An agile IT for the digital transformation

Elmec supported Liu-Jo SpA in its internationalization process with flexible managed services and a new Tier 4 certified data center 4

The Carpi-based company has entrusted Elmec with the management of ERP systems in Italy and abroad, thus achieving the necessary flexibility to meet the needs of a growing business.

Liu Jo SpA is an Italian fashion brand founded in Carpi by Marchi brothers, Vannis and Marco. Founded as a textile company specializing in wool processing, over the years has expanded its production to ready-to-wear clothing for women, men and children, accessories, shoes and swimwear and jewellery and perfume collections.

With a turnover of 310 million euros (2015) and 650 employees, Liu Jo has over 5000 flagship boutiques, directly owned or franchised, multi-brand stores and outlet stores worldwide.

The Challenge

One of the major challenges for all medium and large Italian companies today is to cope with the globalization of markets and products.

This means being present everywhere and having a high degree of flexibility and reactivity for the market needs and therefore being reactive also for the technological requirements concerning the information flow within the company.

Andrea Veroni, Chief Information Officer of Liu-Jo

The role and complexity of the technological infrastructure is changing, as it must guarantee ever better performance and availability in a short and predictable timeframe, in order to facilitate the company's competitiveness on the market.

To meet the new demands arising from the expansion of its retail market abroad, Liu Jo launched the search for a partner who could outsource a fundamental part of its IT services: the management of the company's core infrastructure.

The Solution

  • AS400 Production Environment running on Elmec Infrastructure (LPAR)
  • Business Continuity in Campus
  • Management up to the Operating System level
  • Backup Management

“We moved all of our infrastructure, based on IBM I-series, from an internal asset to Elmec's service infrastructure”, says Veroni.

Andrea Veroni, Chief Information Officer of Liu-Jo

All the management is now in the hands of Elmec, a company that relies on the experience of more than 300 specialized technical employees, which besides the core systems covering the entire ERP of Liu Jo in Italy and abroad, has also taken over the management of its backup.

The systems were transferred to the Elmec technology campus, which includes the new BR4 data center, certified Tier IV for Design and Facility by the Uptime Institute, with redundant and physically isolated systems, 6 server rooms with a total capacity of 2.4 MW and 99.99% system availability.

Andrea Veroni, CIO Liu Jo SpA

Benefits

  • Full delegation of system activities to AS400
  • Service Coverage 24x7x365
  • Highly Performing Infrastructure
  • Ultimate scalability and flexibility on the resources at work

“Big IT players have significant resources, but generally they are also contractually strict. We need a partner capable of following us and ready to change its course when needed, even in just a few days” says the CIO of Liu Jo.

Andrea Veroni, Chief Information Officer di Liu-Jo

Choosing Elmec as a partner for Managed Infrastructure Services has not only enabled us to achieve the utmost reliability and flexibility on the resources at our service, but it has also given the IT department the opportunity to delegate all system activities to AS400 to focus on core issues for the development of new business areas.

For example, the company had the need to activate a new business unit in the Far East for a few months. The outsourcing and internationalization of distribution networks required the modification and activation on the Company's ERP of tens of new users distributed throughout the territory in just six months, an operation that in the meantime was meant to guarantee the accessibility and availability of the systems within the network.

On this occasion the added value shown by Elmec was its dynamism and flexibility in taking on all technical aspects in just a few months.

In addition, thanks to the 24/7 Service Desk and to the supervision of Elmec's specialized technical staff, the Company's systems are constantly monitored, so as to ensure prompt intervention in case of breakdown.

The idea of Elmec was born as an idea to outsource to a partner the so called value-added services or even no longer manageable internally, and we chose Elmec because it offered us the capability to have a flexible architecture that follows the needs of the business quickly. Nowadays, we don't talk anymore of years or months, but of days

Andrea Veroni, Chief Information Officer di Liu-Jo