iSmart Business Solutions listed in this Directory. See the original at http://www.onwindows.com/downloads/Prime_Partner_Guide_2011.pdf

1. Partner Guide 2010/11

3. foreword
W
elcome to the Prime Partner Guide 2010/2011.
This year, our directory for the global manufacturing and resources sector brings together
almost 130 companies from Microsoft’s vibrant partner community who have demonstrated
excellence in their field and are proud to showcase their industry-leading solutions and services.
Never short of ways to help customers further improve efficiency, productivity, visibility and
collaboration, Microsoft and its partners pride themselves on being at the forefront of technological
innovation. We are all too aware that in this day in age being successful rides on having the ability to keep
up with demand shifts in the market. This requires not only bringing the right products and services to
market, but having the right people and technology in place within the company to ensure the smooth
running of fundamental business processes. In striving to achieve this, customers find they are not just
keeping up with the competition but that they are getting ahead of the competition.
Energomash Group, Siemens and Carlsberg Group, profiled in the following pages, are examples
of just some of the many leading enterprise customers that are already benefitting from cutting-edge
technology implementations from Microsoft and its partners. In this guide you can also hear from
leading experts in the industry about the issues that are important to them, as well as find a detailed
catalogue of the companies who are committed to delivering the solutions our customers need today and
in the future.
We hope you find it a valuable and informative resource.
Çağlayan Arkan
General Manager, Manufacturing & Resources Sector
Microsoft
Editor Partner Managers Creative Director
Karen McCandless Duncan Cuthell Leigh Trowbridge
karen.mccandless@tudor-rose.co.uk duncan.cuthell@tudor-rose.co.uk
Vishal Gandhi Designers
Editorial Team vishal.gandhi@tudor-rose.co.uk Bruce Graham
Lindsay James Jon Iliffe Paul Robinson
Adam Lawrence Jon.iliffe@tudor-rose.co.uk
Rebecca Lambert Eddie Robin Website Manager
Michele Witthaus eddie.robin@tudor-rose.co.uk Chris Jackson
Jonny Parker
Publication Manager Jonny.parker@tudor-rose.co.uk Publisher
Marcus Miola Toby Ingleton
Subscriptions toby.ingleton@tudor-rose.co.uk
Business Management Ritwik Bhattacharjee
Richard Pepperman ritwik.bhattacharjee@tudor-rose.co.uk
Rachael Heggs
Claire Southan Reprints
Stuart Fairbrother
stuart.fairbrother@tudor-rose.co.uk
1

5. featuring
publishing partners
sponsors
The Prime Partner Guide is produced annually in partnership with Microsoft and
offers a comprehensive reference of service providers to the manufacturing and
resources industries. For further information, visit www.onwindows.com/prime
Microsoft (NASDAQ ‘MSFT’) is the world leader in software, services and solutions
that help people and businesses realise their full potential. The company offers a wide
range of products and services designed to empower people through great software
– anytime, any place and on any device.
www.microsoft.com
3

7. contents
10 27
36
Viewpoint
08 A clear view of the organisation 27 Product success in a complex
Martijn van der Hoeden, founder and CEO, environment
Assistance Software Jan Larsson, marketing director for NX Digital
Product Development, Siemens PLM
10 Innovation for sustainability:
setting the scene
Philippe Forestier, executive vice president In practice
of Global Affairs and Communities, Dassault 30 CSM Iberia
Systèmes Arquiconsult
12 Mobilising manufacturing processes 32 OSL Group
Harald Ehrl, founder and CEO, GAB Assistance Software
15 MI for true BI 34 Stork Industry Services
Coleman Easterly, solutions manager, GE Cadac Organice
Intelligent Platforms
36 Siemens Energy and Automation
19 The agony and the ecstasy of MES Cincom
Axel Hohnberg, business unit manager, Microsoft
Solutions, Noser Engineering
38 Sevcon
Columbus IT
23 Business intelligence for the
manufacturing sector 40 Piaggio Aero Industries
Paul Barber, president, PROPHIX Software Dassault Systèmes
5

9. contents
38 50
42 Papierfabrik Utzenstorf 62 HOFF
GAB Profitbase
44 Qatar Steel 64 East Jordan Iron Works
GE Intelligent Platforms PROPHIX
46 Naryanmarneftegaz 66 Dragenopharm
GMCS scarabaeusTEC
48 WC Bradley Company 68 Energomash Group
I.B.I.S. Siemens PLM Software
50 Apollo Vredestein 70 Speedboard Assembly Services
ICT Spirit Softlink Solutions
52 Teva 72 Siemens
Groupe SCI Software Innovation
54 Bygghemma 74 CES Group
MercatoR To-Increase
56 Carlsberg 76 crenox
Norriq YAVEON
58 Daetwyler Cables
Noser Engineering Directory
80 Solutions index
60 WSP 94 Companies A-Z
Precio
7

10. viewpoint
A clear view of the organisation
Martijn van der Hoeden looks at the key challenges facing business
management solution providers today
T
he business world is programs: Dynamics CRM,
constantly changing and Dynamics NAV, Dynamics AX
Assistance Software is a
solution providers need and Dynamics GP. Assistance
Microsoft independent to prove that they are able to PSO integrates all four, with
software vendor, and has match its pace. Innovation must an additional option for large
developed integrated be more than a word – it must companies wanting further
innovations with the become a core value. Those control of their human resources
Microsoft Dynamics suite of who succeed are constantly management.
products, which seamlessly developing functionalities to Because Assistance PSO runs
integrate with the Assistance help customers meet their needs. on the Microsoft platform, this
Software PSO solution for Good resource planning makes eliminates the need for users to
Microsoft Dynamics. processes transparent to the users, learn an entirely new interface.
allowing them to integrate and As a result, organisations, both
access information with speed large and small, can perform
and ease. The goal is to provide all of their tasks through one
a 360-degree view of both the single application. The two
organisation and its clients. disparate worlds of processes
Information regarding the (invoices, hours, projects) and
three vital areas of acquisitions, people (documents, e-mails,
projects and aftersales is often appointments) are unified,
scattered across organisations. A as users only need to record
truly effective solution integrates information in one place.
them all, providing a complete Assistance PSO does the rest,
and instant overview of the providing a full overview of client
organisation. It is possible to see details, including address, e-mail,
at a glance what is in the sales account activity, documents,
funnel and what opportunities project information and invoices.
are available, as well as to obtain With an employee functionality
an immediate analysis of which that goes further than a simple list
projects are succeeding and which of personnel, users can easily find
are in the danger zone, or who out who is working on what. Each
has paid their invoices on time individual’s department, job title,
and who has not. skills, history, and previous and
Assistance PSO for Microsoft current projects are listed, and
Dynamics is a complete users can further refine complex
solution for professional information by creating role-based
service organisations, providing dashboards for each position
businesses with the ability to and gauges key performance
integrate and access all necessary indicators such as average hourly
knowledge and data. The rates and revenue.
Microsoft Dynamics product Projects are at the core of
line consists of four essential Assistance PSO. Access to basic
8 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

