A case study on practical network optimization
An international manufacturer of luxury foods operates 47 locations worldwide. Like many companies of its size, it relied on MPLS for global networking for many years.
It worked—but costs kept rising, and IT teams spent a lot of time troubleshooting the network.
The initial situation
The setup:Classic hub-and-spoke network with central MPLS connectionsThe problem:High costs, little flexibility for new locations
The specific challenges:
- New locations took 4-6 weeks to connect
- Little insight into actual network performance
- IT team was often busy with connectivity issues
- Rising costs amid growing demands
The question was: How do we make the change without disrupting ongoing business?
The solution approach
The company decided to migrate to SD-WAN with Juniper Session Smart™ technology in stages.
Why SD-WAN?
Flexibility:New locations can be quickly connected
Transparency:Clear insights into performance and utilization
Efficiency:Intelligent traffic optimization through software
Security:Session-based encryption instead of just tunnel protection
The implementation
Phase 1:Pilot with 3 locations (parallel to existing MPLS)
Phase 2:Gradual migration of additional locations
Phase 3:MPLS dismantling after complete validation
The focus was onzero-touch provisioning—new locations receive preconfigured hardware that automatically integrates into the network.
The practical improvements
After one year of operation:
Cost side:
- Reduction in annual connectivity costs by approximately 20%
- Less effort for network management
Operational:
- New locations online in a matter of days (instead of weeks)
- Significantly fewer network-related support tickets
- Better visibility across the entire network
Safety:
- Session-based encryption for more granular protection
- Better compliance documentation
The most important lessons learned
1. Step-by-step migration reduces risks
Parallel operation and pilot conversion avoid big bang risks.
2. Automation creates freedom
Less manual network configuration means more time for strategic IT projects.
3. Transparency improves decision-making
Real performance data helps with better capacity planning and provider negotiations.
Practical considerations for similar projects
Clarify before deciding:
- How high are the actual connectivity costs really?
- How long does it currently take to connect new locations?
- How much IT time is spent on network issues?
- What are the compliance requirements?
Please note during implementation:
- Start pilot phase with non-critical locations
- Parallel operation for fallback scenarios
- Team training for the new management tools
- Define a clear rollback strategy
Conclusion
For this customer, migrating to SD-WAN was a pragmatic step toward modernizing their network infrastructure.
The result: lower costs, greater flexibility, and less operational complexity.
For companies facing similar challenges, SD-WAN can be a sensible alternative to traditional MPLS architectures—provided that the migration is carefully planned and implemented.
