Looking at the big picture
Schindler Fenster + Fassaden GmbH, which employs 300 people across Europe, creates sophisticated and project-specific façade solutions made of wood, metal, glass and stone. The Bavarian company also attaches great importance to clarity and aesthetics when it comes to the exterior of its software - i.e. the user interface. The technical inner workings of its new client management system from aagon are also impressive.
Mario Mark has been working in the IT department at Schindler Fenster + Fassaden for two and a half years. 60 servers virtualized via VMware, 240 PC clients for around 300 employees, including 60 computers in the technical office for design and drawing - this was the IT infrastructure he found when he joined the company. The workstation computers were equipped with the conventional applications: Office, ERP, CAD and accessories. Previously, they had been manually equipped with operating systems and software and maintained. This was the responsibility of a small IT team, which had recently shrunk from four to three heads due to its age.
This is why, in addition to setting up a document management system, the topics of software distribution and helpdesk were at the top of Mario Mark's wish list. "The starting point was basically the requirement to introduce a new ticket system," says the IT expert. It was not uncommon for two or three people to be at the door of the IT department at the same time, needing support very quickly because their computer was "on strike". There were also urgent phone calls and emails. "We wanted to channel these situations through a ticket system," he explains.
This quickly led to the desire for an overall solution for software distribution and the management of all devices in the network.
The associated organizational work was previously carried out using Excel lists, which was cumbersome and confusing. With a client management system, it would be possible to simplify software distribution and automate the manual setup of computers. It makes work much easier for an IT department if software is always up to date. They don't have to deal with constant monitoring work and can also complete tasks that are otherwise often overlooked in everyday life.
It should be an overall solution
The selection process ran at the end of 2018, during which three products were tested. One of them was immediately rejected because the ticket solution and client management were considered to be separate systems - one Windows-based, the other Linux-based.
"We actually prefer a complete solution," says Michael Schindler, Managing Director and Head of IT, "and chose the acmp suite from the remaining ones." The overall impression of the product's good price-performance ratio and the way in which aagon deals with its customers tipped the scales. "A young, dynamic team that didn't push advertising, but gave the right answers to our questions."
Schindler then introduced the system at the turn of the year 2018 / 2019, starting with the components for OS deployment and software deployment. It was up and running within three to four days. At the same time, the IT department also purchased 60 new PC workstations, which were immediately set up using the acmp suite; in a second step, a further 90 PCs were set up shortly afterwards. At the same time, Schindler set up asset management for the telephone system, cell phones, printers, routers, etc., replacing the previous Excel-based administration.
Meet the requirements of the Cyber Essentials
The new software's vulnerability management module helped the IT department to find out that some of the company's existing software was already a few years old. The Sentinel interface of the network dongles, for example. Such old programs can certainly cause problems.
However, if you know about them and encapsulate them accordingly, they can continue to run. It is essential to be aware of the latent risk, which the client management solution reveals immediately. Schindler has already been confronted with having to operate this type of vulnerability management in the past from projects in the UK.
"Cyber Essentials" is the name of the UK government's information assurance scheme, which encourages organizations to adopt best practice in information security.
British companies also demand compliance with these essentials from their German suppliers, in this case Schindler Fenster + Fassaden GmbH.
Warehouse and reception use the helpdesk
The ticket system was added in July 2019. Not only does the IT department use it to organize support cases, but the software is also available to employees. Warehouse staff use it to collect material orders and do not have to run to the warehouse for every screw or drill.
Reception has also been added to the system as a user, taking care of orders in Purchasing and placing transport orders there. Such special purposes are controlled via client commands, which are set up by the IT department of the user company.
Using these special command tools of the client management system, client and server-related administrative tasks can be planned and started automatically without lengthy training.
Conclusion
For Mario Mark, the good integration of the ticket system with client management in the acmp suite is demonstrated by the fact that tickets can be linked to clients. No more switching back and forth between different applications, you can see at a glance how everything is connected: IT resources, people and potential problems / errors. It is the overall view that is the particular advantage here.
The IT department also wants to use "Complete aagon Windows Update Management", or acmp CAWUM for short, for the targeted installation of future Windows updates. This makes them independent of the restrictions of Windows Update Services (WSUS). And it has one system less, which further deepens the channeling of client management via the new system.
Briefly noted:
Connected workstations:
250 Windows clients
Products used:
acmp Windows Update Management, acmp License Management, acmp DNA, acmp Inventory, acmp Desktop Automation, acmp OS Deployment, acmp Asset Management, acmp Vulnerability Management, acmp Helpdesk, acmp Application Usage Tracking, acmp Managed Software
Project start:
November 2018
Benefit:
- The client management system simplifies software distribution and automates the manual setup of computers
- You can see at a glance how everything is connected: IT resources, people and potential problems/errors
- Time savings for the IT department: 50 to 60 percent
About Schindler
Schindler Fenster + Fassaden was founded in 1931 and is based in Roding near Regensburg in Bavaria. The specialist for building envelopes is now active throughout Europe and, with around 300 employees, realizes sophisticated and project-specific façade solutions made of wood, metal, glass and stone. Schindler's particular strength is its ability to realize all combinations of these materials in the façade. The company's annual turnover is around 50 million euros. Important buildings such as FLOAT Düsseldorf by the famous Parisian star architect Renzo Piano, the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, luxury apartments in London's Chelsea district and the headquarters of the Spiegel Group in Hamburg have façades made by Schindler.
More at: www.schindler-roding.de.
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