Model Group: Simple 24/7 SAP monitoring

The Model Group is a European-wide specialist for cardboard packaging. The company has a distributed SAP system landscape with locations in Switzerland and the Czech Republic, which in the past had to be laboriously monitored manually by the internal IT team.

In order to simplify and automate the monitoring of the approximately 40 SAP instances, itesys implemented special SAP sensors at Model. The sensors developed by itesys monitor SAP databases and system processes directly at the source and can be used conveniently in combination with Paessler's widely-used PRTG monitoring suite.

About the model group

Leading provider of innovative packaging solutions

The Model Group develops, produces and sells high-quality packaging solutions made of solid and corrugated cardboard –from simple transport packaging to highly refined chocolate and perfume boxes. The group consists of 10 subsidiaries in nine countries and employs more than 4,000 people in the main markets of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and Croatia. The head office is located in Weinfelden, Switzerland. In the ERP area, Model has relied on SAP for many years. The systems are supported by an internal team in Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

Initial situation

Manual SAP monitoring consumes time and money: Model Group maintains a distributed SAP system landscape with around 30 instances at the headquarters in Switzerland and a further 10 instances in the Czech Republic, which are mainly used in the areas of business intelligence, supply chain management and production.

Dirk Weiler, Team Leader Infrastructure & Service Desk at Model, explains: "In the past, monitoring the SAP system landscape was largely restricted to the infrastructure level, was done manually and was therefore time-consuming. We lacked a tool to constantly monitor the SAP internal processes and in particular the Sybase databases system-wide and with a high degree of automation. At some point, we approached our long-standing SAP partner itesys about this topic.

"The automatic 24/7 SAP monitoring with itesys sensors relieves our small IT team enormously. We save up to two hours a day and have more time for other projects."

Dirk Weiler, Team Leader Infrastructure & Service Desk, Model AG

Solution

itesys was able to offer Model a perfect solution for monitoring SAP systems: The itesys SAP sensors. The solution developed by itesys goes far beyond the functionalities of SAP standard monitoring and offers out-of-the-box comprehensive agentless SAP monitoring.

The most important difference: The sensors from itesys measure test values directly at the causal system areas and present the results in a meaningful way. Thanks to the complete integration in PRTG, SAP system monitoring with itesys sensors is simple, efficient and very convenient.

Customer benefits

Dirk Weiler now won't give up using his sensors: "With around 320 sensors, we constantly monitor our databases and all important processes. The sensors provide us with a logical view of the entire system and ensure that we can react immediately in the event of a problem."

The IT specialist emphasizes the importance of the SAP know-how behind the sensors: "itesys knows SAP inside out and also uses the sensors to monitor several hundred operated SAP instances. This know-how is noticeable everywhere." Dirk Weiler sums up: "The automatic 24/7 SAP monitoring relieves our small IT team enormously. We save up to two hours of time every day, have more time for other projects and... I can sleep better at night!"

With the SAP sensors from itesys integrated in PRTG, Model's small IT team monitors its distributed SAP system landscape simply, efficiently and conveniently around the clock. The elimination of manual monitoring saves up to two hours a day. Thanks to early automatic notification, problems can be resolved before they affect system availability and thus service quality.

At a glance

Industry sector: Packaging Industry
Employees: 4,200
Headquarters: Weinfelden
Contact: Dirk Weiler, Team Leader Infrastructure & Service Desk

Initial situation:
Geographically distributed SAP system landscape with around 30 instances, time-consuming and cost-intensive manual monitoring

Solution:
Highly automated 24/7 complete monitoring of the entire SAP system landscape with itesys SAP sensors and PRTG

itesys services:

• Consulting and analysis

• Installation and configuration by itesys (e.g. definition of threshold values)

• Training and support

Achieved goals:

• Simple and reliable round-the-clock monitoring of system-relevant parameters directly at the source

• Prevent outages, increase system availability and service quality

• Reduced effort in SAP operation and relief for the IT team

• Integration of SAP sensors in PRTG from Paessler

• Automatic notification in case of malfunctions

• Mobile app connection with push notifications