11. project information, such as every role in the organisation, by Microsoft SharePoint. All
description, type of project from assistant to project manager users then have instant access
and department, is only the and beyond. Everyone from to accurate and up-to-date
beginning. Users have the engineers to architects can create information. Invoices and
capability to enter different hourly their own templates, set different purchase orders can be created,
rates, group and filter by field, hourly rates for different clients, then automatically posted and
and add team members so they create role-based dashboards, updated so that the project
can enter their own information and set gauges for specific manager has an overview. Users
(such as time spent on a project). indicators, such as hourly rates, can easily view artwork, e-mails,
Once a project is saved, it is time and revenue. Whatever the appointments and any updates to
automatically sent to Dynamics specific requirements, Assistance the project, all at the same time.
CRM to track all related e-mails. PSO can meet the parameters and Founded two decades ago
Time is money and careful adjust them when necessary. in the Netherlands, Assistance
monitoring of resources is Assistance Software is Software now has 12,000 clients
more essential than ever. To constantly revising and expanding and provides full-service solutions
this end, the system has two its vision of providing a total on a global scale. The company
important functionalities: alerts solution for its users. The focus has achieved the status of
and reverse planning. Alerts on integration and innovation Microsoft Gold Certified Partner
help businesses keep within has led to the development of and has made a strong entrance
budget – every change within quality software that can be used into the North American market,
the capacity planning module in every kind of organisation. with clients such as OSL Group,
is automatically checked before Assistance PSO’s flexibility is Santiago Calatrava and the
users can proceed. Reverse extended even further with American Institute of Architects.
planning ensures that all a SharePoint add-on. All Both OSL Group and the American
confirmed changes in Outlook information relating to a project Institute of Architects have called
and scheduling are automatically needs to be distributed quickly Assistance PSO ‘intuitive’ – with
updated in Assistance PSO. and accurately amongst the good reason. The software was
The solution can easily be team members and this add-on designed to work the way its
tailored to fit the individual ensures that any changes made in users do, and making software
business and its needs. Users can Assistance PSO are automatically user-friendly means making it
create and modify profiles for updated in the microsites created compatible with people as well as
applications. Part of the company’s
vision is to create software that
people can actually use.
Assistance Software’s
dedication to excellence is
reflected in the training and
support provided by both the
company and its partners. This
ensures a smooth and
comprehensive transition to
Assistance PSO. The various
training packages allow for the
quick communication of focused
information and users can select
a package that best suits their
organisation. After installation,
customers continue to receive fast
and efficient support, both online
and offline.
9

12. viewpoint
Innovation for sustainability:
setting the scene
3D virtual universes hold the key to sustainability, says Philippe Forestier
T
he new driver of innovation challenge, and there have been
is sustainability. Innovation great developments in the IT
for sustainability in this sector in this area: smart grids
sense means developing our for grid efficiency, smart meters
thinking and processes in order to for consumption efficiency,
achieve economic growth while software for energy and carbon
allowing social development management, and so on. Yet
and environmental preservation. this sense of urgency may cause
But if there is a consensus on us to embark on a new path of
Philippe Forestier is executive
the need to create a sustainable unsustainability.
vice president of Global Affairs model of growth and wealth, Although climate change
and Communities and member what is hidden behind these is a concern that needs to be
of Dassault Systèmes’ Executive words? Defining what this entails addressed, the way we are
Committee. He is in charge and how to do this is far from tackling it at the moment is
of developing business and being clear at this stage. This is a not necessarily helping us to
promoting the group’s image common challenge for businesses determine a long-term global
and visibility by leveraging and governments as it implies sustainability strategy as
networks of influencers a profound redefinition of our such. For example, if reducing
and executive relationships. existing models. greenhouse gas emissions
The wake-up call, which means we have to use more
Forestier also serves as a
has caused us to rethink how water and raw materials, this
member of the board and is
we tackle sustainability, has is not a sustainability strategy.
vice president of the European
been largely initiated by the We need to address climate
Software Association and
environmental debate. The change by using an integrated
of the French Software world’s environmental challenges approach, taking into account
Association. He is also an are well known: natural resources other environmental challenges
advisor to the French Ministry are becoming scarce, biodiversity as well as social development and
of Foreign Trade. is being lost, and our climate is economic growth.
changing. Interestingly, resolving The example of climate change
climate change has been higher demonstrates how policies have
on the agenda as it has been influenced business practices and
presented by international public opinion, which in turn has
bodies as the most pressing driven a demand in the market
environmental challenge. For for innovation. It shows how
the past decade, governments, agents are interconnected as well
businesses and individuals have highlighting the global challenges.
been focusing on reducing A systemic approach that takes
greenhouse gas emissions. into account our interconnected
Therefore, much innovation has and interdependent world in order
been driven by the climate change to drive innovation is needed
10 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

13. to properly face the global research and development and
sustainability challenge. This will strengthening partnerships.
“Innovation for
involve making use of multi- Among Dassault Systèmes’ sustainability
disciplinary skills and reuniting ideas, which it believes hold
disconnected communities – the key to sustainability, is means developing
private and public, cross-sectoral 3D virtual universes 3D virtual our thinking and
industries, businesses, academia universes enable businesses in
and individuals. This approach all industries to digitally define processes in order
will allow us to define new and simulate products, as well
to achieve economic
sustainable models, enabling as the processes and resources
innovation for sustainability. required to manufacture, growth while
Since much of our past maintain and recycle them.
innovation has been developed Innovation for sustainability
allowing social
on unsustainable ground, in this manner asks for the development and
now more than ever we need collaboration of all stakeholders
collaborative innovation that to define new sustainable environmental
isn’t afraid of going against design patterns and implement preservation”
the grain. That is why many systemic sustainability strategies.
companies like Dassault 3D opens the door to the
Systèmes are investing world we imagine. Let’s imagine
heavily in talented employees a sustainable world together.
11

