KEMET
Microsoft BizTalk & HIS Server Deliver the Flexibility Essential to the Manufacturing
and Distribution Industry
When KEMET Manufacturing had trouble getting an internal process to perform the necessary
transactions, the company turned to a proven Microsoft-based solution and to Innovative
Architects, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, for implementation. Innovative Architects
deployed the Microsoft BizTalk Server and Host Integration Server to quickly and
seamlessly resolve KEMET’s problem. The use of Microsoft technologies also
enhanced productivity for KEMET’s developers. The manufacturer now has the
flexibility necessary to handle a variety of management systems.
From the onset, Innovative Architects understood that KEMET had several requirements
of its software system. The solution must provide different KEMET teams with a stable,
yet highly reusable integration platform that could manage varied integration scenarios.
Additionally, the solution must integrate well with KEMET’s existing software
technologies. Finally, KEMET needed to standardize their technology platform while
using minimal customizing tools. Working with Innovative Architects’ certified
consultants, KEMET fulfilled all of its requirements for robust, adaptable software
with the Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 Solution.
Today, manufacturers such as KEMET achieve their business objectives affordably and
promptly thanks to enterprise-class B2B information integration. This solution increases
organizational productivity and helps manufacturers achieve operational excellence
by allowing them to make informed decisions more rapidly. By adapting the solution
to KEMET’s unique needs, Innovative Architects met the desired objectives
on time and within budget.
“Our IA team helped Kemet achieve supply chain and system objectives. Our
consultants worked closely with the Kemet team to ensure a quick, efficient and
cost-effective answer to problems.”
–Daniel Cartwright, Innovative Architects
Overview
- County or Region: United States
- Industry: Manufacturing
- Customer Profile:
KEMET Laboratories was established by Union Carbide Corp in 1919. With the advent
of automatic machinery, KEMET began producing high-quality getters in massive quantities.
This advancement resulted in KEMET’s dramatic expansion and they now maintain
manufacturing facilities, sales offices and distribution centers around the world.
Found in virtually all electronic applications and products, KEMET capacitor components
store, filter and regulate electrical energy and current flow. KEMET’s diverse
product line demanded a sophisticated, agile approach to the company’s business
challenges. KEMET asked Innovative Architects to help them overcome these challenges.
- Business Situation:
KEMET’s supply chain needed enhancement in several areas and the company faced
two primary problems. The first challenge was meeting the unique needs of its customers
located in Asia. The second issue was that KEMET’s CRM and ERP systems were
hosted on an IBM iSeries.
- Solution:
With assistance from Innovative Architects, KEMET was able to leverage their existing
subsystems by using Microsoft’s BizTalk Server and Host Integration Server.
- Benefits:
Expose systems simplified supply chain process
Significant reduction in manpower needed for manual entries
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Case Study
- Situation
To satisfy customer and distributor requests, KEMET, a worldwide capacitor manufacturer,
needed to expose their supply chain processes across multiple areas. The business
community’s widespread use of Microsoft Office meant that KEMET often received
customer requests in Excel documents, rather than in a standard, technical EDI message.
Additionally, KEMET’s growing Asian customer base requested that the manufacturer
integrate RosettaNet into their supply chain. To further complicate matters, KEMET’s
CRM and ERP systems were hosted on an IBM iSeries.
- Solution
In order to interact with KEMET’s CRM and ERP systems, Innovative Architects
used the Host Integration Server to expose underlying logical files and host
programs to Windows based applications. When access to the iSeries became available,
BizTalk Server instantly handled messages from KEMET customers and distributors.
Ordinarily, BizTalk does not support Excel parsing. By adapting an inexpensive third
party tool, Innovative Architects was able to allow BizTalk to parse Excel files
into an XML message which processes normally through BizTalk. To rapidlybr develop
the RosettaNet pips for customers, the BizTalk Accelerator for RosettaNet leverages
the RosettaNet subsystem. This is readily available from Microsoft.
Using BizTalk Server and Host Integration Server, KEMET exposed its CRM
and ERP system to customers and distributors. This step simplified the company’s
supply chain processes and this boosted efficiency.
By automating Excel document entry, KEMET drastically reduced its manpower requirements
with no interruption to their customer and distributor data entry needs.
- Benefits
• Simplified supply chain processes for customers and distributors
• Flexible scalability, fail-safe availability
• Automated Excel document entries
• Increased productivity
• Reduced data entry manpower costs
- Software and Services
• Microsoft Host Integration Server
• Microsoft BizTalk Server
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Microsoft Server Virtualization
• Microsoft Visual Studio
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft Office InfoPath
• Microsoft Office Forms Server
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