Published on 08-Nov-2011
"I have never said ‘no’ to an integration request, from a trading partner or from an internal customer. Sterling Managed File Transfer can always handle it." - Jeff Bloomberg, Integration Team Lead, Unilever in North America
Customer:
Unilever
Industry:
Consumer Products
Deployment country:
United States
Solution:
Smarter Commerce
Overview
Approximately 160 million times a day, someone somewhere in the world reaches for a Unilever product. With 400 brands spanning 4 category areas – personal care; ice cream and beverages; savory, dressings and spreads; and home care – the company has become one of the world’s most successful consumer goods companies.
Business need:
When the number, type and size of file transfers began to grow at Unilever in North America, the company began looking for a single solution that would reduce operational costs, reach higher levels of file transfer reliability and ensure data security. Unilever’s goal was to implement a single point of transfer for all internal and external connections.
Solution:
Unilever implemented Sterling Managed File Transfer to help assure security-rich data delivery. The company moves approximately 50,000 files each day now, and it knows the solution can handle any size file, any format and any protocol.
Benefits:
• Provides reliable and security-rich file transfers
• Onboards business partners faster
• Helps ensure all service level agreements are met
• Helps lower operational costs
Case Study
Approximately 160 million times a day, someone somewhere in the world reaches for a Unilever product. With 400 brands spanning 4 category areas – personal care; ice cream and beverages; savory, dressings and spreads; and home care – the company has become one of the world’s most successful consumer goods companies.
Business challenge
When the number, type and size of file transfers began to grow at Unilever in North America, the company began looking for a single solution that would reduce operational costs, reach higher levels of file transfer reliability and ensure data security. Unilever’s goal was to implement a single point of transfer for all internal and external connections.
Solution
Unilever implemented Sterling Managed File Transfer to help assure security-rich data delivery. The company moves approximately 50,000 files each day now, and it knows the solution can handle any size file, any format and any protocol.
The IBM solution has become a mission-critical application at Unilever. Virtually all documents, including sales orders, advanced shipment notices, invoices and purchase orders are safely routed and delivered in a security-rich manner. With no downtime and exceptional support, by adopting Sterling Managed File Transfer, Unilever is able to help optimize and transform their dynamic business network.
“We’re running on the same platform today as we were as a single business unit,” explained Jeff Bloomberg, Integration Team Lead. “Due to the flexibility and scalability of Sterling Managed File Transfer, Unilever was able to expand the solution to support the entire North American organization without a single increase in resource or cost.”
Jeff said what makes this solution truly shine is its depth. “It has adapted to every transfer situation we’ve ever encountered.”
Sterling Managed File Transfer makes it easier for Unilever’s trading partners to use their preferred communication capabilities. “Onboarding is a lot faster now too,” Jeff said. “What used to take up to six weeks or more now takes one to three days. That means we can move projects from feasibility to development quite quickly, resulting in a substantial cost savings.”
The solution also facilitates timely resolution of transfer problems, enabling Unilever to meet all service level agreements. “It has definitely increased business efficiency by driving our manual support time to an absolute minimum, which has allowed us to increase the time we spend developing new connections,” he added.
Key benefits
Improves file transfer reliability
Sterling Managed File Transfer facilitates practically all types of file movement. It can better handle any size, any format and any protocol over any number of internal or external connections. With limited scripting, Unilever can better meet just about every integration request, from a trading partner or from an internal customer.
Onboards business partners faster
Since business partners can better use their preferred communications capabilities without having to adopt new standards, the onboarding process only takes one to three days – not multiple weeks like before.
Meets service levels agreements
The IBM solution identifies and resolves file transfer problems, enabling Unilever to meet all service level agreements. When a problem is identified, replay, reprocess and resend capabilities accelerate exception resolution.
Lowers operational costs
What began as a file transfer solution for a single business unit quickly grew into a solution that now supports the entire North American organization – without a single increase in resource or cost.
Products and services used
IBM products and services that were used in this case study.
Software:
Sterling Connect:Enterprise
Legal Information
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