National Vision Inc. (NVI) operates one of the largest optical retail footprints in the country - more than 1,200 locations across multiple brands, each with its own mix of employees, independent doctors, equipment requirements, and lease situations. Keeping the technology across all of those locations modern, consistent, and functional is a continuous effort. NVI doesn’t do a one-time refresh and walk away. They run a rolling program: as soon as one cycle wraps up, the next begins.
That scale creates real complexity. Replacing aging network equipment and end-user hardware across hundreds of active retail stores — without disrupting patient care or daily operations — requires more than a deployment vendor. It requires someone who understands the business well enough to absorb mid-project changes without losing momentum.
The challenge isn’t just logistics. NVI’s stores aren’t uniform. Some have independent ODs with their own tech preferences and contractual requirements. Some are brand-new; some are decades old with cabling that needs to be evaluated before any equipment goes in. Some have room for a rack in the back; some don’t. Standardizing across that environment while staying flexible enough to accommodate the business — that’s the core of what NVI needs from a partner.
BAZ Group has been that partner for more than 15 years.
COMPANY SNAPSHOT
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Company |
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Industry |
Optical Retail — One of the largest optical retail companies in the United States, operating multiple brands across the country |
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Locations |
~1,230 retail locations nationwide |
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Employees |
15,000+ |
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Telecom Spend at Start of Project |
$7.5 Million |
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Relationship Start |
2007 |
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Services Engaged |
Project Management, Deployment Planning & Coordination, Vendor Management, Store Communications & Scheduling, Risk & Issue Management, Executive Reporting, Quality Assurance, Cross-Functional Coordination |
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Total Savings |
$616,000 in annual recurring savings (circuits + eFax) |
THE ENGAGEMENT
BAZ’s role with NVI isn’t a one-time project, it’s a deeply embedded, ongoing partnership. Over more than 15 years, BAZ has built the standards, developed the frameworks, and earned the trust that makes large-scale, high-velocity deployments possible. When a new team member joins the NVI side, BAZ brings them up to speed on the history. When a vendor proposes a change, BAZ evaluates it against what’s already been built and helps NVI make the right call.
The current tech refresh engagement is a clear example of what that looks like in practice. NVI’s network equipment and end-user hardware needed updating across more than 1,200 locations. The refresh had to happen across active retail stores — meaning every installation had to be scheduled around store hours, staffed by third-party technicians, and completed without disrupting patient care or daily operations.
BAZ managed every moving piece. That included deployment planning and scheduling across hundreds of locations, coordination between NVI’s internal teams, field tech vendors, logistics partners, network engineers, and carriers handling circuit upgrades. Every store got a tailored scope — some received the full refresh package, others a subset based on what they specifically needed — communicated clearly to technicians through structured, modular documentation that BAZ developed and refined over years of doing exactly this work.
The project didn’t run in a straight line. Mid-cycle, NVI needed to urgently onboard a new OD network in Florida — roughly 100 Gulf Coast Optical locations with a three-month deadline to be live for incoming doctors. At the same time, a 128-store SDS/POS platform migration was added to the scope with its own deadline. BAZ absorbed both without breaking the primary refresh track.
As we sometimes see in project deployments, the budget situation shifted. Available funding dropped mid-year, and access point lead times jumped from 15 to 120 days due to supply chain constraints. BAZ made the call early in the year to run at maximum safe deployment velocity — anticipating the funding situation and front-loading as much work as possible. When the pause came, the team held 50 priority stores in reserve, managed the vendor ramp-down cleanly, built a savings case that helped unlock additional funding, and then ramped back up faster than anyone expected to close out the year on time.
Engagement Timeline
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TIMELINE |
MILESTONE |
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2007 |
Relationship with NVI begins |
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2010 |
BAZ brought in to support NVI’s POS system upgrade — circuit coordination leads to full project management as BAZ takes over running the deployment |
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2016 |
NVI moves to Cisco/MPLS platform — BAZ leads the network modernization and begins building the refresh standards and frameworks still in use today |
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Ongoing |
BAZ embedded in NVI’s annual tech refresh cycle — managing each phase while incorporating new business requirements, acquisitions, and mid-cycle scope changes |
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2025 |
Current multi-phase refresh engagement begins |
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Year 1 |
Phase 1 deployment across priority store set — rapid ramp-up strategy adopted to maximize output while preserving budget flexibility |
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Year 2 |
Scope expands mid-cycle: Gulf Coast Optical urgent rollout (100+ Florida locations, 3-month deadline) and 128-store SDS/POS platform migration added while core refresh continues |
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Year 2 — Mid |
Budget pause due to funding gap — BAZ holds 50 priority stores in reserve, manages vendor ramp-down without losing deployment capacity, and builds savings case to secure additional funding |
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Year 2 — Late |
Funding approved — BAZ rapidly restores full deployment velocity and drives to project completion on time and under budget |
THE RESULTS
NVI came into this engagement needing more than a vendor. They needed a partner who could manage complexity at scale, absorb mid-project curveballs, and still deliver — on time and under budget. That’s exactly what happened.
The tech refresh is delivering $616,000 in annual recurring savings from upgraded circuits and eFax optimization alone — savings that helped make the business case for continued funding mid-year. Beyond the numbers, NVI now has a modernized, standardized technology environment across more than 1,200 locations — one built to support the business, not the other way around.
Savings Breakdown — Annual Recurring
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TOTAL ANNUAL SAVINGS $616,000 in annual recurring savings Not a one-time credit. Every dollar here is ongoing, recurring, and traceable to the invoice. |
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CIRCUIT UPGRADES |
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Upgraded Internet Circuits Modernized data circuits across refresh locations — faster speeds, lower cost |
$400,000 / yr |
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SERVICE OPTIMIZATION |
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eFax Optimization Legacy fax services replaced with modern eFax solution across locations |
$216,000 / yr |
Both savings categories are ongoing and recurring — not one-time credits.
FROM THE BAZ TEAM
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What we gave National Vision is a tech stack that supports their business — not one they have to accommodate to. In an environment with more than 1,200 locations, multiple brands, and doctors who each have their own requirements, that’s no small thing. I’m most proud of the fact that we got it done — on time, under budget, and without sacrificing quality at any store. — Molly Zraik, President, BAZ Group |
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Managing a project of this scale demanded not only technical expertise, but also strong communication, careful planning, and a high degree of accountability. By maintaining alignment among stakeholders and proactively addressing challenges, we ensured the deployment progressed smoothly with minimal disruption to store operations. — Peter O’Brien, Client Delivery Specialist |
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