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IBM > Case Studies > Edwards drives growth, cuts costs and boosts computing power by 70 percent with SAP and IBM
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Edwards drives growth, cuts costs and boosts computing power by 70 percent with SAP and IBM

Technology Category
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - Cloud Computing
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Functions
  • Business Operation
  • Discrete Manufacturing
Use Cases
  • Manufacturing System Automation
  • Predictive Maintenance
Services
  • Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
  • System Integration
The Challenge
Anticipating continued growth for its flourishing global business, Edwards needed to extend its SAP environment. The company sought a flexible hosting solution with the scalability to accommodate current and future expansion, as well as rapid provisioning capabilities to support quickly changing business demands. And, with operations in 30 countries worldwide, it was critical that Edwards teamed with a hosting provider offering global resources and an extensive international reach.
About The Customer
Headquartered in Crawley, England, Edwards is a leading developer of innovative vacuum technologies used in manufacturing, industrial and scientific environments. The company was founded in 1919 and has more than 3,200 employees worldwide who design, manufacture and support its products. It is a 94-year-old company serving a USD 6 billion marketplace, has a turnover of USD 1 billion a year, and has recently been acquired by Atlas Copco.
The Solution
IBM Global Technology Services developed an IBM Cloud Managed Services and IBM Cloud Managed Services for SAP Applications hosting infrastructure designed to meet the company’s requirements. Configured for data replication between the IBM data center in Ehningen, Germany, and the IBM recovery center in Greenford, England, the solution architecture includes 25 virtual machines and offers robust disaster recovery capabilities. The Edwards scope includes both SAP and non-SAP components which are seamlessly delivered as an integrated global service. The application landscape comprises ERP, Business Warehouse, Supply Chain Management, CRM, Webshop and associated periphery systems.
Operational Impact
  • The IBM Cloud platform provides Edwards with 70 percent more computing power at a reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) for its SAP hosting infrastructure.
  • It drives significant efficiency improvements, including 50 percent faster SAP Customer Relationship Management processes, 40 percent faster overnight run times for the SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) tool, 30 percent faster SAP Business Warehouse (BW) load processing and 50 percent faster SAP R/3 batch processing.
  • Most importantly, the IBM solution supports Edwards’s larger strategic vision.
Quantitative Benefit
  • 70 percent more computing power
  • 50 percent faster SAP Customer Relationship Management processes
  • 40 percent faster overnight run times for the SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO) tool

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