CASE STUDY ENSINGER
Potential for digitization with Microsoft 365
About Ensinger GmbH
The Ensinger Group is dedicated to the development, production and distribution of compounds, semi-finished products, composites, finished parts and profiles made of engineering plastics. The further development of proven manufacturing processes, new applications and international expansion have earned the family-owned company a place in the top tier of its industry.
Initial setting & targets
Ensinger GmbH commissioned IPI for the monitoring and conceptual support of a new digital workplace. The goal was to migrate the entire IT landscape to the cloud. At the time the project started, the company was using SharePoint 2013, and Microsoft Teams had already been rolled out. Part of the collaboration involved migrating SharePoint “on-premises collaboration and applications” to Microsoft 365, with on-premises processes previously built using Nintex Workflow and Forms. An inventory revealed that there were approximately 30 forms and processes worth migrating.
The challenge was to decide on where and how to migrate to the cloud. Another goal was to identify additional (paper) processes for digitization. To overcome this difficulty, Ensinger called on our assessment Workflows and Forms in Microsoft 365.
Assessment Workflows & Forms
The opportunities and criteria of Nintex versus Power Platform were examined and compared in several workshop sessions. After identifying the most complex use case, the technical hurdles and limitations of the future platform were evaluated. What is technically impossible with the Power Platform or the Nintex platform? In addition, interfaces and synergy effects with third-party systems, such as between the Power Platform and Dynamics, or future viability (for example, the speed of innovation of the tools) had to be considered. Further criteria such as design and user interface were considered in the decision. In the end, Power Platform won the day.
The project
After deciding in favor of the Power Platform, a redesign of the process automation took place. The Nintex-based processes were eliminated and recreated with the help of the Power Platform. The project team saw this step as an opportunity to break up and modernize historically grown process structures.
The backlog was filled up in collaboration with the departments and the people in charge. The old workflows were examined and clustered: which should stay and which are no longer needed?
After identifying an environment strategy followed the joint development on a DEV tenant. These developments were tested jointly with or by the departments responsible for the processes in a test environment and later used within productive environments. In weekly coaching meetings and question-and-answer sessions, a close and familiar cooperation between Ensinger GmbH and IPI developed.
The project team shared the workflows among themselves, thus building up process know-how at Ensinger GmbH. Since there are entirely different tools and possibilities with the Power Platform, there was no 1:1 migration. Each workflow was considered and built individually. The business units recorded requirements and user stories were described in Azure DevOps. This was followed by an investigation into how the functionalities might be implemented using the Power Platform.
The solution
The cloud migration to the Power Platform streamlined and simplified processes. Media disruptions were reduced and repetitive processes automated. Many forms could be combined in one application. Above all, the commitment to Microsoft Teams as the central hub of collaboration established a clear default for the target system of processes and forms. This allowed human interaction to take place primarily in one tool. Meanwhile, integration with the Microsoft 365 world, e.g. Planner, SharePoint Online, Actionable Messages, etc., improved user experience.
The result: faster, simpler, and flawless processes. Approvals are granted quicker, processes are completed faster, and decisions are made more confidently. This in turn increases productivity and efficiency. Departments are supported and new ideas are generated and promoted.
Outlook
The project was a complete success. All workflows could be implemented that were previously still in Nintex On Premises. Next steps are a governance and operating concept, adjustments, and the introduction of the Centre of Excellence for monitoring purposes and the further development of process automation. In addition, further processes will be automated and digitized with Power Platform.