Tier-1 Automotive Manufacturer Achieves Complete System Integration in 90 Days

Challenge

Breaking Down Legacy System Silos That Threatened Manufacturing Operations

The manufacturer faced operational vulnerabilities when its largest supplier implemented a cloud-based supply chain management system requiring real-time reporting. The existing setup depended on manual workflows and isolated systems that lacked communication between legacy EDI, MES on IBM AS/400, and mobile scanners. 

Manual Excel processes created operational risks, increasing manufacturing errors such as duplicated ordering, missed freight opportunities, and raw material shortages. Employees used hand-developed spreadsheets during vendor negotiations, introducing errors throughout manufacturing. System fragmentation limited the company’s ability to provide real-time visibility demanded by supply chain partners. 

Solution

Hybrid Modernization Strategy Preserves Legacy Investments While Enabling Advanced Integration

The manufacturer chose HULFT’s integration platform rather than pursuing a risky “rip and replace” strategy. The company implemented a three-step hybrid approach that preserved existing investments while enabling advanced integration. 

The implementation linked legacy EDI, MES on IBM AS/400, and mobile scanners to SAP ERP for two-way communication. HULFT created custom scanner software using HTML to send data through the platform, keeping existing hardware in use. The system then connected internal tools with the supplier’s cloud system on Amazon EC2 and integrated ERP with SAP SCM for warehouse and shipping operations. 

HULFT’s solution created bi-directional communication across all systems, establishing a single source of truth.

Results

Streamlined Operations Deliver Real-Time Visibility and Eliminate Manufacturing Errors

HULFT delivered complete system integration in less than 90 days, fundamentally transforming operations. EDI orders now flow directly into the MES system, which manages production, material use, and scheduling. With its connection to the ERP system, MES can now track manufacturing more closely, improving how parts are weighed, counted, and packed. 

ERP systems and floor scanners now send updates back to the MES system, providing full visibility across manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping. This improved communication helps SAP SCM manage pallets, skids, and truck lanes efficiently for the tight 28-minute shipping schedules while preserving thousands of existing Windows Mobile 5.0 scanners. 

The manufacturer now operates with a “single version of the truth” data environment where authorized users have comprehensive data access. Previous mistakes from duplication and error control efforts have been eliminated, resulting in increased customer and supplier satisfaction, improved bottom line performance, and easier resolution of business challenges.

“The manual processes, and the limited ability of different legacy systems to exchange information with each other, adversely impacted performance and the bottom line.”