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EllisDon Connects Data Sources for Mobile App Strategy
Technology Category
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Storage Services
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Construction & Infrastructure
Use Cases
- Inventory Management
- Remote Asset Management
- Supply Chain Visibility
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
The Challenge
EllisDon, a $3.5 billion global construction company, was looking to streamline communication among various types of information systems, both on-premise and in the cloud. The company's Gate Three division was tasked with connecting cloud, on-premise, and mobile data sources as part of the Gate Three Enterprise Reporting Platform (ERP) system. One of the main challenges was integrating front-end project management functions with back-end financial functions on an IBM Power system. As more people started using smartphones and tablets to interact with enterprise information systems, EllisDon faced the challenge of exposing enterprise applications and legacy systems through mobile apps.
About The Customer
EllisDon is a global construction company that manages large construction projects in nearly every sector. Founded in 1951 by brothers Don Smith and David Ellis Smith, the company has grown into a $3.5 billion global player. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, EllisDon also has extensive expertise in alternative energy, civil projects, transportation, education, and public- and private partnership projects. The company's Gate Three division was designed as a replacement to the EllisDon EdgeBuilder ERP system. It was built from the ground up to meet the needs of today’s fast-moving construction industry.
The Solution
EllisDon used iWay Service Manager from Information Builders to streamline communication among many types of information systems, on-premise, and in the cloud. iWay Service Manager forms the integration layer for this project management service, sending and receiving data to help automate the construction lifecycle. iWay made it easy to pass data from a MySQL database underlying the Gate Three system to a DB2 database underlying the financial management system. iWay also fulfilled the company’s data integration requirements by exposing the data integration services as RESTful web services that can be easily consumed by mobile apps running on smartphones and tablets. When the Gate Three team decided to use Google Cloud Storage to store and organize construction correspondence, iWay once again proved its worth.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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