Mexico’s Grupo Modelo Brews With IBM SOA, Services

Mexico’s Grupo Modelo Brews With IBM SOA, Services

Leading Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo has selected IBM (NYSE: IBM) to revamp its IT environment, increasing productivity and information accessibility. Under a project begun earlier this year, IBM is providing services and employing its Service-Oriented Architecture to integrate Grupo Modelo’s home-developed applications, creating interfaces with SAP, i2 and J.D. Edwards, while protecting the existing investments in software and hardware. Grupo Modelo faced the challenge of a highly competitive market with many inconsistencies caused by language barriers, as well as the need for an updated information technology infrastructure. Grupo Modelo has about 400 distribution centers throughout the Mexico, which receive information for demand-based production planning, a complex process that required the SOA concept.

The SOA supports Grupo Modelo’s global distribution network by linking various, previously siloed applications and providing direct and immediate access to critical information. This is done on its distribution network throughout the company’s corporate headquarters and regional offices, as well as extending to the company’s partners. These capabilities are helping Grupo Modelo achieve more consistent reporting, which supports the company’s strategic decision making.

Grupo Modelo is known worldwide for making one of the best selling beers in the world, Corona Extra, as well as for being Anheuser-Busch’s exclusive representative in Mexico. With over 10 brands and seven breweries throughout Mexico exporting to 150 countries, the key strategic objectives of the company are to grow by expanding sales into new markets. “One of the challenges faced by Grupo Modelo is high volume — you have to look for solutions that help you to be agile and react in a timely fashion,” said Alfredo Funes, director of information systems at Grupo Modelo. “And this is precisely what we have achieved with SOA and by having IBM as our technology partner.”

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