Whole Earth Brands’ Successful SAP Migration to Azure with OTAVA

• Seamless SAP migration to Managed Azure environment.
• Scalable, compliant, and secure Azure infrastructure.
• Managed VMs and firewalls for operational ease.

About the Client

Whole Earth Brands is a well-known global food company specializing in producing natural, plant-based, clean-label, and low-calorie sweeteners.  

As a global company, with approximately 760 employees operating in 15 countries, Whole Earth Brands is committed to improving people’s lives and promoting healthier lifestyles. The company is well positioned for growth and innovation. They are considered one of the leading manufacturers of consumer-packaged goods (CPG) with popular brands that include Whole Earth®, Wholesome™, Pure Via®, Equal®, and Canderel®. 

The Challenge

Whole Earth Brands was at a crossroads in deciding the future of its IT infrastructure. The timing of an upcoming hardware refresh and a data center contract renewal made this decision even more pressing. The company had to choose whether to stick with its current third-party data center or switch to a new one. Additionally, they were also considering a shift towards cloud-based infrastructure that could bring transformative changes. 

Recognizing the opportunity to optimize, it became clear that moving to Azure cloud infrastructure would promise cost savings by avoiding hefty upfront capital expenditures (CapEx) and providing a more agile and scalable environment. The company wanted to migrate from an on-premises SAP infrastructure to a Managed Azure solution and switch to an operational expense (OpEx) model. This move would save money and provide better forecasting for expenses in the future.  

By navigating these options, Whole Earth Brands turned a complex challenge into a strategic opportunity, positioning the company at the forefront of technological resilience and innovation. They knew they wanted a partner that could meet their requirements with the proper governance and security protocols, help the company meet and maintain all compliance requirements, and manage all of their Azure environment moving forward. 

The Solution

OTAVA embarked on a solution-focused journey, prioritizing time-to-value and deployed a Build, Deliver, and Manage project that included:   

• Migration Assistance: OTAVA facilitated a seamless migration from on-premises SAP infrastructure to a Managed Azure environment. This transition included a smooth migration of all critical and non-critical workloads to the cloud.
• Infrastructure Development: Leveraging Azure’s robust capabilities, OTAVA crafted a resilient and scalable infrastructure environment. The infrastructure was designed to meet all compliance requirements and ensure that the appropriate governance structure was in place. The environment also provided the appropriate and required security access controls.
• VM and Firewall Management: OTAVA assumed responsibility for managing the environment, which included all virtual machines and firewalls. This relieved the company from the day-to-day burden of infrastructure management, enabling them to concentrate on other crucial aspects of the business.

The Results

“From our high-level overview, I would say the project couldn’t have gone more smoothly. (OTAVA has) done exactly what you said you would do… you went way above and beyond on your promise that you can do” – Jon Hart, Global IT Senior Director

The collaborative partnership between Whole Earth Brands and OTAVA have yielded many significant results. 

• Faster Time-to-Implementation: The project was marked by an impressive acceleration in time-to-implementation. Through meticulous planning and efficient execution, the migration was completed swiftly, enabling Whole Earth Brands to harness the benefits of its Azure environment without delay and avoiding paying for the hardware refresh.
• Improved Agility and Scalability: Whole Earth Brands has significantly reduced the time it takes to launch new initiatives by embracing the flexibility of the scalable infrastructure provided by Azure. The company has eliminated the delays associated with hardware procurement and configuration. This allows them to create a nimble and responsive environment, which, in turn, helps them adapt quickly to market demands. By avoiding physical infrastructure constraints, they can move forward swiftly and efficiently.

“Now whenever new projects come, we can spin things up very quickly … (unlike) before we (had to consider whether we) have enough hardware” – Jon Hart, Global IT Senior Director

• Forward-Looking Partnership: The collaboration between Whole Earth and OTAVA goes beyond this successful migration. Both companies are excited about the upcoming projects they have planned.

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