Summary
A.G. Barr is one of the UK’s leading branded consumer goods businesses, with a portfolio that includes household names such as IRN-BRU, RUBICON, STRATHMORE and FUNKIN. Established more than 140 years ago, the company employs around 950 people across nine UK locations and has built a reputation for strong brands, lasting partnerships and continuous growth.
As mobile usage increased across the organisation, A.G. Barr began reviewing its communications provision to ensure it could continue supporting employees effectively while maintaining control of costs. Following a competitive tender process, the company selected Barclay Communications to deliver a fully managed mobile solution that would provide greater flexibility, improved support and better value for money.
The Challenge
Like many businesses, A.G. Barr had experienced a significant increase in mobile data usage across its workforce. While mobile technology was helping employees communicate and work more effectively, growing usage was leading to increased costs and a lack of visibility over mobile expenditure.
The business wanted a communications partner that could not only reduce costs but also provide greater control and ongoing support. Key requirements included:
- Improved visibility of mobile spending
- Greater control over data usage and overspend
- Flexible mobile plans that could adapt to business needs
- Dedicated account management and support
- A seamless migration process with minimal disruption
As A.G. Barr explained:
“Our costs for our mobile estate had increased significantly due to a rise in data usage, so we wanted to find a provider that could support our increasing demands as well as improve on our costs.”
Beyond cost savings, the company was looking for a provider that understood how A.G. Barr operated and could tailor its services to support the business both now and in the future.
The Barclay Solution
From the outset, Barclay Communications worked closely with A.G. Barr throughout the tender process, providing a detailed review of existing costs and a clear plan for migrating the company’s mobile estate.
The solution included:
- Flexible business mobile plans
- Shared data allowances across users
- Spend caps to prevent unexpected charges
- Usage monitoring and spend alerts
- Dedicated account management
- Regular account reviews and optimisation recommendations
A key part of the project was ensuring a smooth rollout across A.G. Barr’s UK locations. Barclay Communications managed every stage of the implementation, from network porting and handset deployment through to user onboarding.
New devices were distributed department by department, with scheduled collection times agreed for individual users. Employees received their handsets, SIM cards and accessories while also completing the necessary documentation and company mobile policy requirements.
This structured approach ensured minimal disruption to day-to-day operations while allowing the business to quickly begin benefiting from its new mobile solution.
Reflecting on the implementation, A.G. Barr said:
“The team made sure to handle every aspect of the rollout throughout our UK branches. Barclay arranged the delivery of new handsets by departments, agreeing time allotments for each user to collect their device, SIM and accessories, while also signing our new company mobile policy. This meant we weren’t chasing staff and all paperwork was up to date. The transition was seamless and very impressive.”
Business Outcomes
Since moving to Barclay Communications, A.G. Barr has benefited from greater control over its mobile estate and improved visibility of spending across the organisation.
The introduction of shared data plans, spend caps and proactive monitoring has helped reduce the risk of overspend, while giving employees the flexibility to communicate effectively without concerns around unexpected charges.
The business has also benefited from ongoing account management and regular reviews, ensuring that mobile plans continue to align with changing business requirements and deliver value over time.
A.G. Barr highlighted the impact of this support:
“Having support from the Barclay team has made a real difference to the business and how we operate. We have been able to adopt flexible mobile plans that allow our employees to share data, introduce spend caps to control overspend and set up spend alerts to notify our team when they are close to or over their allowance.”
The flexibility of the solution proved particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic when employees were required to work remotely. With a fully managed mobile estate already in place, teams remained connected and operational regardless of location.
Customer Testimonial
“We have saved a great deal of time and money by switching to Barclay Communications, which can now be invested into other areas of the business. Our teams are able to communicate freely without the risks of worrying about overspend or unexpected charges.
AG Barr is built around strong and lasting relationships, listening to consumers and growing with the community. These business principles are something that is echoed within Barclay’s company culture and what set it apart from the competition.
We would highly recommend Barclay Communications to other businesses. The entire process has been seamless from the initial sales process right through to ongoing support. The team is experienced, knowledgeable and helpful and always has the customer in mind.”
AG Barr