Pernod Ricard partnered with Multishoring in 2012 to develop a global document exchange solution using BizTalk, leading to a 10-year collaboration that improved integration processes across all branches.
Tikkurila Oyj, a Finnish company producing high-quality paints and coatings for both consumer and professional use, operates internationally and is known for its focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in its product development and manufacturing processes.
Our cooperation started in 2012 with a BizTalk Server integration project, which progressed smoothly, leading to an expansion of the partnership to other areas such as Business Intelligence, PIM, CRM, and eCommerce. We have continued our partnership since then, even after Tikkurila’s acquisition in 2021 by PPG Industries Inc., a leading global paints and coatings company headquartered in the United States.
Our partnership in numbers
50%
IT cost reduction
4
systems supported within SLA
12
years of cooperation
Leveraging Technology for Competitive Advantage – Shifting to the Cloud
Even before joining forces with PPG Industries, Tikkurila recognized the importance of staying abreast of technological trends to gain a competitive edge in the market and support its growth strategy. As part of this initiative, in 2020 the company made the strategic decision to migrate its integration solution to the cloud. As for new Integration Platform Tikkurila chose Azure LogicApps, a Microsoft offering that aligned best with their needs. This shift to Azure LogicApps reflects Tikkurila’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance efficiency, scalability, and overall market advantage. Given Multishoring’s consultants’ profound understanding of the existing integration flows developed on BizTalk, we were chosen to augment the team responsible for the migration project. By amalgamating internal expertise with external support, Tikkurila established a team comprising a Business Analyst/Team Leader and four experienced EAI Developers, including two from Multishoring.
Benefits of the migration approach
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Flexibility in scaling the team
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Ability to maintain the current solutions while migrating to the new one
Testimonials
“Working closely with Multishoring has been crucial for us at Tikkurila. Their commitment and expertise have not only modernized our integration solutions but have also fostered a deeper understanding of our needs. Together, we’ve created a seamless platform that’s driving our business forward.”
Project in numbers
~150
Integration flows migrated
>100k
Incoming messages monthly
8
Business areas supported
A path leading to the project’s success – meeting new business requirements
In addition to the initial necessity of modernizing and migrating the integration solution to the cloud, it became evident that the integration flows created years ago should be more aligned with the new business assumptions following PPG’s acquisition of Tikkurila. Consequently, there arose a requirement to adapt the integration interfaces and develop new ones to accommodate the evolving business demands.
One of the new requirements was creating a bridge between Tikkurila and PPG Industries’ ERP systems to facilitate the transfer of intercompany orders. Azure Logic Apps become also a part of the company’s centralized platform dubbed “Connectikk”, securing smooth data exchange across various departments. This integration also supports communication with external partners, such as stores, by transferring Purchase Orders from the Customer Portal within Connectikk to Tikkurila’s ERP.
While the solutions met business expectations, the technological differences between BizTalk and LogicApps presented challenges, leading to the combination of various Microsoft offerings:
- Azure LogicApps & Azure Functions,
- On-premise connection: Azure on-premises data gateway, Azure hybrid connections, Azure virtual networks
- Message transferring and storage: Azure Service Bus, Azure Storage,
- Monitoring and alerting: Azure Log Analytics Workspace
The main phase of the project commenced in 2021 and concluded in 2024. The new integration solution will now be supported and further developed to meet additional requirements.
Benefits of the migration and modernization project
Higher solution accessibility
Enhanced alignment with business assumptions
Improved intercompany EDI document flows
Lower maintenance costs
Summary
Multishoring and Tikkurila have been partnering since 2012. Thanks to this extensive trust, proven competencies, and expertise in existing integration flows, Multishoring’s consultants played also a significant role in ensuring a smooth transition of the BizTalk integration solution to Azure LogicApps in 2021-2024. The project delivered tangible benefits such as enhanced scalability, reduced costs, and improved operational efficiency.
The migration not only modernized Tikkurila’s IT environment but also positioned them as industry leaders in leveraging cloud technologies for strategic advantage.
