Case Studies - ArrowXL

The Customer

With over 25 years of experience, ArrowXL is the UK’s largest and longest-established two-person delivery and warehousing specialist.

Headquartered in Wigan, the company focuses on delivering large, heavy and unwieldy orders such as sofas, domestic appliances and gym equipment.

It also offers additional value-added services, including appliance fitting, furniture assembly, and removal of old items.

The Challenge

ArrowXL places exceptional service at the centre of all its operations, ensuring deliveries are made on time and with minimal disruption to customers. This requires fast, reliable and secure IT across the company’s distribution network. So, when ArrowXL’s multi-site network began to suffer sustained outages and the incumbent supplier breached SLAs, it was time to take action.

The Solution

After looking at several competing solutions, the decision was taken to roll out Node4’s fully managed Secure SD-WAN across eight sites and replace the structured cabling, comms cabinets and access points. This infrastructure would help provide improved connectivity indoors and outdoors for each location.

With the initial phase of the SD-WAN rollout completed, Rachel and her team turned their attention to sourcing and implementing a managed threat detection service. She takes up the story: “Node4 was our incumbent network and data centre provider by this stage, so partnering with them to deliver further security-related services enabled a much more responsive proposition. However, to ensure the best value, we approached several other potential providers during the procurement process.

Rachel continues: “Ultimately, we chose Threat Detect, Node4’s Security Operations Centre service, or SOC. We were particularly impressed by the solution’s use of the latest AI technology and third-party intelligence sources. But the real added value for us came from the fact that our network would be monitored round the clock by Node4’s team of expert security analysts, which removed the need for us to hire an Information Security team.

Fully managed Secure SD‑WAN deployed across eight sites to improve indoor and outdoor connectivity.

Modernised network infrastructure, including replacing structured cabling, comms cabinets and access points.

Managed Threat Detection with 24/7 monitoring, AI-driven detection and third‑party threat intelligence. removing the need for an in-house security team.

The Results

Node4’s Secure SD‑WAN underpins ArrowXL’s network, providing a fast, resilient platform across its main locations. With centralised management and consistent performance, the solution supports day‑to‑day operations and helps keep deliveries running smoothly for customers, warehouse teams and drivers.

When demand spikes, the network adapts automatically to maintain performance and avoid disruption, while built‑in next‑generation firewalls protect users at every site.

Node4 delivered real benefits to the business and now forms a resilient foundation across our main locations, with plans to extend it further.

As ArrowXL continues to grow, the SD‑WAN provides the flexibility to scale with the business. Sites can be added or removed as needed, enabling a more agile approach to change without compromising performance or reliability.

Alongside the network upgrade, ArrowXL introduced Node4’s managed Threat Detect SOC service. Within just two weeks, the SOC had already identified and isolated accounts targeted by cybercriminals, reinforcing the decision to take a managed approach to security. Compared to building an in‑house 24/7 security function, the managed service delivers greater capability and value without the complexity of recruiting and retaining specialist skills.

“With the rise in cyber attacks across our sector, it’s a huge relief to know we have experts monitoring and responding to threats around the clock,” Rachel explains.

Today, Node4 plays a broader role as a trusted partner to ArrowXL, strengthening IT capability and providing guidance on future initiatives. “With a relatively small in‑house IT team, Node4 effectively extends our expertise,” Rachel concludes. “They help us adopt new technology and drive innovation, which is why we see them as much more than a service provider.”

Resilient, High‑Performance Network

A faster, more robust SD‑WAN backbone delivering consistent performance with no significant outages.

Reliability at Peak Demand

Automatic adaptation to traffic spikes ensures systems stay online without slowdowns or crashes.

Built‑In Security at Every Site

Next‑generation firewalls deployed across locations protect against internal and external cyber threats.

Rapid Threat Detection and Response

The SOC identified and isolated targeted accounts within two weeks of mobilisation.

Operational Confidence

Reliable connectivity supports on-time deliveries and reduces pressure on customers, warehouse teams and drivers.

Scalable and Future‑Ready IT

A flexible network that enables sites to be added or removed easily as the business grows.

The Node4 Difference

Node4 didn’t just deliver technology, they became an extension of ArrowXL’s team. From the outset, Node4’s bid team demonstrated superior speed, versatility, and security, making a compelling case for how their services could add value now and in the future. The partnership is built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to outcomes, not just uptime. Node4’s experts supplement ArrowXL’s in-house IT team, bringing skills and knowledge that would be hard to attract and retain internally.