AkzoNobel Decreases Total Cost of Database Ownership by Around 50% and Improves Productivity 50% to 100%, Following Faultless Migration
 
 

AkzoNobel Decreases Total Cost of Database Ownership by Around 50% and Improves Productivity 50% to 100%, Following Faultless Migration

  • Oracle Customer:  AkzoNobel
    Location:  Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    Industry:  Chemicals
    Employees:  57,000
    Annual Revenue:  $1 to $5 Billion

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AkzoNobel is the largest paint and coating company in the world and a major producer of specialty chemicals. With operations in more than 80 countries, AkzoNobel is a Global Fortune 500 company. Its products protect buildings and infrastructures around the globe and promote safety and good health, while bringing color to the world and furnishing homes and offices. In addition to paints and coatings, AkzoNobel’s chemicals serve as essential ingredients in everything, from ice cream to asphalt, soup to soap, and plastics to paper.

AkzoNobel wanted to upgrade its entire Oracle Database 10g infrastructure to Oracle Database 11g with zero downtime to ensure business continuity. In addition, the company wanted to reduce its total cost of database ownership and ensure an easier roll-out for the entire production system in new countries.

Following the upgrade, AkzoNobel reduced its total cost of database ownership approximately 50% by compressing storage from 3.7 to 1.8 terabytes. In addition, it enhanced productivity for several tasks, such as monthly reporting and customer service, by as much as 100%.

 
 

 
 

Challenges

A word from AkzoNobel

  • "Oracle ensured a risk-free migration with zero downtime, which resulted in better performance and cost savings. Oracle Database 11g has enhanced our operations immensely." – Rob Van Vliet, Manager Technical Services, AkzoNobel

  • Upgrade the database system containing all production data used in business intelligence, supply chain management, and enterprise core component systems, with zero downtime to ensure full, business continuity
  • Ensure an easier roll-out for the entire production system in new countries by using copies of the production database for testing purposes
  • Lower total cost of ownership by reducing costs of back-up, storage, and database maintenance
  • Improve overall productivity for customer service and monthly reporting systems by enhancing database performance, allowing for faster order entries and searches for information to answer customers’ questions

Solutions

Oracle Product and Services

  • Ensured full business continuity with zero downtime, while upgrading to Oracle Database 11g using Oracle GoldenGate
  • Enhanced production system deployment in 15 new countries by using database copies for realistic testing without interfering with the live production database
  • Reduced total cost of ownership approximately 50% by compressing storage from 3.7 to 1.8 terabytes and lowering database backup costs
  • Improved productivity for several tasks by 50% to 100%, such as for mobile order picking, by allowing customer orders to be automatically picked from the shelves; monthly financial and productivity reporting; and customer service, due to the ability to enter orders and answer customer queries more quickly
  • Reduced time to dialog with the database from approximately 800 milliseconds to 450 milliseconds for more than 8,500 users, even during peak usage periods, when there are 1,400 concurrent users

Implementation Process

Preparations in the first phase took approximately six months. It then took AkzoNobel approximately two months to complete the actual migration and compression for all 21 systems.