The American branch of Thetford, a specialist in sanitary solutions for caravans, campers, and motorhomes, aimed to scale its Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) processes and integrate them with a new IFS ERP system. For the EDI migration journey and system integration, Thetford chose Boomi and sought the expertise of Emixa. Read on for more information about this exciting project!
Carefree and Comfortable Travel
Thetford strives to provide its customers with the feeling of comfort and home while on the road and at the most beautiful destinations. Offering sanitary systems, kitchen appliances, and portable toilets, Thetford delivers high-quality, hygienic, and comfortable solutions for those passionate about freedom, travel, and camping. The company was founded in the U.S. state of Michigan and is now active globally.
European Benchmark
The European arm of the organization transitioned to the IFS ERP system in 2019 and has been using Boomi since 2022. However, in the United States, the company was still operating with its own ERP and integration system. Thetford's goal was to adopt IFS (ERP) and Boomi (integration) in America as well, making EDI processes scalable and using the same system on both continents for information such as production or financial data, regardless of geographic location.
Improved Software Integration and Efficiency Thanks to Boomi
With the desire to implement Boomi in the U.S. in the short term, Thetford turned to Emixa. They sought expertise in integrating customers with IFS. By using Boomi for the EDI migration project, Thetford was able to process ANSI X12 messages in addition to existing integrations, linking them to the Boomi platform.
Through this step and linking the EDI configurator, Thetford could test data transfer with trading partners and integrate EDI processes (involving sharing and exchanging critical business documents such as orders, shipments, and invoices) with IFS, Thetford U.S.'s new ERP system. The result: decoupled, streamlined, scalable processes.
One ERP System and Integration Platform for Europe and the U.S.
Thanks to software integration, Thetford now has one ERP system and integration platform for both Europe and the United States. This means the company has a more uniform data landscape, making it easier to exchange information and messages between locations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Additionally, Thetford no longer deals with an extra vendor and point of contact for integration, monitoring, and onboarding. Emixa also contributes to training American staff, ensuring the company has all the necessary knowledge to manage and monitor IFS and the Boomi integration environment.
Lost Knowledge
Retrieval Like any complex IT project, the go-live of the new Thetford environment came with some challenges. This integration was entirely coordinated from Thetford Europe, and the time difference between Europe and North America required a particularly good and flexible planning effort.
The most significant challenge, according to Walter Eigenhuijsen, a specialist in software integration closely involved in the project, was retrieving lost knowledge: "You're dealing with a system that was built quite a while ago. The precise how and why were not always clear. Close collaboration between Emixa, Thetford Europe, and Thetford U.S. was necessary to unearth all the specifications."
"With good tests, we fortunately quickly got on the right track. We also had to overcome a few hurdles during the go-live, but that was known beforehand. The crux and additional value ultimately lie in the last 10 percent of the improvement trajectory. In the end, together with Thetford, we succeeded in achieving a great result that the company can move forward with."
Peter Heeren, Information Manager at Thetford, is also pleased with the close collaboration, stating, "The collaboration in this project has provided a lot of insight into the use and setup of Boomi. Existing processes are now being optimized based on the knowledge gained in this project. This opens the doors to deepen the collaboration with Emixa so that they can also provide support for our existing processes."
Want to know more?
There are plenty of opportunities to drive forward digital transformation in the tech industry. Would you like to improve the digital state of your organisation? And are you looking for a partner who can help you achieve this goal? In that case, Emixa is the right fit for you. We translate complex issues into simple, user-friendly IT solutions that accelerate your digital transformation and take your business to a higher level. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be delighted to meet you!
