Business Challenge
A packaging manufacturer had recently implemented an ERP solution when it acquired several new companies. It was then faced with the dual challenge of cost-effectively integrating a number of disparate platforms at its new facilities and extending its ERP deployment to these facilities. Before finalizing its near-term investment in this major undertaking, the manufacturer wanted to assess the current state of its environment and identify steps that could be taken to support the successful accomplishment of its objectives. It also needed to validate a detailed, justifiable budget for any project plan.
Solution
Forsythe began by dividing the manufacturer’s overall environment into five separate areas—servers, storage, network, security, and enterprise management—and assessing each. Through a series of fact-finding interviews, Forsythe gathered data about the company’s infrastructure and business objectives. Forsythe worked with the company to identify which of the operational objectives—availability, capability, flexibility, or scalability—was most critical to each part of the infrastructure. Forsythe then assessed the existing IT infrastructure components with regard to these criteria, creating a “scorecard” for each area that identified current strengths and weaknesses.
Based upon the assessments, Forsythe recommended a number of key initiatives to minimize or eliminate weaknesses in each area. Forsythe then facilitated a series of review sessions in which the manufacturer prioritized the newly-proposed projects along with numerous previously-identified initiatives. In the process, the company was able to eliminate and consolidate several projects.
Results
The manufacturer now has a comprehensive, prioritized project plan and budget to support cost-effective integration of its new facilities and successful roll-out of its ERP solution to each. Equally important, the company was able to validate a number of its infrastructure initiatives already underway, thus enabling it to focus its improvements in specific areas.