14. viewpoint
Mobilising manufacturing processes
A new generation of mobile applications and mobile devices offers major
cost savings and productivity gains, says Harald Ehrl
A
high degree of becomes apparent why this is so.
digitalisation in production The software was not developed
related workflows has under the paradigm of mobility and
already been achieved, but therefore lacks the essential feature:
there are still some major areas, leanness. This raises the question
particularly with respect to non- whether this is the direction we
production related workflows, need to be looking, or whether
where the degree of digitalisation we should be searching for more
has not yet progressed sufficiently. specialised applications, focused
Harald Ehrl is the founder and Digitalisation of processes in on handling data between large
CEO of GAB Gesellschaft zur the manufacturing environment enterprise back-end systems and
Anwendungsberatung für die has so far been linked and limited mobile devices.
Datenverarbeitung, which he to static objects and a largely Plant maintenance is case
founded in 1997 in Plattling, desktop-bound workforce. So far, in point. The on-site inspection
Germany. Since 2001, his whenever processes had to be and maintenance processes
company has been developing executed while on the move or undertaken by maintenance staff
mobile applications for the outside of the local area network in manufacturing environments are
manufacturing industry, and in perimeters, this led to breaks in the still mostly documented by hand.
digital process chain. The attendant Even though technical objects and
particular the paper production
symptoms of these breaks typically service schedules may be managed
industry.
are redundancies in the entry in applications such as the plant
of data, time delays, errors and maintenance module (PM) from
stunted business intelligence. SAP, and service orders may be
The advent of sufficiently generated automatically, the actual
powerful mobile devices, wireless execution of the task takes place
technologies such as RFID and outside of the digital workflow.
wide area networks now provide The issues related to this are
an adequate foundation for that documentation of the work
the digitalisation of workflows done tends to be rudimentary
entailing decentralised objects and and unstructured. Job reports get
a workforce that is on the move. done at the end of the shift or the
However the ‘above surface’ end of day, at best. In industries
structures still need to be built where maintenance records must
before these technologies can be be kept for auditing purposes,
harnessed productively. documentation is tedious and
The leading developers of time consuming.
enterprise resource planning (ERP) On-site data retrieval and data
systems have already made some entry via mobile devices helps
effort to mobilise their applications, increase productivity by streamlining
but as yet, do not offer true mobility the workflow and significantly
to their customers. When looking at improving business intelligence
their system architecture, it quickly in the areas of maintenance and
12 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

15. repair, which in can help reduce platform for companies to maintenance and repair orders,
plant and machine downtime. integrate disparate systems into and to manage maintenance staff
Most readers would agree with a heterogeneous but seamless effectively.
this in principle so far. The real environment for their business data. The frontend application is
issue, they might argue, lies with Together with Microsoft SQL designed for ease of use and
the exchange of data between Server and Windows Mobile, to enable maintenance staff to
the ERP system and the mobile it forms a formidable basis for handle their mobile devices with
application. IT departments the development of mobile minimal of training. The mobile
are generally very reluctant to maintenance applications such devices are equipped with touch
open up their business-critical as MMM2010 solution offered screens, Wi-Fi, 3G connectivity
ERP software to peripheral by Microsoft Gold Partner GAB. and GPS, and incorporate
applications, even more so when MMM2010 utilises Microsoft’s barcode and/or RFID scanners.
writing access to the ERP system line-of-business adapters to Depending on the needs of the
is required. They have good exchange data between its customer, report back and
reason to be reluctant. mobile application platform and synchronisation of data can be
However, this is where a change enterprise business applications handled online as jobs are
in thinking needs to take place. such as SAP PM. completed, or at the end of shift,
Companies will have to allow their The software is designed to when the mobile device is
business application environments allow a flexible configuration returned to its cradle for
to be more permeable with regard of inspection, maintenance charging. Experience has shown
to the exchange of business data. and repair workflows, to suit that the cost of implementing a
This is a necessary prerequisite for a the needs of the customer. mobile maintenance application
continued digitalisation of business The management cockpit of such as MMM2010 is often
processes within enterprises. MMM2010 provides maintenance amortised within 12 to 18
Microsoft’s BizTalk Server departments with a powerful months through productivity
provides an excellent technical tool to manage service calls, gains and cost savings.
Microsoft BizTalk Server forms a strong basis for mobile maintenance apps like MMM2010
13

17. viewpoint
MI for true BI
For effective business intelligence, manufacturers need real
manufacturing intelligence, says Coleman Easterly
I
n a manufacturing company, more holistic optimisation and
business performance depends sustainable improvements.
a lot on manufacturing
performance. As companies The bigger picture
leverage business intelligence (BI) Sufficient integration of business
for monitoring, reporting and and manufacturing information
analysing business performance, enables both production managers
manufacturing businesses need and enterprise executives to see
it to include real, accurate and appreciate the cause-and-effect
Coleman Easterly is a solutions
and complete manufacturing relationships between operational
manager for GE Intelligent intelligence (MI). Real MI parameters and business
Platforms, Proficy Operations means that the manufacturing metrics, allowing all levels of the
Management Software, performance indicators have organisation to work harmoniously
responsible for manufacturing integrity between their many towards common goals.
operations management sources and the BI layer, so that IT teams play a strategic
functionality. Easterly has high-level rollups agree with the role in helping to close the
been providing solutions for details in the drill-downs across corporate/factory information
performance management in many contexts and perspectives. gap by selecting technology that
manufacturing operations for In the physical sense, all aspects seamlessly integrates business and
of manufacturing are interrelated manufacturing, such as SharePoint
24 years, in various roles as
and from a business perspective for BI, and GE Intelligent
both a customer and supplier
there are many competing Platforms’ Proficy Operations
of information technology.
priorities. Without the whole Management software for MI.
picture (BI infused with real MI) Computerised or not, business
to support a balanced view of objectives and manufacturing
both, initiatives can inadvertently realities are already being
counteract their intentions. Energy integrated by something or
consumption is one of those somebody, to facilitate production
issues where reduction efforts in the first place and to track
have impacts on both the process performance. ‘Performance’ is
and the finished product. basically how well the ‘realities’
If pushed too far, a resulting conform to the objectives. Some
increase in product waste of the realities in manufacturing
or machine downtime may are production execution, resource
even offset the economic and consumption, efficiency, quality
environmental improvements test results and environmental
sought by the efforts. However, emissions. Some objectives of the
empowered with adequate business are production schedules,
manufacturing BI, manufacturers recipes, quality specifications
can see and better understand and regulatory requirements.
process relationships to help Several other perspectives and
balance the trade-offs for contexts such as history relative
15

