Global leader in material handling speeds up and simplifies data integration
Drawing on an 81-year heritage, this client-company is a global manufacturer of material handling technology including storage and conveyance systems for customers spanning a variety of industries including warehousing, factories and airports – anywhere that deals with the movement of goods.
The client-company deployed HULFT Integration to address complex data integration challenges that arose from the overhaul of its backend SAP ERP system to drive real-time delivery of data processes.
The Situation: Integration between the ERP system and the company’s peripheral systems
In 2007 a decision was made to replace the company’s existing old mainframe computers with an SAP ERP system to manage core business processes.
However, in common with many out-of-box software package that rely on one vendor to supply all of the modules, the SAP system presented many integration challenges for the company’s peripheral systems. For example, the ERP’s existing workflow feature was not compatible with the company’s infrastructure which meant an alternative had to be implemented separately.
Furthermore, production management systems from each division needed to be integrated and in near- to real time as possible to meet the expectations of the company’s employees.
Challenge: The need for a scalable tool to handle high volumes of data in near real time
While historically, the client-company would integrate each peripheral system separately with backend systems using File Transfer Protocol among other methods, this approach wasn’t suitable for handling the volume of data involved – spanning 145 programs and delivering the real-time integration expectations of the users.
For these reasons, the company looked elsewhere for a more scalable and flexible alternative in the form of an Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) tool. The core criteria were ease and ability to handle the data speed and volume requirements with a design that could be adapted to accommodate future changes in the business and system environment. Furthermore, the client- company required a vendor who would be proactive and responsive to any issues that may arise and a system that would reduce overall production costs.
“HULFT Integrate is similar to our industrial machinery in terms of its adaptability to any system environment. Our management and staff are considering making full use of data within the company, so we have many exciting plans to extend the solution’s role.”
The Solution: HULFT Integrate for faster, more intuitive data integration
Having tested a number of options, HULFT Integration was selected to manage the data integration process.
From the outset, the solution quickly proved its value, allaying concerns that came with the deployment of a tool that represented new territory for the business. HULFT’s accessible and intuitive style enabled the core functions used in each interface such as basic workflows, file names, logging and counting and development rules to be set, so that a common and consistent approach was established across the organization that anyone could understand and adopt. With development and modification of interfaces fast and straightforward, many new iterations have been created in a short amount of time, even by those without prior knowledge of HULFT Integrate.