650 Locations. 9 Weeks. One Trusted Partner.
How Wachter's W-2 Rollout Team Delivered a Nationwide Security Overhaul Under Pressure
LOCATION
United States (across 650 stores)
DURATION
9 Weeks
INDUSTRY
Automotive / Auto Services
CUSTOMER
A national auto service chain
SERVICES
- Camera System Replacement
- Network Switch Upgrades
- Thin Client Installation
- Monitor Replacement
- POS Equipment Installation
THE ISSUE
A national quick-service chain was operating with an outdated camera system. Without reliable, comprehensive video coverage, the company had no dependable way to verify technician procedures, validate service interactions, or defend against claims made by customers.
On top of that, aging network infrastructure and peripheral technology across hundreds of locations had fallen behind, creating compounding operational risk that new leadership could no longer ignore. A full technology overhaul was needed across every location in the country.
CHALLENGE
With Memorial Day weekend, one of the busiest service periods of the year, serving as a hard deadline, the customer had approximately nine weeks to complete a rip-and-replace across roughly 650 locations spanning 17 regions.
Service area camera coverage was a critical challenge. Peak seasons bring higher customer volume, and with it, a rise in the number of claims filed against the business. Without reliable video documentation of every service interaction, Wachter’s customer had no dependable way to protect their technicians, validate procedures, or respond to disputes. It was urgent that the right cameras needed to be installed in the right places before the next rush hits.
Installation was limited to five nights a week and had to be completed outside of normal working hours. The customer required a consistent standard install across locations. Certain location layouts and infrastructure had variations and inconsistencies that were identified later in the project, but posed a challenge that required on-the-spot thinking and communication to match specs.
SOLUTION
Through a trusted technology partnership, Wachter was recommended as the one company that could achieve the customer’s goals on such an ambitious timeline. Within 48 hours of first contact, Wachter had the customer at their Lowell, AR facility, and began work on site within a few days.
Wachter deployed approximately 100 two-person field crews, all direct W-2 employees who trained on the exact scope before a single site was touched. Each team was dedicated exclusively to this customer for the duration of the project. Wachter was notified that the camera replacement wasn’t the only part of what the customer needed. Network switches, thin clients, monitors, and POS equipment were folded into the scope, turning a security upgrade into a complete facility technology refresh, saving the customer significant time and cost by avoiding multiple return visits.
Installations happened after close of business each night and had to be fully completed before locations opened the next morning, five nights a week. A full back-of-house operation supported the field - dedicated project managers, an overnight Wachter help desk, and executive leadership, including CEO Bryan Sloan and COO Rick Clark, engaged throughout the most critical phases. When early site inconsistencies created execution challenges, Wachter adapted mid-project, retrained teams without the use of subcontractors, and steadied performance without losing ground on the timeline.
In total, the project mobilized:
• Approximately 100 two-person field crews, all W-2 Wachter employees
• As many as five dedicated project managers per region
• A dedicated Wachter help desk supporting daily operations
• Executive and senior operations leadership engaged at every escalation
• Wachter's Nationwide Projects group, which mobilized to complete more than 200 sites in less than three weeks during the final push
RESULTS
By the time the rollout crossed the finish line ahead of Memorial Day, the customer was singing the Wachter team's praises, telling the team they could not have done it without Wachter. Part of Wachter’s expertise included completing work without the use of subcontractors. They worked through the 650 locations in roughly nine weeks.
The customer opened their busiest season with complete interior, exterior, and service area camera coverage, along with the ability to verify every service interaction on video. New network infrastructure gave the business the technological foundation it had been missing.
By exceeding expectations at every turn, Wachter extended the partnership beyond the initial engagement:
- Wachter now provides nationwide break-fix service for the customer
- Ongoing smaller-scale projects continue bringing remaining locations to the new standard
SOLUTION
- Speed without sacrifice. From first contact to project kickoff, Wachter mobilized at enterprise scale without cutting corners on training, staffing, or preparation.
- Comprehensive coverage, finally. Full camera coverage across every service area gives the customer the ability to verify claims, validate procedures, and protect their technicians.
- One visit, complete refresh. By consolidating network and IT upgrades into a single mobilization, Wachter saved the customer significant time, labor, and future disruption.
- A workforce model built for the customer. 100 dedicated W2 teams, no subcontractors, no reassignments, every technician was committed to one customer from start to finish. That is not a marketing promise. It’s how Wachter has operated for nearly 100 years.
- Problems owned, not passed off. When early challenges emerged, Wachter communicated early, adapted in real time, retrained mid-project, and delivered a finished product that the customer said they couldn't have achieved without them.
- A partnership that compounds. What began as an emergency engagement has grown into an ongoing relationship spanning installations, break-fix service, and continued expansion across the country.