The changing IT infrastructure map

When it comes to developing an IT infrastructure capable of supporting a future of more e-business and collaboration, keep it simple and realistic is the best strategy for success. But be aware of alternative technologies and approaches because the requirements on your networks will be changing as suppliers, customers and internal departments cotton on to the new and better, collaborative ways of working. That’s the bottom line according to leading software solution providers, analysts and manufacturers alike, asked by Manufacturing Computer Solutions to provide their advice. Collaborative manufacturing management (CMM), the new model that describes firms operating seamlessly with their supply networks, demands new ways of organising and managing manufacturing enterprises, knitting together internal business processes, and connecting them out to external business processes. So your infrastructure is going to have to support connectivity within the enterprise, as well as external connectivity to partners and customers, while also providing for appropriate equipment integration and cross-system information visibility. And straight away there are choices. Internal connectivity may be implemented with messaging and web services; external connectivity can be handled using web exchanges, portals and traditional technology like EDI. The point is enterprise application integration (EAI) is going beyond traditional middleware: now there’s Java components-based application servers harnessing J2EE and there’s Microsoft’s emerging .Net and XML. The web and web technologies promise a revolution in looser, lower cost, much more universal connectivity. It’s not a case of all change. Web-based hub operations are building up much more slowly than many expected, focusing more on transactions than collaboration – and there will be issues with integrating and sharing ‘back office’ information that will act as barriers for years to come. But as customers demand connectivity, we need to plan to be able to respond. So where do you focus first? Opinion is very divided across the industry. Back office integration is certainly one of the major hurdles needing infrastructure attention, according to Alec Cassells, principal industry consultant at IBM Global Services. “You can’t expect a universal solution,” he says, “and you will probably need middleware products to support legacy environments and applications.” Unsurprisingly, he suggests products like IBM’s MQ series for interconnection, with Websphere playing a key role. Beyond that, he says web collaboration is less an infrastructure problem than a business model issue. “For e-collaboration it is important to have a flexible and customisable system in terms of bandwidth, cost and responsiveness,” he says, “but the plumbing is relatively easy – you can use leased lines or managed services on the web. The difficulty is mapping the information flows between different parts of the enterprise and external links with customers and suppliers.” Consistency is all KPMG’s IT strategy partner Andy Tinkin agrees, but says that systems simply have to be designed around providing consistent and easy access to core enterprise data, and supporting integration of processes across and between enterprises. And that in turn means making them massively scaleable (remember the growing requirements for CAD/CAM data flows and video streaming). “My rule of thumb is to forecast the scale of data needs three to five years ahead, then double it,” he says. It also means laying the foundations for faster implementation as new business requirements arise – while also supporting emerging technologies and standards. “In the long-term, simple equals lower cost... The biggest challenge for the IT sector is to bridge the gap from the boardroom to the engine room as they both speak different languages.” David Tudor, senior industry principal at Oracle, reckons the main issues are to reduce the cost and complexity of IT infrastructure, using a centralised solution like Oracle 9iAS. “Simplify and consolidate with minimum integration using web-based technology on a central platform,” he advises. This is the Oracle mantra right now – simplify business process flows, improve performance and reduce costs through homogenous, all Oracle systems that delete the need for (expensive) inter-system enterprise application integration. For Tudor, key steps are: first, consider the business strategy, core business processes and technology requirements; next, consolidate systems and data into an Internet datacentre; then minimise the number of solution providers; and finally, consider using hosted services. Nigel Montgomery, analyst AMR’s research director, is keen to propound the firm’s ECM (enterprise commerce management) model as a framework for collaborative e-business, from which manufacturers can derive their likely strategic and tactical infrastructure needs (see www.amrresearch.com) and how to get there. He emphasises that collaboration is not just about information visibility, but shared decision-making on a 24/7 basis. “Companies must consider proper collaborative interaction. The ability to make decisions online and changes based on detailed knowledge and attributes is a key differentiator,” he insists. But “ultimately,” he adds, “it all comes down to ROI: many infrastructure projects require two years ROI or more, and are having to be reconsidered to satisfy returns.” Steve Kimmey, Sun Microsystems manufacturing marketing