18. to the present or quality test data inventory stock-outs, expedited right now – which will (should)
relative to process conditions, raw material deliveries, late eventually roll up to be next
must also be brought together finished goods shipments, year’s reported number.
to form the big picture needed delayed changeovers and
for decision support and machine downtime. Those Driving business results
troubleshooting. situations trigger adjustments The opportunity here is to
like increased safety stocks appropriately automate and
Integration and more physical inventory integrate the information tasks of
You can’t adequately integrate checks, as well as more frequent both the manufacturing activity
manufacturing with business accounting corrections. and the derivation of intelligence
by simply entering production Capturing (and using) real from it with a cohesive solution.
and inventory information into measurements also helps improve There is so much detail that
the enterprise resource planning several other issues related to underlies manufacturing
system at the end of the week inventory and consumption, intelligence; the best way to
from logsheets and control like more precise logistics capture it is as it occurs, via
room strip charts. Likewise, you coordination, improved forecasting, the same systems that are
don’t get real manufacturing and enhanced insight into real interacting with the people, the
intelligence by just connecting manufacturing costs and profitability process, the product – everything
controllers and sensors to the BI when it rolls up to the BI layer. involved with manufacturing.
layer. The system(s) that rolls up Automated capture of real We typically refer to these as
the cryptic raw data into useful measurements, combined manufacturing execution systems
intelligence must reflect the with involvement in the or manufacturing operations
myriad of inevitable exceptions manufacturing process, improves management.
handled by people during the the usefulness of the intelligence Enabling technologies such as
manufacturing process, like and the precision of execution. It Proficy derive real MI by being
rework, exception routing and also contributes to the integrity involved with the manufacturing
manual work, which all play a of data reported for compliance execution, directing and tracking
role in shaping the final record. and disclosure obligations such activity according to the business
As an example, a common as those related to product objectives, while automating
approach to tracking raw safety, energy consumption the information capture. With
material consumption, typically and environmental emissions. the right systems, ‘actionable
called backflushing, involves The following illustration intelligence’ can also be
calculating the quantity of each helps emphasise the depth or ‘intelligent action’.
ingredient consumed according spectrum of contexts, where Integrating a company’s BI and
to the recipe or bill of material data integrity matters. MI is imperative to closing the
(BOM) for each unit of the As no one wants to overstate corporate/factory information gap
product being made. It seems or understate the totals, the and requires a technology
harmless, but the problem with annual environmental emissions framework that supports
this approach is that the final number reported to public leveraging the touch points
‘as-made’ resource consumption disclosure bodies should agree between business and
for some products can end with the sum of the monthly manufacturing. Forward-looking
up very different from the numbers reported to regulatory IT teams that understand this
‘as-planned’ recipes and BOMs, bodies, which should agree advantage and make it a key
which can really throw off with the numbers reported at criterion of their technology
inventory and other numbers. the daily production meetings, selection can play a critical role in
The cumulative imprecision of which should agree with the helping their companies better
not tracking consumption with numbers on the strip charts in align their business strategy and
real measurements can have the control rooms, which should operational tactics toward
many cascading implications agree with the numbers on common goals for consistently
that drive costs up, including the operator’s control panels high performance.
16 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

21. viewpoint
The agony and the ecstasy of MES
Axel Hohnberg takes a look at some of the perceived barriers around
manufacturing execution systems
A
strategic business-to- product lifecycle management
business manufacturing tools, supply chain management
execution system (MES) systems, and process and
integrated from enterprise resource manufacturing control systems.
planning (ERP) to the production Often the key barrier facing
line enables collaboration for manufacturers when they consider
fast, accurate decisions to quickly total B2B MES integration is
improve value streams; traceability the return-on-investment (ROI)
and international compliance; calculation. The complexity
Axel Hohnberg is business
increased production line flexibility; in modern manufacturing
unit manager, Microsoft and the opportunity to scale environments, with their diverse
Solutions at Noser Engineering productivity across the enterprise. information systems, can make
in Winterthur, Switzerland. And while the European MES change, and integration, a
Hohnberg’s approach to MES market is expected to grow over daunting, expensive and time-
comes from the years spent the next five years at a compound consuming task.
within the highly competitive annual growth rate (CAGR) of MES solutions have traditionally
automotive sector where he more than ten per cent, developing been sold as ‘packaged
developed global solutions an effective MES strategy requires systems’, rather than customised
with reciprocal production a considered approach. solutions further impacting ROI.
Global manufacturing, Additionally, many of the control
lines on several continents
particularly in the developed systems are proprietary and
designed to deliver optimal
economies, continues to communications between legacy
ROI. Since joining Noser in
experience intense pressure with systems are often complex. Useful
2006, Hohnberg has further
increasing levels of competition, integration with ERP suites had
developed MES thought driven by fast-paced technological also sometimes proven difficult
leadership while rolling out and market shifts. These drive the until the adoption of the ISA 95
solutions across a number development of rapid, agile, high- standards. Also, there is concern
of global manufacturing quality manufacturing techniques. about information overload and
environments. And as competition becomes the capacity of the organisation
increasingly global, manufacturers to effectively utilise the additional
are required to meet numerous data produced by MES.
international standards across Within this murky and often
multiple markets. Additionally, uncertain landscape, MES has
shareholders are demanding often been seen as disruptive
increased returns from the and costly without the benefits
manufacturing infrastructure. of integration clearly visible –
With global manufacturing particularly in terms of financial
reaching a level of unprecedented return.
complexity, investing in An experienced MES provider
technology is typically seen as will understand how to balance
a must. As a result, investment the requirements of the business
trends have included ERP, processes, the complexity of
19

22. the existing structures and the they be on the shop floor or in continuous long-term benefits:
potential long-term benefits. the board room. • A move closer to the customer
They will also be able to minimise With extensive experience through strategic B2B and MES
downtime and disruption and in global MES strategies and • Providing global teams along
maximise the financial impact of solutions, Noser Engineering the supply chain with strategic,
the MES investment. begins every MES project with transparent communication and
A customised approach to a series of robust business operational platforms
MES rather than a ‘packaged conversations about what is • Optimising existing ERP and
system’ most often provides working and what isn’t along MES investments – making for
the sought after increase in the supply chain. The company a more adaptive, cost-effective
operational excellence as well utilises a ‘point system’ to manufacturing environment
as the long-term benefits and identify high-performing or • Maximising the initial ERP
ROI. Microsoft allows partners under-performing hotspots investment by integrating it
to embed its core products into along the supply chain. Noser into the production line while
their MES solutions, creating further explores with its securing the investment made
a robust, highly flexible and customers what needs to be on production assets
cost-effective MES development anticipated in the future to • Real-time analytics to support
environment. provide them with an adaptive, decision making
An experienced MES partner intelligent manufacturing • Collection of quality data to
will also know how to fully process. Noser Engineering enhance traceability required by
integrate with and optimise the supports global manufacturers international standards – thus
existing ERP investment and in the assessment of their driving continuous
production line assets while business processes and existing improvement and innovation
integrating to communication structures to determine the best across research and
tools the global team can easily approach to MES integration development and production
access and understand – whether while delivering immediate and workflows.
A glimpse from the supply chain of Noser Engineering’s MES customer Daetwyler Cables based in Switzerland and China
20 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

