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Software AG > Case Studies > DFDS Seaways Destined For Increased Efficiencies By Using Soa And BPM
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DFDS Seaways Destined For Increased Efficiencies By Using Soa And BPM

Technology Category
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
Applicable Industries
  • Marine & Shipping
Applicable Functions
  • Business Operation
  • Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
  • Process Control & Optimization
  • Supply Chain Visibility
Services
  • Software Design & Engineering Services
  • System Integration
The Challenge
DFDS Seaways, a leading European ferry and logistics company, was facing challenges with its outdated Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) system. The system, named Cosmos, was built in the early 1990s and had grown into more than 200 smaller and larger sub-applications. However, these applications lacked functional integration, had varying user interfaces, and required regular data re-entry. The complexity of Cosmos had become so great that DFDS Seaways faced growing maintenance problems. Documentation was often outdated, and a lot of business logics were recorded in hard-to-change stored procedures. The company also faced performance problems with the Web front-ends, hindering customers from making reservations via the Internet.
About The Customer
DFDS Seaways is a leading European ferry and logistics company with operations distributed across Europe. The company transports more than 2 million ferry passengers and more than 1.2 million quay-to-quay and door-to-door movements per year. It employs more than 2,200 people in 38 offices in 13 countries. The company's vision is to be a leading, first-class, multi-modal short sea carrier. DFDS Seaways greatly relies on a central company information system to coordinate its massive transport of people and freight between many different destinations within Europe, across road and water.
The Solution
DFDS Seaways decided to replace its outdated ERP system with a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) using the webMethods suite. The company subdivided the old system’s functionality into a series of logically ordered sub-functions, such as transport management or invoicing. These functions were provided by standard software packages, which were integrated via the webMethods Enterprise Service Bus (ESB). The company also used webMethods Trading Networks, a B2B gateway based on the webMethods ESB, to manage communication between parts of the new system and applications used by partners acting as ticket or freight space retailers.
Operational Impact
  • Higher productivity due to well-integrated functionality and modern interfaces.
  • Elimination of redundant data entry.
  • Ease of adding new functionality without any one software package becoming uncontrollably large.

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