manager, believes, “Most companies have sufficient hardware to start on the road towards e-collaboration but not enough to finish.” He reckons it will take three years of concerted effort across most enterprises. As collaboration increases, the amount of data handled will only grow, he observes, requiring firms to consider new corporate data farms and servers. And he too warns of the need to build in scaleability for more people wanting more data. He cites estimates for CAD data indicating that 15 or more people are likely to want access to a single seat of information online – not necessarily for design modification, but for procurement, marketing or supply data. Sun has formulated a ‘service point architecture’ that models how users can access data and applications in a collaborative environment. His view: “Firms need an architecture that is Internet-aware not just Internet-capable. Every application should eventually be accessible via a browser.” And he cautions: “Development has to be done at the enterprise level not at the application level.” Gordon Smillie, enterprise group director at Microsoft, insists on the importance of common standards – Microsoft’s own strategy. “We recommend trying to remove the silo architecture by using EAI technologies. But this doesn’t mean using an expensive middleware solution.” Microsoft positively bristles with offerings to help – from Biztalk, using XML to ease universal message movement, to Sharepoint Portal Server for data sharing inside and outside an enterprise. All well and good, but what are manufacturers doing in practice? Simon Eade, information systems manager for sports car maker Caterham Cars, stops you in your tracks. “We’re struggling with suppliers who are still in the Dark Ages and aren’t even computerised,” he says. And that puts some real context on any infrastructure initiative! Technology or culture Caterham is currently renegotiating contracts with suppliers from pricing to support, and encouraging them to be more open with their systems, and to install some form of ERP! And sometimes it’s not a lack of technology, but business size, culture and perceived benefit. Key suppliers like Rover, for example, aren’t interested in using EDI with a small firm like Caterham for engine supply: a paper-based system for low run orders is just fine. Nevertheless, Caterham is considering developing a private web portal as a gateway to some suppliers for transactional purposes. He says he would like to see an XML-based system for exchange of order status data across the supply chain, as lead times are becoming shorter and shorter. As for exchange of design data online, that’s currently limited to e-mail, with occasional online viewing of Autodesk Mechanical Desktop files. Then on internal communications, Eade says: “If we do anything, we’ll probably go down the virtual private network route, because of the flexibility and costing model. VPN will be a far cheaper solution than leased land lines.” Beyond this, as a general point Eade doesn’t like the idea of using hosted services for most software applications – although he is considering an ASP for Caterham Cars’ portal development. Bringing us down to earth again, he notes that Caterham’s recent infrastructure work has been about upgrading with two Pentium 3 servers. “The key thing is updating the desktops, as all our PCs are out of date,” he says. Security is also an issue: a Gnatbox firewall has been installed, “but virus software is probably most worrying, as there seem to be holes in practically everything on the market.” At the other end of the scale, Jon Jarrett is IT director of digital TV set top boxes manufacturer Pace Micro Technology, which is undergoing major change as it moves outsourcing from eight international manufacturers to just one, Selectron. Pace has a standard IT business infrastructure with wide area networks, which frame relay connect with Pace’s own engineering and design sites in Yorkshire, Cambridge, Bracknell, Grenoble and Boca Ratan Florida. The company uses desktops and laptops plus a range of remote access techniques to link salespeople and engineers in manufacturing and customer sites live to its systems. Jarret comments: “Most of the basic infrastructure for IT purposes is in place, but there are still challenges ahead.” At the moment, it’s the electronic messaging and procedures for linking with Selectron’s portal, which will provide access to production data online from Selectron sites in Romania, Guatalahara and Sechuan in China from May. VPNs are part of his standard infrastructure, with a 16Mbyte pipe handling WAN and all Internet traffic and a Checkpoint firewall. Jarret doesn’t anticipate a dramatic increase in Internet traffic here, “as we do a lot already, sharing designs online with manufacturers, forecast information, production, sales and delivery schedules, and electronic billing. We also do a lot of self-service for purchase requisition online, using a corporate shopping trolley.” As for EDI and XML, he comments: “Though we are in a position to handle XML, we’re mostly focused on EDI as we believe it will be some way off before XML is commonly used.” And there you have it: getting your infrastructure ready is about considering the possibilities for the future, while wrestling with the realities of today. We are all bound to be both customer-driven and supplier-limited, but we have to remember the simplicity, cost and agility benefits that will derive when these newer technologies start being adopted – and be ready.