25. viewpoint
Business intelligence for the
manufacturing sector
Paul Barber looks at the challenges of extracting the right data to
integrate with a true business intelligence solution
A
true business intelligence systems. Extract, transform,
(BI) solution simplifies load (ETL) tools do exactly what
information discovery and they imply – they extract data,
analysis, making it possible for transform it to make it more
decision makers at all levels of an accurate or consistent, and load
organisation to more easily access, it into a database for eventual
understand, analyse, collaborate, display – and are sold mainly
and act on information, anytime to larger companies that have
Paul Barber, president of and anywhere. Unfortunately, many legacy systems. Mid-sized
PROPHIX Software, holds typical BI solutions tend to support companies that use enterprise
an MA in Mathematics from only traditional data sources resource planning (ERP) systems
Cambridge University and an that were designed to enhance often have less of a need for
MBA from the Richard Ivey business applications, such as ETL tools since the system
School of Business. Having sales, marketing and human takes care of storing data in a
been in the software industry resources. Therefore, BI in the consistent format. However,
for over thirty years, Paul manufacturing industry only even if a company has an ERP
led PROPHIX Software’s becomes a worthwhile investment system, it may be better to avoid
when the gap between allowing a BI system direct access
recent metamorphosis from
manufacturing and business to production data. Directly
a software distributor to
environments is eliminated. accessing real-time production
a developer of world-class
Solutions such as PROPHIX data can cause performance issues
performance management have the ability to integrate with those production systems; it
solutions. data from multiple sources into would not be a good idea if every
a single unified view of the time the CEO looked at sales data,
business, making the most of the invoicing system ground to
manufacturing information. a halt.
PROPHIX Software is a leading A key component of the
developer of solutions designed success of a BI application is
to automate financial processes an efficient and reliable data
including budgeting, planning, retrieval process; hence, PROPHIX
reporting, analysis and Software embraces the superior
performance management. It functionality of Microsoft’s Online
helps solve the common challenge Analytical Processing (OLAP)
of the quality of BI information by database for BI applications –
improving the source data with its Microsoft SQL Server Analysis
underlying technology. Services (MSAS), the standard
Data integrity involves a OLAP database in the industry.
whole segment of the software The functional advantages of
industry devoted to improving the OLAP include the speed of
integration of data from existing data retrieval, flexible reporting
23

26. capabilities and sophisticated to create financial models that Microsoft SQL Server Analysis
calculations that can be defined contain data that can be used Services models, including
in the OLAP database. by BI applications. It includes importing structures and data
Previously known as many of the key features for data • Offering the ad hoc analysis
multidimensional databases, extraction and integration, but tool that can be used for
OLAP databases have been with a user interface that is easy unstructured BI access to
used in the enterprise software for non-IT professionals. PROPHIX numerical data and includes
market for decades and have will calculate metrics (for example analytical capabilities such as
been established as a powerful revenue and headcount), can delta analysis
technology for many business be used as a mechanism for • Enabling non-IT professionals to
applications. Because of the collecting data that is not calculate and maintain metrics
success of Analysis Services, available electronically, and can in a PROPHIX model for use in
there are many BI tools create OLAP models quickly and BI applications
targeted at the mid-market easily. It is not an ETL product or • Including workflow capabilities
that use MSAS as a data source a data warehouse tool, but one for managing the collection
and these are becoming a of PROPHIX’s major strengths is of manually entered data for
commodity. Because of this, that it can be used by a finance BI systems, including e-mail
PROPHIX was designed to professional to implement collection using spreadsheets.
interoperate with as many such business-focused BI applications
BI tools as possible. PROPHIX is with minimal need of IT expertise PROPHIX combines Microsoft
an excellent vehicle for creating or involvement – skills that are SQL Server technology with
Analysis Services OLAP cubes often in short supply in smaller business knowledge, to offer the
and importing data into those companies. PROPHIX Software most effective BI resources and
cubes so that BI tools can be has had experience with OLAP allow manufacturing companies
used to view the data contained technology since the 1980s and the ability to make critical
in them. has been involved in performance decisions based on inclusive
PROPHIX has been proven management software with information rather than
to grow with companies as the capabilities for the development incomplete data. PROPHIX can
industry changes and, to date, of a BI solution including: facilitate compatibility between
hundreds of manufacturing • Enabling non-IT professionals operational and business
companies are using PROPHIX to create and maintain information.
24 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

29. viewpoint
Product success in a complex
environment
Jan Larsson explores the many facets of product development and delivery
I
t used to be fairly straight- the future
forward to conceptualise a • Optimisation – take full
new innovative product idea, advantage of the resources
do some market research and available today through greater
verification of the concept before productivity and more efficient
getting into the design phase processes, all while optimising
and some real life testing before the cost and quality of the
manufacturing and distributing products.
the product in question.
Jan Larsson is marketing
In the early automotive days, In order for companies to meet
director responsible for the the Model T offered its customers these requirements, deal with the
marketing of the NX Digital very little in the way of options increase in complexity and, more
Product Development family or customisation. In fact, Henry importantly, understand the large
of solutions at Siemens PLM Ford used to say: “You can paint amount of information necessary to
Software across EMEA. He has it (your car) any colour…as long as take the right decision at any point
worked in the CAD/CAM/CAE it’s black.” in time, they require the correct
software field within numerous However today, nearly all infrastructure and tools along with
industries and has years of manufacturing companies deal not a very good understanding of the
experience in the hardware only with a global audience for the overall requirements and processes.
product but also with a dispersed As an example, let’s look at
industry, focusing on input
design and manufacturing the complexity of today’s vehicles;
devices for CAD/CAM/CAE
chain, creating a very complex which far exceeds that of the
professionals
environment that needs to be first Model T. The spectrum of
managed and controlled to customisation available to today’s
successfully launch a product. automotive customers adds a
Complexity has to be managed tremendous amount of complexity
while meeting the more that must be dealt with by the
demanding requirements for: automotive manufacturers.
• Speed – rapidly take an idea Looking at a typical car
and deliver it to the market line gives trillions of possible
• Globalisation – develop combinations when you consider
“Coming up with innovations in the context any colour, any features, anytime,
of the global market being anywhere.
the right product served, global partners that are In order to compete and to
means defining the engaged and global resources meet the varying needs of a
used to bring these innovations diverse, global customer base,
specific aspects that to market the automotive industry has
• Sustainability – deliver been evolving over the years to
will meet or exceed product innovations that are a strategy of common platforms.
the needs of today’s environmentally friendly today This approach has resulted in
and will not have harmful a tremendous amount of both
customers” effects on the environment in product and process complexity.
27

