PennEngineering and Hubbell Enhance Operations with Advanced Data Management Solutions
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
- Asia
- Europe
Country
- United States
- China
- Puerto Rico
Product
- Assure iTERA HA
- JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- IBM POWER7 Power 740
- Automate Studio
Tech Stack
- IBM i
- SAP R/3
- Excel-based software
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP)
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries
- Electronics
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Predictive Maintenance
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
PennEngineering is a global manufacturing company headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA. It specializes in producing fasteners and self-clinch fasteners for various industries. The company operates facilities across North America, Europe, and Asia, with a focus on continuous operations around the clock. PennEngineering's centralized computer systems are located at its headquarters, and the company is committed to ensuring business continuity and data protection. Hubbell Incorporated is an international manufacturer of electrical and electronic products for residential, commercial, industrial, utility, and telecommunications markets. Based in Orange, Connecticut, Hubbell operates manufacturing divisions and subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, Brazil, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The company is organized across five platforms, including Hubbell Wiring Systems, Hubbell Electrical Products, Hubbell Lighting Systems, Hubbell Power Systems, and Hubbell Industrial Technologies.
The Challenge
PennEngineering faced the challenge of reducing system downtime for maintenance as it expanded internationally. With operations in Europe and Asia, the available time for maintenance without impacting operations was significantly reduced. The addition of a second shift on the U.S. west coast further constrained maintenance windows. The company needed to decrease system downtime to reduce costs and ensure business continuity. Additionally, PennEngineering required a more effective disaster recovery solution, as waiting for recovery from a tape restore was no longer viable. Hubbell, on the other hand, faced challenges with data quality and time-intensive data entry during its SAP implementation. The company relied on temporary employees for manual data entry, which led to errors and delays. Hubbell needed a solution to improve data quality and empower business users to manage their data effectively.
The Solution
PennEngineering implemented Assure iTERA HA to address its data protection and downtime challenges. This solution captures all data additions and changes on the production server in Pennsylvania and replicates them to a backup server located about 50 miles away. Assure iTERA HA replicates data in real-time, ensuring that all data, including updates after the previous nightly backup, is protected. This approach dramatically reduced maintenance windows and ensured business continuity in case of a disaster. For Hubbell, the introduction of Automate Studio provided a solution to its data quality and entry challenges. Automate Studio is an Excel-based software tool that allows business and functional analysts to upload and download data to and from SAP solutions without programming. The tool limits user access based on assigned SAP roles and maintains complete audit trails. Hubbell deployed Automate Studio for master data management, including customer information updates, material creations, vendor updates, and pricing updates. The tool's ease of use and ability to document business processes led to its widespread adoption across Hubbell's five platforms.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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