Integrate a corporate-wide SAP software solution in a Windows NT environment.
Done.
Unisys enterprise-class Windows NT servers and strategic partnerships between Unisys, SAP, Microsoft, and EMC.
The Customer
"For over 150 years the Wolf Organization has been a leading distributor of building materials," says Vincent Johnson, Vice President of Customer Information Services. "Last fall we became the first company in our industry to meet the rigorous ISO certification standards. This certification not only establishes a constant monitor for superior quality, but also lays the groundwork for dramatic market growth."
Initial plans for strategic growth required a systems architecture evaluation at the company's 30+ locations. "We quickly realized that we needed a complete software solution that could tie together our core applications," says Johnson. "We took a close look at today's most powerful software vendors. After conducting thorough and extensive research it was clear that SAP is a mile wide and a mile deep when it comes to features and integration."
The Key is Commitment
Wolf chose Unisys for its hardware needs. "The Unisys team did an excellent job of convincing us how committed they are to SAP," adds Johnson. "They approached us and asked for an opportunity to share about the unique and strong engagement between Unisys and SAP. They also introduced us to the Unisys enterprise-class Microsoft Windows NT servers that have received certification for SAP R/3 software solutions. The Enterprise-Class Windows NT, in conjunction with the R/3 software, present Wolf with powerful new capabilities to develop enterprise-wide strategies based on Windows NT.
"The Unisys team arranged informative sessions with other clients who had undergone SAP implementations on Unisys hardware," says Johnson. "They even arranged translation services, allowing us to speak directly with Unisys clients in Germany. All of the clients spoke very highly of the Unisys server architecture, its commitment to SAP, and their global system maintenance and support services. Unisys has SAP Competency Centers in Sulzbach, Germany and McLean, Virginia. These centers allowed us to conduct performance tuning in a lab testing environment - helping us to maximize our system resources without disrupting our daily operations."
An early commitment to Windows NT also played a big role in the selection of Unisys.
"We jumped on the Windows NT bandwagon and rolled out NT to all of our remote server locations," recalls Johnson. "The Wolf Organization chose the Windows operating environment for our desktops and Microsoft Exchange and Office as our preferred software suites. Unisys soon became a front-runner because of the company's strength in providing Windows NT solutions."
Taking on the Enterprise
Unisys enterprise servers bring Wolf the availability, scalability, and manageability of Windows NT, coupled with the stability and strength of legacy systems. "It's refreshing to find a hardware vendor who possesses Windows NT expertise, while also understanding all of the stability that comes out of mainframe environments," says Johnson. "Unisys convinced us that they were committed to enterprise-class servers in the Windows NT marketplace."
The strategic relationship between SAP and Unisys will bring extensive benefits to mission-critical applications at Wolf. "The SAP software package will also allow us to Web-enable our sales and distribution. Our current Web site offers the viewer a nice electronic brochure of our products, providing general information about our company. The Unisys and SAP solution will allow us to turn this brochure into a profitable electronic commerce tool. Soon we'll be able to provide our customers with guaranteed product delivery, specific pricing, and current availability - all on the Web."
Strong Partnerships, Powerful Solutions
"The successful implementation of this solution lies in the strength of Unisys relationships with the industry's leading technology providers. Wolf has also benefited from a strategic alignment between Unisys and EMC, a leading enterprise storage technology provider," adds Johnson. "We are very comfortable with EMC storage and the Unisys coordination efforts.
"We needed a hardware vendor who could assemble our SAP and Windows NT puzzle. Unisys delivered enterprise-class servers and the relationships necessary to join each piece for a seamlessly integrated architecture."
