AHEAD LAUNCHES RAPID DEPLOYMENT SERVICE FOR MULTI-SITE EDGE PROJECTS, INCLUDING ABILITY TO MANAGE ASSETS BY LOCATION FOR ONGOING SITE VISIBILITY

In-House Hardware Integration and Lifecycle Management Platform Facilitate Large Edge Rollouts

CHICAGO – November 14, 2023 – AHEAD, a leading national provider of digital engineering, cloud and data solutions, today announced an industry-first edge deployment and site management service that dramatically reduces deployment time, quality control problems and asset traceability headaches for large edge technology rollouts at retail stores and other multi-site operations. The new AHEAD Edge Advantage program can save months of work for projects that typically require two- or three-year timelines.

The program combines advanced integration services and global logistics – leveraging AHEAD Engineered Solutions’ in-house manufacturing facilities and decades of experience in these areas – with the exclusive AHEAD Hatch IT lifecycle management platform that includes the unique ability to view detailed asset information by location for easy site management.

Technology integrations are performed at AHEAD facilities instead of at third-party manufacturers or edge deployment sites, producing ready-to-deploy solutions that reduce the time, expertise and personnel scheduling challenges required for complex hardware configuration in the field.

In addition, the inclusion of Hatch cloud-based software with every AHEAD Edge Advantage project eliminates hours of hunting through spreadsheets and emails for vital data such as bill of materials, component versions, engineering changes, warranty schedules. end-of-life dates, serial numbers and license keys on the deployment at each site. Hatch can be integrated with other platforms like ServiceNow® to augment the client’s asset management capabilities.

The result is a seamless, efficient edge implementation and site control process that meets surging demand for edge solutions to modernize company infrastructure and take advantage of newer edge computing capabilities such as edge analytics. Benefits include:

• Centralized management of hardware and software configuration that ensures uniform deployments
• In-house technology integrations to get solutions ready to deploy faster and avoid third-party delays
• Inventory management and kitting that expedite installation at each site
• Advanced change control and bill of materials management that overlays hardware, software and services to ensure consistency and traceability
• Site management software providing clarity on exactly where assets are located for all managed edge deployments

“In speaking with dozens of organizations navigating edge initiatives spanning scores or even hundreds of locations, we’ve consistently heard three top challenges: extended project rollouts, change control, and a pressing need for transparent asset lifecycle management,” said Justin Formella, SVP Software and Technology at AHEAD. “AHEAD Edge Advantage addresses all three pain points, harnessing our decades of engineering, integration and asset management expertise to fast-track these projects as well as consolidate all data into a single interface for pinpoint control over every asset and deployed location – whether 80 or 800.”

About AHEAD 

AHEAD builds and manages digital platforms that power the most successful organizations in the world. Our consultative approach, unmatched engineering and innovative solutions combine to accelerate the impact of technology in every client we serve.  For more information, visit ahead.com.