FortisBC, a fully integrated electric utility in southeastern British Columbia, was facing challenges with its decade-old customer information system. The system, which was used daily by customer service, was out of warranty and needed a language, interface, and database update. The system had proven functionality worth preserving, but replacing it could have cost tens of millions of dollars. The company wanted to modernize the system at a fraction of the cost of replacing it. Other goals included adding a Web front-end, creating a single sign-on environment, improving security and eliminating manual password changes, assuring easy mobile and remote access, building a platform for a next generation of business services, and improving the ability to deliver more self-services to the customer.

Santam, South Africa’s leading short-term insurer, was facing challenges with its IT changes which were difficult and expensive. The company was using Microsoft® Word templates, fragmented tools and different methodologies which led to frustration among employees. The company needed an Enterprise Architecture (EA) with a repository-based product to support its drive to optimize the organization. The aim was to develop an integrated environment that’s more agile and supports the business strategy.

SICK AG, a global provider of modern sensor technology, has experienced significant growth, leading to an increase in the heterogeneity of the company’s IT environment. With over 40 subsidiaries, numerous sales agencies, and partnerships, ensuring seamless communication between the different IT systems was crucial to guarantee smooth operations and customer satisfaction. The company needed a solution that could integrate the various IT systems from procurement to production, logistics to sales, and handle the increasing volumes of data being exchanged.

Landesbank Berlin AG (LBB) was faced with the challenge of managing an extensive rulebook, which comprised 180 manuals and required 10.5 million pages to be updated every year. The bank decided to replace the old system with intranet-based rules and procedures, thus avoiding the need to distribute huge amounts of paper to employees across the enterprise every day, as well as structure and archive it. The bank needed a solution that would provide redundancy-free, audit-proof documentation and give employees direct access to all relevant process descriptions.

Océ, a supplier of digital printing systems, software, and services, had developed a complex and mixed IT infrastructure over the years due to its growth and acquisitions. This complexity limited the company's ability to take rapid, decisive action. To address this, Océ launched the SPINE project with the ultimate objective of creating a more flexible and maneuverable organization. The project aimed to realize a new, comprehensive IT architecture and a radical harmonization and standardization of its business processes. The new architecture would be based on SAP.

The UNIQA Group insurance companies receive thousands of paper documents by mail every day. Sorting and forwarding these documents for action was taking too much time and effort, which is why UNIQA sought an automated business process management solution. Its goals were to shorten processing times, lower administrative costs and better distribute the workload to speed up processing. In the past, document distribution was time- and staff-intensive. It could take several days before documents finally reached the right administrator, who then had to scan them for documentation and archiving purposes.

The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act became U.S. law in 2004 so banks could process more checks electronically. Before this act, banks had to physically transport paper checks from where they were deposited to the bank that paid them. Now, instead, banks can process checks faster and more efficiently using digital images. BOK Financial saw this as a business opportunity to gain efficiency. However, the process of integrating the digital check processing system was complex due to the numerous back-end operational systems involved in depositing, validating, and handling errors and closed accounts.

The Department of the Treasury of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has three main applications for the collection and management of taxes: ARBITRIOS for the calculation of taxes, PRITAS for the management of corporate taxes and REFO for processing individual taxes. The challenge is to provide a single view of the taxpayer through a Web portal that integrates data from all three main systems. The Treasury Department was looking for the tools to carry out an application integration, which would allow the agency to have a single view of the taxpayer through a Web portal. This new integration platform was also needed to provide higher efficiency in managing department records. The solution would have to maintain and improve existing investments, re-using the Natural and COBOL application code. The solution also would need to support a technological evolution—rather than a revolution that would completely alter existing IT assets.

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank, Israel’s fourth largest bank and the country’s largest mortgage bank, was facing stiff competition in the dynamic Israeli banking industry. The bank wanted to reach customers in new ways and offer custom-tailored products quickly and easily. However, the bank's legacy systems did not fit the bank’s ongoing business and legal requirements. The competition among banks was harsh and, in order to succeed, the bank had to change the way it handled customers and the products it offered. The bank’s IT infrastructure integrates core mainframe systems with applications running on open environments, such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), optical archiving and Web-based applications. The bank clerk’s desktop included both 3270-emulation and .NET applications, requiring them to switch between screens while working with the customer.

Volvo Trucks, a global truck manufacturer and the world’s second largest heavy-duty truck brand, was facing challenges in implementing standard SAP® processes at its 100 locations. The company was looking for ways to streamline the process setup so that managers could have a clear, consistent view of financial processes. The main objective was to shorten the lead times for these implementations, which would ultimately lead to more efficient operations.

Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetraenke AG (CCEAG), the sole German bottler of The Coca-Cola Company and the largest beverage company in Germany, was chosen as a pilot center for the Coke One global template deployment. The project would ultimately impact more than 75 percent of CCEAG’s existing applications in a highly interdependent IT landscape. Close to 1,000 business processes had to be reviewed and aligned across seven key areas: market-to-order, order-to-cash, forecast-to-deploy, procure-to-pay, record-to-report, master data management and human resource management. This corresponded to roughly 120 enterprise applications, 300 operational interfaces, 900 BI interfaces and 150 business objects that were impacted. CCEAG’s decision to use Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) to facilitate its Coke One deployment was a clear project success factor.

Fibabanka, a private bank in Turkey, was facing several challenges. The bank had ambitious growth targets and was dealing with disruption within the banking industry. Regulatory pressure was also increasing, with the Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority pushing banks to create process flowcharts. Fibabanka was using Microsoft Visio, which was not fit for purpose as it didn't link processes, create a process library, or attach duration information or definitions. The bank needed to apply its digital ambitions to its internal landscape to meet these challenges.

Clal Insurance, a leading insurance and long-term savings group, faced a series of challenges that threatened its growth and success. These included growing SLA compliance risks, an aggressive regulatory environment, rising costs, disruption from InsurTech companies, and an overload of internal-external file integration. The company also struggled with a lagging time to market. These challenges were exacerbated by a global financial crisis, aggressive changes to the regulatory landscape, and the challenge of low-to-zero interest rates. The company needed to meet strict SLA compliance or risk major fines, achieve agility in line with the best in InsurTech, and drastically reduce time to market.

Foreach Brewing, a craft beer start-up in Amsterdam, faced challenges when they launched their online shop in June 2020. They had invested in a range of apps including Shopify for online sales, HubSpot to manage customer relationships, and Slack for internal communications. However, these apps were not well-integrated, leading to a lack of centralized data flow. This resulted in the need to carry out many repetitive tasks manually, such as counting labels in the warehouse, compiling reports for the accountant, and constantly checking the website of their shipping partner to track deliveries. The disconnected application landscape meant that the founders of Foreach spent too much time dealing with routine back-office tasks and not enough time focused on growing their business. As a small start-up, they didn't have the means to invest in a full-scale integration platform.

Pegasus Airlines, Turkey’s largest budget airline, was facing challenging times due to a landing incident and the global COVID-19 outbreak. This led to diminished passenger levels and disrupted schedules, making it imperative for the airline to reduce costs and improve operating efficiencies. In 2017, the airline was searching for a robust middleware platform to adapt quickly and flexibly to customers’ requirements. It had concerns about its new middleware platform and was unsure whether it was improving agility or service levels and reducing incidents/resolution times. The airline was unhappy with the operational costs due to its monolithic infrastructure with application silos having point-to-point integration. Its goal was to set up a robust and secure IT architecture and capitalize on technology innovation.

MB Bank, a rapidly growing retail bank in Vietnam, was struggling to manage its growth and the large influx of new customers. The bank was dealing with time-consuming, manual processes including new customer onboarding and a slow online banking system. Loan approvals were taking too long, increasing the risk of losing potential new customers to faster competitors. It was also difficult to identify where mistakes or errors had been made along the process chain. The bank wanted to build a computerized business process management system that could streamline and centralize its processes, and ensure compliance with local regulations.

Autosen, an online sales platform for sensor and automation solutions, faced several challenges in its quest to digitalize SMEs and the industrial sector. The company aimed to create a sensor-to-cloud process that was quick, easy, and cost-effective. They wanted to enable entry to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for all industries and provide access to new digital business models. Additionally, they sought to expand the potential for sensor data in the cloud. Traditional methods of transferring sensor data into the cloud involved high costs and extensive technical effort, posing a significant dilemma for many industrial companies.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reformed the provision of disability services across Australia in 2011, resulting in a high-performing organization that supports almost 467,000 affected people across two territories and six states with personalized services. However, the organization faced several challenges. There was a lack of digitalized process documentation, and the processes varied across all six states. The IT department was under pressure to have a process architecture fit for the new purpose. There was a need to improve and scale process efficiency, but the inability to define the future state due to lack of visibility of the current state was a significant hurdle. The organization also needed to focus on the business need for a better client experience.

The Department of Seine-Maritime, the fifteenth largest in France, was facing challenges in automating its financial and human resources processes. The department, which is responsible for social action in the region, was struggling with manual processes such as the transmission of checks, bundles of documents, and liquidation statements. The department was also looking to implement an interface between its financial management solution and the human resources management solution to automate document processes and payments. The department was seeking a solution that could create interfaces between the different business applications to streamline and secure its financial and payment processes, simplify human resources processes, and reduce its environmental impact.