30. Customisation can involve a great many different variables
When considering the number Coming up with the right the company can make a tidy
of options and the production of product means defining the profit and the customer gets a
these options on a single global specific aspects that will meet product that meets or exceeds
platform, we see a highly complex or exceed the needs of today’s their expectations and will last
product brought to market through customers. In particular these as long as it is expected to.
a set of complex processes. customer requirements fall into Manufacturers also need to bear
This complexity is required to the categories of timing, function, in mind availability – ensuring
meet the increased requirements performance, style and price. That that its products can be
of the consumer for greater means the product is available delivered on time to customers
personalisation in their products when the customer wants it, it no matter where they are in
and is fundamental to the provides needed value, regarding the world – and sustainability;
competitiveness of automotive functionality it is either better than something that has become so
manufacturers as well as other products on the market or important today, both on an
manufacturers across all vertical performs exactly as the customer environmental and a regulatory
industries. requires, it looks and feels exciting, compliance level.
and it is available to the customer So to summarise, in order for
So what is the answer? at a price that is competitive and manufacturers to be able to
Companies must be able to meets their threshold. simultaneously build the right
simultaneously execute the activities Of course, these product in the correct manner,
required to offer the right product requirements then all have they must develop a rich
and build it in the best way possible. a direct effect on how the platform of product and process
By establishing an environment product should be built. For knowledge to underpin and
where they can simultaneously deal example, the manufacturer support continuous innovation
with these issues, they ultimately needs to be able to manage the across the multiple disciplines
will transform their process of overall production costs while and phases that encompass the
innovation. ensuring quality. This means product’s lifecycle.
28 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

32. in practice
CSM Iberia
C
SM Iberia is part of CSM, a large supplier of conducted based on centralised data.
bakery products and a leading player in natural To support this model, several Dynamics
food preservation and green chemicals. The NAV interfaces were built; supported by
company, with three manufacturing plants in Portugal manufacturing, warehouse management,
and Spain, offers a wide portfolio of products. Its automated data capture system (ADCS)
customers include artisan bakers, bakery chains, in-store and stocks granules. This not only simplified
bakeries, industrial bakeries and food service providers. processes, but also improved the manufacturing
In order to achieve a fast response to its outbound and warehousing environment, while
network of customers and suppliers, CSM needed to deal transactions could be carried out as close to real
with several different sources of information at once, but time as possible.
had problems maintaining integrity and extracting and All transactions are now performed directly
compiling data. It was not taking full advantage of its on the enterprise database server. Users are
native enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which able to move data automatically to and from
had serious implications for the long-term support costs production and warehouse areas in real time.
of the ERP system and other external implementations. For example, production confirmations and
The company found Microsoft Dynamics NAV to be warehouse pickings are carried out using RF
a strong ERP tool that could be adapted to the specifics scanners, and items, lots, quantities and bins
of each market. It was supported by the experienced are registered by the Navision ADCS solution.
Arquiconsult team, who not only thoroughly understand Since deploying Dynamics NAV, CSM Iberia
the local requirements and process, but also possess full has benefited from rapid access to critical
knowledge of Dynamics NAV’s development potential. data; improved communication between
The choice of solution and partner proved to be the right departments, customers and suppliers;
formula to fully respond to the company’s needs in the reduced warehouse control and more
short-term and to develop tailor-made solutions, crucial informed decision making with real-time data.
to creating new opportunities in the highly competitive All this is combined with EAN128 standards,
and demanding supply chain execution field. automatic labelling and lot traceability.
Based on a small number of critical core processes The whole supply chain management
and several surrounding automatisms and interfaces, process now runs more smoothly and CSM
Dynamics NAV was able to integrate and manage, Iberia can obtain information faster. “All of
in a seamless way, the complexity of all supply our processes will be centralised,” says João
chain processes, from the supplier, through the Martins CSM project team leader. “Projects
manufacturing flows, warehousing, transport will be more effectively planned and resourced
distribution and up to the final customer. and people won’t waste time looking for
Successful ERP practices and configurations were information.”
Industry: Food and beverage
Country: Spain and Portugal
Solution: Enterprise resource planning
Partner: Arquiconsult
Technology: Dynamics NAV
Benefits: Rapid access to data, improved
communication, more informed decision making
30 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

34. in practice
OSL Group
W
ith its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, management tool focused on efficiency and
OSL Group is one of Canada’s largest profitability. Finally, Assistance PSO is intuitive,
privately held below-the-line marketing both in terms of look and feel.”
agencies and a leader in brand activation. OSL needed The adoption of the new system worked
a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution after particularly smoothly because end users were
the company’s aggressive growth strategy caused it to involved in the decision-making process,
outgrow the legacy system that was in place. remarks Bolduc. “Their input at this point was
Manon Bolduc, vice president, finance at OSL, a key factor in the success of the
explains why the company chose Assistance PSO for implementation. The final decision was taken
Microsoft Dynamics as its total ERP solution. “OSL had after hands-on demos were performed for OSL
grown to the point where the previous system could no
longer handle our operation. We wanted a solution that “The software maximises
offered flexibility to adapt to our clients’ needs. Each
client agreement is different – there are no standards, Microsoft tools already in
hence the need for software that would enable us to
answer each client’s requirements.”
place in the organisation
The company chose Assistance PSO for Microsoft and known by the users. It is
Dynamics following a recommendation by Second
Foundation, one of Assistance Software’s partners. a strong management tool
A key factor in the decision was the flexibility that focused on efficiency and
Assistance PSO offered by allowing the organisation
to manage outside of the box while respecting best profitability”
business practices. The solution also offered versatility
within all areas of OSL, along with better-facilitated
integration within the organisation. “PSO both easily
allows for a quick glimpse into the business and by the finalist vendors. The process involved
provides in-depth analysis,” says Bolduc. “The software approximately 18 of our people (business
maximises Microsoft tools already in place in the leaders and experts as well as senior
organisation and known by the users. It is a strong management). Assistance PSO stood out as
being very intuitive and best suited for our
needs.” She adds that the choice of the
software was based on a global approach to
the company’s requirements and was not
viewed only as a finance or project
management initiative.
Industry: High tech and electrical
Country: Canada
Solution: ERP
Partner: Assistance Software
Technology: Microsoft Dynamics, Assistance PSO
Benefits: Flexibility, better integration, total ERP solution
32 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

