Hellweg Die Profi-Baumärkte is an owner-managed, medium-sized company. From its headquarters in Dortmund, the company manages 89 Hellweg shops in Germany. The focus is on the Rhine-Ruhr region, the Berlin area, Austria and further 57 BayWa branches. Since mid-2008, IT administrator Dirk Hoder and his colleague have been taking care of the company's client infrastructure. With around 3,000 PCs at over 140 locations today, this is quite a challenge. In order to make the daily business as efficient as possible, the company has been relying on the ACMP client management system from Aagon GmbH for more than four years.
"The very good price-performance ratio played a significant role in the decision in favour of the software solution," reports Dirk Hoder from the "IT and Communication" department. "Since then, one of my tasks has been to implement the product optimally in our large distributed company structure and to use it as effectively as possible.
„Bei der Entscheidung für die Softwarelösung hat vor allem das sehr gute Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis eine entscheidende Rolle gespielt, berichtet Dirk Hoder aus der Abteilung „IT und Kommunikation. „Zu meinen Aufgaben gehört seitdem, das Produkt in unserer großen verteilten Unternehmensstruktur optimal zu implementieren und möglichst effektiv einzusetzen.
One of the biggest challenges in client management for Hellweg is the distribution of software to the PC workstations spread throughout Germany and Austria. For communication with central IT resources, the Hellweg branches are connected to the Dortmund headquarters via DSL lines. This is used to run the ERP system and to connect the cash registers in more than 140 shops. However, this connection capacity was and is not designed for the mass rollout of large software packages.
If every client would download a service pack or a new office version from the head office more or less at the same time, our network would no longer be available for day-to-day business," explains IT administrator Hoder. "Therefore, we set up a Linux-based branch server at every location, which can be used by the local PCs for software distribution via the client management system.
To ensure that critical applications such as the company's ERP system continue to work as usual when the software packages are transferred from Dortmund to the more than 140 Hellweg stores, the client management solution also limits the bandwidth for file transfers if necessary.
This ensures that all business-critical applications always have sufficient line capacity available in the WAN.Since the introduction of bandwidth limitation, client commands for the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) and file repositories, the software is now also suitable for large and distributed infrastructures like ours without restriction.
The introduction of bandwidth limitation for Client Commands and Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) allows the software to be used smoothly even for large and distributed infrastructures like ours.
Even though the number of applications used at Hellweg is limited, there is always something for the IT colleagues in charge of packaging to do. Currently, the company uses Windows on its client PCs as well as mainly standard programmes such as Adobe Reader or Java. The company's special software programmes include the ERP system, which runs in the backend on an AS/400. In addition, some PCs are equipped with a corresponding terminal client.
Hellweg is currently preparing the company-wide migration to Office 2010. The company had the corresponding software package for the client management software created by Aagon specialists.
"We have concluded a support contract with Aagon for three man-days per quarter, within we have also obtained support for the Office migration, among other things," explains Dirk Hoder. "However, my colleagues and I also do the packaging of smaller programmes, such as Adobe Reader, ourselves."
The IT specialists are supported in this by the intelligent wizards in the client management software as well as the integrated installation recorder. This is a software that records all entries and settings of a software installation and uninstallation on a test system and creates an automatically running package from it. This package can then be imported directly into the client management system and distributed to any user groups at the click of a mouse.
A special challenge for the IT managers at Hellweg in mid-2012 was a strong growth push in the number of shops and in the number of managed PCs.Within just three months, the team led by Dirk Hoder had added 56 new shops with around 500 PCs. Due to the joint venture between Hellweg and BayWa Bau- und Gartenmärkte GmbH & Co. KG.
The administration console of the client management software has no problems with the large number of clients either. "I still think ACMP is very clear and easy to use, explains Dirk Hoder. "With the help of the 'browse and manage' function, it is still easy to create and execute location-based queries, for example.
"The client management suite is a big toolbox with many powerful tools, but you have to know them to use them effectively," explains the system administrator. "That's why I personally really like the exchange of experiences between ACMP users organised by the solution provider, where you also learn a lot about how to use the product in practice."
For this purpose, the software company from Soest regularly organises roadshows that offer all users nationwide a platform for direct exchange with the manufacturer. Even after more than four years, Hellweg continues to be very satisfied with the decision to purchase the client management software.
"After successfully eliminating a few initial difficulties, I feel I'm in very good hands with our IT service provider," concludes Dirk Hoder. "And the way we use the solution suite, I can't find anything that I would miss in the product."
In brief:
Challenge:
The administrators of the chain store company Hellweg Die Profi-Baumärkte were looking for a solution to distribute software to around 3,000 PCs at over 140 locations in an automated and centrally controlled manner.
Solution:
Hellweg decided to use the client management suite ACMP from Aagon GmbH, because it has a very good price-performance ratio and supports large installations equally well.
Added value:
Branch office servers with local file repositories make software packages available within the branch office via LAN. Intelligent bandwidth management ensures that no important applications are slowed down in the WAN when synchronising the file repositories with the central ACMP server.
Hellweg Die Profi-Baumärkte is an owner-managed, medium-sized company and is growing disproportionately with a successful DIY and garden centre store concept as well as an online shop: www.Hellweg.de. In 2011, Hellweg was awarded the title of "Best DIY store" in a nationwide comparison by the news channel n-tv and the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ).
In their summary, the testers wrote: "The employees particularly stood out with the friendliest advice, great helpfulness and a positive image.
The Hellweg store network is characterised by a high degree of density and regional market leadership, with a focus on the Rhine-Ruhr region and the Berlin area. With an average sales area of over 8,000 square metres, Hellweg has one of the most modern store portfolios in the sector. More than 90 percent of the stores have attractive garden centres. The company pursues a quality and service-oriented corporate strategy. Hellweg employs around 4,000 people, ten percent of them are trainees.
The first Hellweg DIY store was opened in 1971 on Brackeler Hellweg in Dortmund. The company takes its name from Europe's most important trade route in the Middle Ages: the "Hellweg" runs from Aachen through what is now the Ruhr region to Berlin.
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