- Foundation for unified European ERP environment
- Guaranteed time-critical applications run ahead of others
- Reliable and fast network that can be massively scaled
- Good disaster recovery and security capability
MPLS provides flexible capacity
1 min read
When £250m Melksham, Wilts-based Avon Rubber decided to consolidate its ERP systems across Europe (the result of acquisitions), it used the opportunity also to streamline and standardise some of its business and production processes. All good text book stuff: but to make it work, it also invested in a modern WAN (wide area network) infrastructure – which, it reckons, is cutting cost and improving scaleability and customer service.
It chose BT's MPLS (multi-protocol label switching) WAN – effectively a private, managed IP VPN running on BT's infrastructure with Cisco technology – which guarantees that priority applications run ahead of other tasks. It's also reliable and fast, with good disaster recovery and security.
The system is now enabling improvements across what has become a diverse, distributed business. It's provided the foundation for the unified European ERP environment – Brain (now part of Infor Global Solutions) ERP system X-Line – across Avon's 10 manufacturing sites in the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal.
And it's ensuring that the firm's improved and now consistent processes work every time. For example, orders for production of labels for product packaging prior to despatch don't get delayed by other jobs: so there's no longer a knock-on effect on order lead times – or inefficiencies on-site or across the organisation.
Briefly, MPLS offers any-to-any connectivity, carrying voice and data over a single network, thus allowing Avon employees around the world to have email and intranet access 24 x 7. BT project managed the roll-out, client liaison, budgets and deadlines.
During consultation, BT involved Cisco to talk through the network's merits. Then BT and Cisco upgraded Avon's legacy routers, leaving the existing LAN systems intact. BT also aired resiliency options, and arrived at a flexible approach to bandwidth sizing.
Installation of the network linking all sites took less than four months, staged according to Avon's requirements. Now, BT continues to manage the service, with regular reviews as part of a three-year contract.
Says Avon's group IT director Bill Taylor: "The network has been successful and has met our expectations. It gives us the ability to run European production processes with much greater efficiency, with traffic being prioritised as required."
Key benefits