The Electric Racing Academy (ERA) was faced with the challenge of modernizing the motorsport industry by making it more sustainable, equitable, and accessible. The organization aimed to bring racing into a tech-driven, green era by providing real-time insights for live coaching to drivers. ERA also desired to create a cost-efficient racing platform to boost junior e-racer careers. The mission was to use technology to lower barriers of entry and promote accessibility. There was also pressure to find a robust IoT platform that would ensure the cars operate at peak performance and provide insights to evolve design.

Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), a top global shipping company, was seeking to improve its business processes and enhance operational efficiency. The company had recently implemented SAP ERP, which increased the company's IT heterogeneity. This led to a need for seamless communication between the different IT systems. HMM wanted to address a spectrum of business integration needs, such as supply chain automation, application integration, and data synchronization. The company was looking for a single integration solution that would quickly connect any system or application without coding.

Radboud University Nijmegen, an international university with a wide range of courses, was facing challenges in gaining insight into and overview of all hardware components, applications, data, and processes. The university's Group Information Management Department found that information regarding the connection between applications and processes was fragmented, making it difficult to collect the correct information at the start of a project. The business side also required more overview of the work processes. A cohesive process from recruitment to registration and ultimately deregistration of students was needed. The university, therefore, looked for an ICT partner who could provide a product that allowed for better insight into and overview of the connection between IT systems and processes.

The digitalization of everyday life is becoming increasingly prevalent, with big data, cloud, mobile access, social and security issues becoming more intertwined and having a significant impact on business and society. This has forced companies to drastically reconsider and transform their processes. The University of Applied Sciences, Saarland (htw saar) recognized the need to prepare their students for this digital era. They wanted to provide their students with a comprehensive overview of current processes within companies and teach them how to best transform these for the digital era. They also wanted to provide real-life problems that students will encounter in their professional career, that students learn to solve using market-leading software.

With the prediction of 50 billion devices being connected by 2020, the Internet of Things is revolutionizing every aspect of life. Wipro Technologies, a leading systems integrator, consulting, and services company, is at the forefront of this transformation with its Looking Glass solution—an Internet of Things solution for smart, connected products. The challenge was to leverage the power of IoT to increase ROI, customer satisfaction, and revenue for enterprises across various industries.

California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) is America’s second largest public pension fund and the largest educator-only pension fund in the world. The organization was facing the challenge of reducing operating costs by moving Natural batch to the less-expensive IBM zIIP™ processor. The organization was looking for a solution that would not require any changes to the existing code or modification to batch jobs for the START application. The organization was also concerned that a new product would require more testing and more validation, which would mean more time to realize savings.

Lafarge’s customers build every kind of structure, from houses to commercial office buildings, around the world. Key to providing excellent service is Lafarge’s ability to provide building solutions using cement, and other materials, to a new construction site, in a timely way. That means integration and processes with local suppliers and contractors must be set up fast. Operating in 64 countries, Lafarge deals with a world of different suppliers and contractors with trading practices that vary by country. Setting up business at a new construction site used to take weeks with a traditional integration approach.

Split Airport, the second largest airport in Croatia, was faced with constant growth in seasonal traffic. The management identified the ability to perform core processes within strict time limits as key to business success. This led to the decision to implement performance analysis of its key business process—passenger and aircraft handling. The initiative was aimed at gaining insights into the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), identifying weaknesses, and optimizing process times. The seasonal character of the airport's business, with most traffic occurring during the summer season, made effectiveness, efficiency, and speed crucial factors for success. At the same time, strict compliance with all local and international air traffic standards, regulations, and obligations was essential.

Evonik Industries, a global industrial group, was facing challenges with its international operations. The lack of uniform representation standards and file formats for processes made it difficult to gain a cross-sectional view of the enterprise and prevented the development of a shared understanding of processes and process management. This became particularly clear when preparing for an SAP roll out in Greater China. The company was aiming for shorter documentation times and standardized process documentation, with the aim of reducing the number of process harmonization workshops to a minimum. The resulting documentation base would be used for future projects and help create a shared process understanding. The constant demand for training created an urgent need for comprehensive process documentation in China.

Wales & West Utilities (WWU) is a regulated gas distribution business that transports gas safely to more than 7 million people through its network of the 35,000 kms of pipelines that covers Wales and Southwest England. The company is responsible for attending gas emergencies on streets and at businesses and homes within one or two hours. However, WWU faced challenges in monitoring the emergency process, which was a manual and labor-intensive activity. The company used a simple Comma Separated Values (CSV) user interface to a standalone system that queried databases directly. This system was resilient in the event of a failover, but it did not provide real-time visibility into the emergency process.

Attracting and keeping mobile phone customers requires continuous innovation. Orange UK excels at this. To meet customer expectations, Orange strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly. That is why the company set out to make pay-as-you-go mobile service as convenient and easy as possible. The challenge was to create a system that allows customers to top up their accounts from anywhere while on the go. The process needed to be fast and seamless, interacting with up to 10 systems and sending the customers their top-up approval in seconds.