36. in practice
Stork Industry Services
S
tork Industry Services (Stork IS) is a worldwide able to view their own documents. When a
organisation focused on maintenance project is delivered, we use Cadac Organice
management and project management in the Publish to convert the project information into
oil and gas, chemistry, energy and environment, food, PDF and publish it to a SharePoint location
pharmacy and base metals industries. Stork IS supports that can be accessed by our clients. As a
customers in improving performance and reducing result, clients have direct access to the in-built
costs. By providing integrated, customer-specific situation.” As Bio MCN regularly needs hard
technical services, it takes joint responsibility for the copies of drawings, Cadac Organice Publish
total cost of ownership of its customers’ production was also used to create a print module. Bio
installations. MCN can use this module remotely to find
The company’s operations in Delfzijl began with the and select the necessary drawings in Cadac
incorporation of the services department of Akzo Nobel Organice and print them in batches through
Delfzijl. As a result, Stork IS now also provides services Cadac Organice Publish.
to other clients like Bio Methanol Chemie Nederland
(Bio MCN). Bio MCN is a consortium responsible for the
production and delivery of environmentally friendly bio-
“Cadac Organice provides
methanol that is used in green fuel. Stork IS supports us with a flexible tool to
Bio MCN in maintaining the plant and installations and
manages the project and information. “Our projects manage our information,
involve large amounts of documents and it is very and all project documents”
important that the information is properly managed and
that all project members receive the relevant up-to-date
documents,” says Bert Gaster of Stork IS.
Stork IS’ engineering department was already
working with a document management system that was Cadac Organice helps Stork IS manage its
well suited to Akzo Nobel. But when Stork IS started to clients’ project documents in a flexible way
accept projects from other clients, it was not possible to and helps customise them according to the
tailor the system to the needs of these clients without needs of its clients. In addition, clients are able
customisations. It also proved difficult to provide to access and view all documents themselves.
external clients with access to documents. As the “Cadac Organice provides us with a flexible
supplier also stopped maintenance of the system, Stork tool to manage our information, and all
IS had to look for another solution. “We compared project documents,” concludes Gaster.
a number of solutions,” says Gaster. “Eventually we
chose Cadac Organice as it can be easily configured
and tailored to the needs of our clients and, due to
the underlying SharePoint technology, we can easily Industry: Oil and gas, food and beverage, metals
open up the system to external users.” The seamless Country: The Netherlands
integration of SharePoint with the company’s Microsoft Solution: Document management
platform was an additional advantage. Partner: Cadac Organice
“In Cadac Organice we manage the in-built situation, Technology: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Cadac
and present project information and project history,” Organice Explorer, Cadac Organice Publish
says Gaster. “With Cadac Organice Explorer we can Benefits: Flexible document management, easy to find
easily find and retrieve documents, including version and retrieve documents, immediate insight into version
control and document history, which is an important control and document history
labour regulation demand. Due to the easy way that
documents can be sorted and grouped, every user is
34 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

38. in practice
Siemens Energy and Automation
S
iemens Energy and Automation manufactures reduced because Acquire actually creates the
and sells high-performance induction motors at its CAD drawings used for proposals. Pricing
Norwood facility in the US. These motors are sold is now accurate in a market that is subject
into the most demanding applications in the industry. to volatile pricing structures. Lead times are
High performance, low maintenance and long service reduced by equally impressive amounts.
life are essential to Siemens’ continued success in this
worldwide market. “After an exhaustive evaluation
Also critical to Siemens’ success is customer
satisfaction. Customers demand quick turnaround of of nearly every interactive selling
quotations and consistent quality and performance.
and product configuration
A manual quotation system that was hampered
by a number of time-consuming processes drove solution on the market, Siemens
quotation turnaround times to as much as five days.
A mix of e-mails and faxes made the quotation system
came to the conclusion that
error prone and pricing quotations inconsistent. Cincom Acquire was the only
With a product that featured thousands of possible
configurations, and nearly as many pricing variables, solution that would address its
Siemens knew it would be a huge challenge to business challenges ”
streamline and automate this process.
After an exhaustive evaluation of nearly every
interactive selling and product configuration solution Overall benefits to Siemens include
on the market, Siemens came to the conclusion that quotation time reductions from days to
Cincom Acquire was the only solution that would minutes, increased quotation volumes of three
address its business challenges. to five hundred per month, dramatic
The results of this implementation were both fast and reductions in lead times, increased product
dramatic. The manual processes required to complete and pricing consistency and overall higher
the motor performance certification data required by margins on every sale. Perhaps most amazing
Siemens’ customers were reduced from four weeks of all is the simplicity and ease of use
to less than a single hour. Engineering resources were associated with Cincom Acquire. Users only
need product knowledge and very limited IT
support. Cincom Acquire guided selling and
Product Configuration software is used by over
30,000 users worldwide.
Industry: Automotive and Industrial
Country: US
Solution: Product configuration
Partner: Cincom
Technology: Cincom Acquire
Benefits: Reduction in quotation time, increased
quotation volume, increased product and pricing
consistency, easy to use system
36 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

40. in practice
Sevcon
G
lobal manufacturer Sevcon, which designs, “I now have a consistent overview of our global
manufactures and markets electric motor business on one screen,” says Matt Boyle, president
control systems, needed to replace the ageing and chief executive officer, Sevcon. “I can switch
and disparate IT systems running at its five international between subsidiaries and compare real-time data
sites. A lack of integration meant business managers in seconds. This is a huge improvement that adds
were unable to get an accurate, up-to-date view of the significant value to the strategic decision-making
company. Sevcon worked with Columbus IT to deploy process.”
a solution based on Microsoft Dynamics AX. The new The distributed nature of the business
solution is easily customised to meet manufacturing means that Sevcon has a real need for
needs, can grow with the business and offers flexibility. country-specific features. Multi-language
Since its inception in 1961 in the United Kingdom, and multi-currency functionality helps ensure
Sevcon has been at the forefront of electric vehicle information complies with local legal and
technology. The company’s success has resulted in accounting standards. Sales employees can
expansion to France, the US, Japan and Korea. clearly see the status of products in the supply
A lack of visibility of data meant that senior managers chain and new orders placed by contractors in
had to manually calculate accounts information, sales real time, making it easier to assess stock levels
figures, and inventory and stock levels. Financial reporting or predict market trends
across the business was slow, and the inconsistent nature Regulatory and compliance legislation, such
of charts of accounts forced the company’s technical as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, creates additional
team to develop a complex financial reporting solution. requirements for transparency and control
Since implementing Microsoft Dynamics AX, Sevcon across businesses. Sarbanes-Oxley enforces
has gained clearer visibility across internal accounting controls, stating that all
its business worldwide. The solution improves inter- business records, including electronic records
company trade and stock control and, as a direct result and electronic messages, must be saved for five
of improved business efficiencies, customers benefit years. The accurate financial reporting enabled
from a faster, more responsive service. by the solution has helped the company to
The solution has given employees greater business comply with regulations and cut audit costs.
visibility across multiple sites. Sevcon now hosts all its Creating and maintaining corporate records
business information on a single accessible system. The cost-effectively is easy with Microsoft Dynamics
modern, graphical user interface makes viewing detailed AX. The standardised processes and reporting
information far easier. features have enabled Sevcon to introduce
consistency of financial reports and automate
record keeping across the entire group, thus
reducing costs considerably.
Industry: High tech and electrical
Country: United Kingdom
Solution: Management solution
Partner: Columbus IT
Technology: Microsoft Dynamics AX
Benefits: Single view of operations, accurate
financial reporting
38 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

