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« Simplify IT, improve Reactivity. »
Specialised in electricity, air conditioning and process automation, Eiffage Energie Benelux brings three distinct entities together under one hat: the subsidiary Yvan Paque SA, which does public and industrial lighting; Collignon Eng., which carries out electrical, electromagnetic and industrial installations; and FEXIM SA, which is specialised in building maintenance. Since Eiffage Energie Benelux was created in May 2012, ICT Manager Pascal Chevalier has been responsible for the IT of each of the Group’s entities. His mission: provide services to all the professional actors, such as business managers, estimators and administrative employees - i.e. nearly 400 employees distributed over 12 geographical sites.
« My objective is to set up a uniform and flexible infrastructure that can respond when specific demands arise », observes the ICT Manager. « It has to facilitate dialogue between the company’s managers and their end users, who are often widely-scattered in the field ».
For example, each project selected in one entity must be generalisable on the Group scale. In this rationalisation perspective, the IT management chose to stick to the standards of the major manufacturers, so as to be able to meet all of the needs at a reasonable cost.
Eiffage Energie therefore has a framework contract with Microsoft on the European level, and the ERP Navision was generalised throughout Europe in 2013. For the equipment fleet, Eiffage Energie Benelux decided to equip itself with classic HP ProLiant DL 380 servers, HP c7000 blade servers, and for data storage a latest-generation 3Par StoreServ from HP with fibre connections for increased flexibility and computing speed. All of this equipment is redundantly connected, also with HP hardware. Moreover, the company bases itself on the virtualization technology VMware in order to distribute virtual machines (VDI) over different sites to ensure continuous service and greater flexibility.
To accompany the company in these transitions, System Solutions helps to define the systems relative to the needs, then handles their configuration and implementation.
Another concern of the IT Management: properly managing the life cycle of the IT assets. The methods for calculating the fees imposed by the publishers are indeed changing ever more frequently.
« We don ́t have the time to follow the administration of these licences, to constantly dialogue and negotiate with the manufacturers », notes Pascal Chevalier.
The IT Management thus entrusted to System Solutions the responsibility for monitoring these licences and ensuring their compliance, while identifying opportunities for rationalising the portfolio. One of the ways this is done is by performing the audits that the manufacturers require.
Within the framework of Eiffage projects demanding IT support, one must also be in compliance with the specifications of regional authorities, such as the Ministry of the Walloon Public Service of Road Equipment, and fulfil other strict SLA ́s so as not to incur potential penalties: for example, the hospital management standards for Collignon Eng., or the penitentiary management standards in the model prison of Marche-en-Famenne managed by FEXIM SA.
System Solutions was also given the task of managing hardware and software fleet incidents. The assistance contract permits Eiffage Energie to anticipate and control the interventions of System Solutions in Microsoft, HP and VMware environments.
System Solutions thus proposes a single counter for responsive and effective service. An incident is reported by e-mail, telephone or via a portal.
Each intervention is documented. An administra- tive follow-up also assures the sharing of the information collected by everyone, and a detailed analysis of incidents that have occurred.
Pascal Chevalier pays close attention to the choice of his partners: « They have to combine technical competence and administrative discipline », he explains.
« In following up my projects, I appreciate the continuous communication between the employees of System Solutions. For us, that represents a real time savings! »
System Solutions places its double technical and organisational expertise at the service of its customers. « We accompany each customer in the modernisation of its infrastructure », confirms Jean-Paul de Cannière, Director of System Solutions. « For example, an account manager handles the projects of Eiffage Energie, supported by a multi-disciplinary team — ranging from the pre-sales specialists who come up with the solutions and extending through a call centre for the orders, the experts in licence contracts and the technicians for the operational follow-up ».
More information at Eiffage Energie Benelux: www.eiffagebenelux.be/en
SystemSolutions-Eiffage-EN.pdf