BK Medical: Leveraging Google Cloud to Optimize Ultrasound Device Manufacturing

• Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Databases

• Equipment & Machinery
• Healthcare & Hospitals

• Quality Assurance

• Additive Manufacturing
• Manufacturing Process Simulation

• Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
• System Integration

BK Medical, a manufacturer of ultrasound devices with operations in Denmark and the United States, faced a significant challenge when it decided to separate from its parent company. The company had been running SAP applications in-house with on-premises servers. The divestiture necessitated the separation of its data and systems, which presented an ideal opportunity to transition to cloud-based IT. However, the company needed to maintain its own data center while minimizing capital expenditure and reducing its on-premises footprint. The challenge was magnified due to the complexities of manufacturing and distributing medical devices globally, which included compliance, data and process management challenges, distribution, resource planning, and customer experience complexities.

BK Medical is a leading manufacturer of ultrasound devices with operations in Denmark and the United States. The company's active imaging products guide a range of surgeons, including general surgeons, HPB surgeons, neurosurgeons, spine surgeons, and robotic-assisted surgeons, as well as urologists and colorectal surgeons. BK Medical's imaging is used throughout the procedure, from staging, through intervention, to validation. The company's divisions in Denmark and the United States create the various components of the machines, which are then combined and sent directly to surgeons and doctors for use during procedures.

BK Medical chose to partner with Google Cloud and Managecore to migrate its SAP systems to the cloud. Managecore, a Google Cloud Premier Partner, helped BK Medical quickly establish its own SAP systems and shift its data into Google Cloud over a single weekend. The migration included 600 GB of data and all SAP applications. The process was completed with no disruption to operations. BK Medical now runs its SAP ECC, ERP, data warehouses, and other applications on Google Cloud, along with its deployment of Vertex AI. The company also implemented single sign-on (SSO) for easy access to SAP applications. BK Medical is now considering an upgrade to S/4HANA on Google Cloud, the incorporation of new cloud-native reporting tools to streamline its data management practices, and shifting data warehouses into BigQuery.

• The migration to Google Cloud has allowed BK Medical to focus on its core mission of manufacturing and distributing the best ultrasound devices while providing exceptional customer experiences. The company has seen improvements in user experiences, with users impressed by the ease of accessing the systems they need to complete tasks. The move to Google Cloud has also reduced the need for in-house resources devoted to infrastructure management, thanks to the new software-as-a-service model. Furthermore, the company has capitalized on Google Cloud's specializations in enterprise-wide system management and is considering utilizing other Google Cloud database and analytics tools.

• Migrated all SAP applications and 600 GB of data to the cloud in under 48 hours

• Created a new cloud-based, fully managed infrastructure for more efficient SAP system administration

• Achieved 100% uptime of SAP applications