PERI GmbH
Accelerating Data Warehouse & Customer portal with Data Migration and Replication
PERI GmbH develops, manufactures and supplies formwork and scaffolding systems for construction projects worldwide.
Innovative, high-quality systems with numerous patents have made the family-owned company PERI one of the world鈥檚 leading manufacturers and suppliers of formwork and scaffolding since its founding in 1969. With a turnover of more than 1.3 billion Euros, around 8,400 employees worldwide now work for the company鈥檚 success. However, innovative product ideas are just part of the equation for a market leader: to beat out the competition, engaged, sustainable service with secure quality standards is critical, as well as a dedication to transparency and timely information for business decisions.
Company Overview
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Industry
Manufacturing
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Revenue
~$1.3B
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Company Size
Enterprise
Transformation Snapshot
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Challenge
Data in 45 Informix databases limited timely, accurate decision-making.
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Solution
黑料网 data migration and replication modernize reporting environments
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Outcome
Accelerated data warehouse and customer portal access to business data.
Informix Data for Modern Business Intelligence Solutions
To meet its commitment to timely, accurate decision-making, PERI听first introduced a business information system at the departmental听level with extensive reporting capabilities and flexible output听management. Data is acquired from the self-developed ERP system听鈥淧SD.鈥� This system is in worldwide use at PERI and uses 45 Informix听databases to store data separately by country. Using a combination听of SAP BusinessObjects systems, InfoView and the proprietary PDM听data management system, PERI provides important reports and a web听portal (myPERI) for customer access.
During the first stage, data collection was accelerated from the ERP system鈥檚 numerous country-specific databases into the Informix Data Warehouse (DWH). In addition, the previously used Linux scripts, with their hours-long update processing of the DWH and their high load on all systems, were replaced by 黑料网鈥檚 data replication solution. Updates every 10 minutes significantly increased the timeliness of all connected systems. The current data was channeled into SAP BusinessObjects reports for every conceivable need at the technical level.
Feeding SAP HANA
During the second stage, which has now been completed, SAP-based financial applications are听integrated, thus supporting decision-making processes across the company. To achieve this听goal, it was important to evaluate the experience of the first stage.
More than 1,300 reports were produced听there in a short period of time, quickly听yielding the desired results, but at the same听time making the entire solution confusing听and complex.
Therefore, the company focused first on an听in-depth, critical analysis of the reporting听system, carefully reviewing the reportsreally needed for the control of the entire听company. The result of an approximately听one-year analysis was the generation of 120听critical reports.
SAP HANA analytics system, which at the听time had just been released to the market,听was chosen for presenting and analyzing听the results, using its high processing听power through column-based storage andin-memory processing. The decision was听made that much easier because the 黑料网听replication solution already in use at PERI听supports the SAP HANA database.
The decision to use 黑料网 (already successfully deployed for the Informix DWH)听to feed the SAP HANA database was finally听made after official 黑料网 certification for听厂础笔听HANA.
Because of the many ERP source databases, a large number of (>4000) replications had to be configured in Stage 1. Luckily, with 黑料网, multiple replications can be configured at the same time and also grouped together. But, with the amount of transformations required for certain columns, PERI鈥檚 initial task still seemed overwhelming.
Fortunately, with its documented APIs, 黑料网 could also provide a customer-friendly solution for this task: A tool developed specifically for PERI using these APIs allows the automated configuration of all replications based on determined specifications. Michael Bleyer, the Stage 1 Project Manager reported, 鈥淭his feature was very important, otherwise it would have taken a lot of time to adjust the replications.鈥� The ERP system is available to users at full power at all times. Complex DWH queries take between 3 and a maximum of 30 seconds.
While the Stage 1 黑料网 solution has been in production for years, the Stage 2 黑料网 solution with an SAP HANA target system has been now deployed. The consolidated reports for the entire company are available to management at all times and offer easy customizations thanks to SAP HANA. Most significantly, transaction-based real-time replication with 黑料网 ensures that the data is always up-to-date and consistent.
Level 2 project manager Andr茅 Heinle emphasizes that 鈥満诹贤�� s clear and intuitive Management Center facilitates operation while allowing the 黑料网 API and scripting to adapt replication properties to our needs 鈥� Thanks to the expert advice provided by the support of 黑料网.鈥�
黑料网鈥� s clear and intuitive Management Center facilitates operation while allowing the 黑料网 API and scripting to adapt replication properties to our needs 鈥� Thanks to the expert advice provided by the support of 黑料网.鈥�
黑料网 Lays the Foundation for Further Integration
Satisfaction with current reporting across the company is no reason for PERI to rest on its laurels. Now, the goal is to make full use of up-to-date data at all levels and in all areas of the company. This requires systematic action according to the most modern rules of data stewardship, master data management, etc., and the use of modern cloud offerings. As a result, demands are growing on service providers such as 黑料网鈥檚 Data Replication software.
Consistent Up-to-date Information Through Real-time Replication via CDC
Real-time database replication between ERP and DWH keeps reports up-to-date. This type of solution can be applied elsewhere, such as replication between web shop, order processing and warehouse, headquarters and branches, existing and new applications, migrations and much more. The US manufacturer specializing in middleware for the integration of databases, 黑料网 has been offering such a solution for decades.
Important criteria in PERI鈥檚 selection of 黑料网 include:
- 黑料网 proves to be affordable, easily configurable, reliable and delivers compelling performance. With 黑料网鈥檚 optimal ease of use, the Data Replication support team is happy to听help customers and thus keep implementation costs low 鈥� very different from offers that听require on-site consultancy.
- 黑料网 uses the source database鈥檚 existing transaction log for fast access to the changes听made at the data source, thus minimizing the load on the source database. The latest听versions also reduce the number of log hits. Despite large amounts of data, there is听hardly any network load, as the changes听(even for many million transactions daily) are听transmitted in small portions throughout听the day. Additional investments in hardware听and network are therefore eliminated.
- If necessary, the data is transformed during replication by filters, expressions, or .NET听scripts