Mergers and Acquisition Strategy for Success
Conversion of over 50 million SQL database records to IBM i DB2 for a leading waste management provider
Industry
Waste Disposal
Company Size
North America
Services
Waste collection, garbage disposal, comprehensive waste, and environmental services
Key Factors of Success
- Highly skilled team of IBM i (AS400) developers with a deep expertise integrating, modernizing, and migrating legacy systems
- Deep understanding of customer business models and legacy processes
- Flexibility to quickly engage on large- and small-scale initiatives
- Familiarity with IBM i languages including RPG, SQL, and COBOL
Outcomes
- Enhanced acquisition conversion rates
- Conversion of large SQL databases with over 50 million records to IBM i DB2
- Database improvements performed from inception to production
The Customer
As a special service provider of waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services for residential homes and businesses of varying sizes, expansion across North America has been a big initiative for this customer. As this expansion continued, it became an essential requirement to streamline database conversion processes to enable fluid conversions across all IBM i systems as the company began to acquire smaller firms operating within the comprehensive waste disposal market.
The Challenge
Over the years of company growth, the client faced a variety of small IT issues to large scale integration requirements. IT issues appeared in multiple channels of the business including price management (pricing efficiencies, revenue gains, and late payment fees), providing customers with consolidated invoices, bi-directional interfaces, and MAS application-level improvements.
When the client began to expand through the acquisition of smaller waste management companies, it marked the start of an ongoing series of large-scale conversion projects. The newly acquired company stored their information on a SQL database which did not match the format of the DB2 database that our customer leveraged internally. Due to this, there was no way to easily convert data between the two databases, causing an immediate requirement which needed to be resolved.
The Solution
Infoview was there from the start, allowing a multi-year relationship to form, creating trust and understanding between our firms companies. Working together daily for years allowed for fluid communication and easy access to key channels and information.
Projects we completed according to the client’s requirements include but are not limited to:
Price management system adjustments:
- Revenue gains
- Late payment fees
- Invoice ancillary charges
Consolidate Invoices:
- Providing customers with a consolidated invoice
Bidirectional interfaces:
- Creating framework for data sharing and exchange between applications
MAS applications:
- DB2 database migrations to SQL tables
- MAS programs incorporate embedded SQL
- Application performance improvements
Acquisition of smaller rival companies:
- Database conversions
Results
In total, 80 collection databases were transferred, which included full complement of customer (services, routing, and accounts receivable), forty disposal databases, and all relevant MAS supporting tables appropriately updated. Meaning all acquired information was successfully relocated onto our client’s internal IBM i servers, leading to quicker and easier communication throughout the company.
Over the past 22 years, the acquisition of new companies and countless internal system projects have been successfully completed, leading to a strengthened revenue bottom line and an increase in efficiency.
Conclusion
Infoview was able to put our highly skilled IBM i developers to work on a variety of integration projects including the acquisition assignment. After working together for years, we were familiar with their internal processes, saving us time and allowing projects to get done as quickly. We are looking forward to continuing to be this client’s go to IBM i service provider. No matter the size of the project, Infoview has the resources, skills, and work ethic to complete it to the desired requirements.
