A pharmaceutical company faced challenges in managing its complex IT infrastructure, a situation exacerbated by frequent acquisitions that led to a sprawling and fragmented environment. The company sought a way to streamline operations, reduce manual labor, and improve efficiency while maintaining the flexibility needed for growth. They partnered with GlassHouse Systems (GHS)’s North American VMware Practice Leader to implement a solution centered on the full VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) stack. They saved millions of dollars because of deploying the automation capabilities built into the VCF software stack.

CHALLENGES:

• Operational Complexity: The company was managing a vast array of IT environments that required significant manual effort for key processes such as data replication, environment refreshes, and scaling operations.
• High Labor Costs: The reliance on a large, highly skilled IT workforce to perform these tasks created inefficiencies and inflated operational costs.
• Slow Response Times: Manual processes, such as cloning production environments for testing or backup, took an inordinate amount of time, delaying critical business functions. 

SOLUTION: LEVERAGING THE FULL VCF STACK FOR AUTOMATION

GlassHouse Systems designed a solution utilizing the full VCF stack to automate these labor-intensive processes. The company underwent an initial proof of concept (POC) that demonstrated how automation could significantly accelerate operations and reduce manual intervention.

Key Steps of the Solution:

• Automation of Core Processes: GHS automated key IT functions such as data replication, environment refreshes, and system cloning, drastically reducing the time needed for these operations.
• Efficiency Gains Through Templates and Automation: The solution allowed the company to move from manual, error-prone processes to a system where complex tasks were executed automatically and consistently.
• Optimized Resource Utilization: By automating infrastructure tasks and dynamically allocating resources, the company could optimize its IT operations to align more closely with real-time business demands.

Impact:

1. Dramatic Reduction in Operation Time: The automation reduced critical processes, such as environment refreshes and system cloning, from weeks to minutes, enabling the company to operate more efficiently and respond faster to business needs.

2. Cost Savings: The shift to automation resulted in significant cost savings by reducing the need for manual labor and cutting the operational workforce by over 75%. Over a three-year period, these efficiencies led to tens of millions of dollars in savings.

3. Scalability Across Any Business: While this example comes from a large company, the automation capabilities enabled by the full VCF stack are applicable to businesses of any size. The same efficiencies in operations and cost reductions can be realized across industries, regardless of scale. 

SCALABILITY ACROSS INDUSTRIES:

This case demonstrates the power of the full VCF stack to transform any IT environment, whether for large enterprises or mid-sized companies. As businesses are now required to acquire the full VCF stack, they are empowered to unlock the value of automation, reducing operational complexity and optimizing resource usage. The benefits of the VCF stack, such as improved agility, cost savings, and efficient scaling, apply across industries, from pharmaceuticals to manufacturing, retail, and beyond.

KEY BENEFITS OF THE VCF STACK IN AUTOMATION:

• Operational Efficiency: Automated processes replace manual labor, reducing time and cost associated with routine IT tasks.
• Scalability: The solution is designed to grow with the business, offering flexibility and agility in scaling infrastructure on demand.
• Cost Optimization: By eliminating unnecessary manual tasks and optimizing resource allocation, businesses can lower their overall IT expenditures.

CONCLUSION:

The use of the full VMware Cloud Foundation stack delivered substantial operational and financial benefits for this pharmaceutical company, and the same principles apply to businesses of all sizes. The power of automation, combined with the comprehensive capabilities of the VCF stack, enables businesses to streamline their IT operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency. GlassHouse Systems' expertise in implementing these solutions ensures that any organization can harness the full potential of VCF to drive value and position itself for future growth.