It’s very common for businesses to try to be all things to all people. And, obviously, some have been very successful at it. Remember how Amazon started? Books. Now you can buy just about anything from Amazon — including groceries.
QAD has chosen a different path. This maker of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software is focused on one industry —manufacturing. It serves only the largest companies, and as a result, is best in its class.
Eighty percent of the top 20 suppliers in the global automotive supply chain use applications from QAD.
No Single Application Can Serve Every Business Need
Decades ago, manufacturers invested in large, monolithic software they hoped could meet all their IT needs. Integration to peripheral applications wasn’t a priority. And, if needed, it was considered a one-time, ad hoc project.
But today’s manufacturers use many business-critical applications — some living in the cloud, others on-premise. And they all need to connect with their ERP systems.
Recognizing this, QAD established a partnership with Boomi in 2013. It relies on the Boomi low-code integration platform and Boomi DataHub to help its customers build connected processes, gain comprehensive operational visibility and create automated workflows.
The Boomi platform delivers data where it needs to be, when it needs to be there. DataHub ensures that data is accurate and consistent.
“At QAD, we recognize that no company can create one application that does everything for a business,” says Carlos Garcia, senior director for interoperability strategy and solutions. “So we’ve decided to specialize in one thing: building great ERP software. To connect that great ERP software with other business systems, we need integration, and that’s where Boomi comes in.”
To learn more about how QAD uses Boomi to create the Effective Enterprise, read the full Boomi Partner Success Profile, and check out the QAD video recorded at Boomi World.
Moving at the Speed of Business
Integration is vital for manufacturers, who must move quicker than ever while connecting to a burgeoning variety of specialized IT services.
“Integration is not just about exchanging data,” Garcia says. “It’s about being able to tailor business processes and embed them in workflows so that effectively two systems behave as though they are one.”
As manufacturers modernize on QAD and integrate cloud applications like Salesforce or Workday, as well as legacy systems, they need to comply with industry regulations. With Boomi, QAD can help its customers meet the compliance demands they face while creating a flexible IT architecture using best-of-breed applications.
“With integration from Boomi, we can ensure our customers have the best possible applications and IT architectures for running their business,” Garcia says. “That’s why Boomi has become an essential part of our ERP platform for manufacturers.”
Integration for a Fast-Changing World
Today, no successful global manufacturer considers taking an ad hoc approach to integration. There’s too much at stake. And the ability to adapt quickly to changing demands is essential. Integration is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing activity.
That’s why Boomi is so important to the strategic and operational side of QAD. Its flexibility and ease-of-use help the company’s customers quickly connect to different systems, whether on-premise or in the cloud.
When QAD recognized the importance of integration to its overall strategy, the company thoroughly vetted the leading vendors. Garcia says Boomi landed at the top of the short list for three reasons:
- Boomi’s architecture makes it easy for manufacturers to integrate on-premise IT systems and cloud applications.
- Boomi’s low-code development environment means QAD’s customers can handle simple integrations themselves.
- For complex integrations, the agility of the Boomi platform supports the QAD professional service team.
All this means faster time to market at lower cost, Garcia says. QAD’s use of Boomi allows its customers to quickly and efficiently execute and automate critical processes day in and day.
The Connected Business Empowers the Effective Enterprise
QAD has a vision for what they call “The Effective Enterprise.” In an Effective Enterprise, every process runs at peak efficiency and perfectly aligns with a company’s strategic and operational goals.
Boomi’s analog to the Effective Enterprise is the Connected Business. In the Connected Business, systems, data and processes are connected via a flexible integration fabric.
To be an Effective Enterprise, an organization first must be a Connected Business. Only then can it achieve the harmonization and smooth coordination of business processes that make the Effective Enterprise.
Some of QAD’s customers have more than 200 manufacturing plants scattered around the globe. QAD relies on Boomi to make those far-flung businesses connected and effective.
To learn more about how QAD uses Boomi to create the Effective Enterprise, read the full Boomi Partner Success Profile, and check out the QAD video recorded at Boomi World.
About the author: Rebecca Whitlatch is Boomi’s partner marketing manager for application providers.