42. in practice
Piaggio Aero Industries
F “Dassault Systèmes’ Enovia V6
ounded in 1884, Piaggio Aero Industries is one of
the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturers. To date,
the company has produced more than 50 aircraft PLM solution will enable us to
models, including the P.180 Avanti II – an aircraft that
has gathered a reputation for style, quality and eco-
more efficiently compete on a
friendly design. The company’s core activities include global stage”
aircraft design and manufacturing, aero engine and
aero structure parts manufacturing, and aircraft and
engine maintenance. locations via the Internet. “Online remote
The company wanted to transform its isolated authoring enables all of our stakeholders such
business processes into a closely integrated collaborative as Piaggio Aero Industries employees, risk-
environment that would provide employees and sharing partners, suppliers, and customers to
partners with access to mission-critical intellectual connect and work together simultaneously on
property including design data. Following a the same product,” says Roberto Zuffada, chief
comprehensive tender process, Piaggio Aero Industries information officer at Piaggio Aero Industries.
chose global PLM provider Dassault Systèmes to The unified V6 environment provides access
implement its Enovia V6 PLM solution running on to all product-related information or knowledge
Microsoft SQL Server 2005. necessary to design, manufacture, and deliver
“As the international aerospace industry continues products to market. On a single platform, V6
to evolve, our biggest business challenge is ensuring supports modelling applications for engineering
that we have the infrastructure in place to support the disciplines as well as collaborative business
transformation of our company from a low volume, processes that span the entire product lifecycle.
niche manufacturer to a best-in-class, global player,” “This is important to Piaggio Aero Industries
says Antonio Maglione, Piaggio Aero Industries’ chief because we have a lot of intellectual property
technology officer. “Dassault Systèmes’ Enovia V6 PLM in the company,” says Zuffada. “We need to
solution will enable us to more efficiently compete on ensure that it’s available to everyone.”
a global stage by maximising real-time collaboration to To enhance the real-time component of the
drive sustainable innovation, product development and implementation, Piaggio Aero Industries also
new initiatives.” deployed the Enovia 3DLive interface as part
Enovia V6 is part of Dassault Systèmes fully of the V6 solution. The environment is
integrated V6 PLM portfolio, a next generation PLM extremely user-friendly, enabling both
2.0 environment that enables users to create and technical and non-technical employees to
collaborate on-line in real-time via an immersive, lifelike easily access corporate intellectual property
experience. The solution offers important advantages and work together in 3D over the Web.
to companies like Piaggio Aero Industries because it
allows original equipment manufacturers and suppliers
to transform isolated business processes into closely
integrated, collaborative ones. With Enovia V6, Industry: Aerospace
companies can harness the collective intelligence of the Country: Global
extended enterprise. “That is a key point of the Enovia Solution: PLM
architecture because we needed to share information Partner: Dassault Systèmes
in real-time with different partners around the world in Technology: Enovia V6 PLM, Microsoft SQL Server
order to leverage their capabilities,” says Maglione. Benefits: Enhanced collaboration capabilities, user-
The benefits following the implementation have been friendly interface
significant. Enovia V6 allows Piaggio Aero Industries
to create and collaborate in real-time from remote
40 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11

44. in practice
Papierfabrik Utzenstorf
P
apierfabrik Utzenstorf is a Swiss paper mill, up to the end of the year, the ERP and MES
producing more than 205 thousand tonnes of systems were configured and tested. When
paper annually for the European news publishing the productive IT environment went live on 1
industry. Formerly a wholly owned subsidiary of January 2010 as scheduled, no downtime had
the Myllykoski Group, Utzenstorf Papier became been incurred.
an independent company in 2009 as the result of a
management buyout. One of the significant challenges
arising out of the buyout was the necessity to design
“GAB promised us
and set up an autonomous IT infrastructure and that they could do
environment for the new company and the subsequent
migration of all relevant data from the Myllykoski the job on time, in
environment to the Utzenstorf environment within a budget and without
time frame of just six months.
The challenge presenting itself to the newly incurring downtime.
independent company was threefold. The company
had to design, source and set up its own data centres
They delivered on
within an autonomous hardware, software and network their promise, without
environment. It also needed to install, configure and roll
out all required systems, from manufacturing (MES) and
exception”
commercial (ERP) systems to office and communication
systems. Finally it needed to migrate all required data,
including manufacturing, commercial and user data “The successful carve-out of the IT
from the Myllykoski environment to the new Utzenstorf environment from Myllykoski to Utzenstorf
environment without incurring any manufacturing was a vital precondition for our successful
downtime. future as an independent company,” explains
Following the recommendation by Myllykoski Group, Alain Probst, head of services at Papierfabrik
Utzenstorf Papier contracted IT migration experts from Utzenstorf. “Downtime of our production,
GAB to execute the migration. In order to ensure the means a loss in sales of about CHF400,000 per
best possible business continuity for mission critical day. We needed a partner who could master
applications, and to limit disaster recovery times to the challenge. GAB promised us that they
below four hours, two high-availability EVA disk arrays could do the job on time, in budget and
from Hewlett Packard, running Microsoft’s Hyper-V without incurring downtime. They delivered on
server virtualisation technology, were installed in the their promise, without exception.”
data centres at Utzenstorf. An Active Directory structure
was designed and implemented for the company,
followed by the installation and setup of a complete
Windows Server landscape, encompassing Windows Industry: Pulp, paper and wood
Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007 and SharePoint Country: Switzerland
Services. Finally, existing data was migrated from Solution: Active Directory, Exchange, ERP, MES
the Myllykoski environment to the new Utzenstorf migration
environment. Partner: GAB
Within three months of starting, the data centres Technology: Hyper-V Server, Windows Server 2008,
were in operation and the Utzenstorf IT environment Exchange Server, SharePoint
up and running. The newly licensed client software Benefits: Migration without loss of productivity
was rolled out and all user data migrated to the new
environment. In the following three months, leading
42 Prime Partner Guide 2010/11