across environments.
The success of the redesign laid the foundation for a much larger international rollout of WiFi redesigns.
Scaling to a Global Managed Wireless Network
Following the success of the original project, the redesigned wireless architecture became a template for the wider global deployment programme.
Today, Performance Networks supports one of its largest managed wireless estates for SEWS-E, consisting of approximately 1,130 managed access points deployed across multiple international locations, including:
- United Kingdom
- Hungary
- Italy
- France
- Romania
- Czech Republic
- Turkey
- Morocco
- Egypt
- Tunisia
As warehouses are situated globally, each faces different operational and environmental challenges. Some manufacturing facilities involve dense industrial layouts and the movement of warehouse inventory, while others operate in high-humidity factory conditions where RF behaviour and infrastructure resilience become increasingly important.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, we developed a scalable deployment model that could be adapted to local operational conditions while maintaining consistency across the wider network estate.
Designing for Harsh Industrial Environments
Warehousing and manufacturing environments are fundamentally different from office Wi-Fi deployments. Device behaviour, roaming paths, building materials, machinery and environmental conditions all influence wireless performance.
The Performance Networks team worked closely with SEWS-E to ensure each deployment was designed around operational use cases rather than theoretical coverage models.
This included:
- Designing for handheld scanning devices and operational mobility
- Optimising roaming behaviour across large warehouse spaces
- Supporting manufacturing workflows without interruption
- Adapting designs for varying environmental conditions
- Providing ongoing monitoring and fault resolution support
- Standardising deployment templates across international sites
The result is a resilient wireless infrastructure capable of supporting the day-to-day manufacturing and logistics operations across a large, complex multinational estate.
Ongoing Partnership & Support
Now entering its third year, our relationship continues to grow as new sites are brought into the wider deployment programme.
We provide:
- Centralised Wi-Fi design consultancy
- Ongoing optimisation services
- Hardware procurement and provisioning
- Controller infrastructure management
- Monitoring and fault remediation
- 3rd-line wireless support
- Guest access management
The Outcome
The partnership has enabled SEWS-E to standardise wireless infrastructure across a large-scale international operation while significantly improving wireless reliability in its demanding industrial environments.
Key outcomes include:
- Stable roaming performance for handheld operational devices
- Reduced connection dropouts across warehouse environments
- Scalable deployment standards across multiple countries
- Centralised management of approximately 1,130 access points
- Improved operational continuity across manufacturing facilities
- Ongoing optimisation and support from a dedicated wireless specialist partner
- Separate guest access for visitors to the sites
For SEWS-E, the project demonstrates how well-designed wireless infrastructure can improve operational efficiency globally, particularly in environments where reliability directly impacts production and supply chain performance.
For us, it reinforces that warehouse and manufacturing Wi-Fi is not just about coverage. It is about designing networks around operational behaviour, movement and continuity in real-world industrial environments.
