“I Don’t Have The Time Or Patience To Babysit An Onsite Machine. Now I Can Call Or Email Cloud400 And They Take Care Of It So That I Can Focus On Other Tasks.”
Background
Zieger & Sons, Inc. Wholesale Florists is a Philadelphia, PA based distributor of fresh flowers. Since 1910, Zieger & Sons has been a premier provider of wholesale floral supplies and fresh flowers to professional florists in the tristate area, including Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware.
30 Users, 2 Locations With Custom Software On Cloud400
Zieger & Sons supported its 30 users in 2 locations on Cloud400 with a combination of custom software, Appian truck routing, Broderick software and Curbstone for credit card processing.
The Zieger operation starts as early as 3:00 a.m., getting trucks out to deliver flowers and stays open as late as 7:00 p.m. taking orders.
Heavy Dependence On System – No Time for Downtime
President Stephen Zieger explains, “We are very dependent on our system. I was very concerned about what might happen if we had a disaster and our system was down for days.
“We import flowers, mostly from Columbia and Ecuador. Our inventory is perishable in 7-10 days. So we have to sell it quickly so we don’t have to dump it. Our system provides my 10 salespeople advance notice of our imports, so we can presell our in-transit inventory before receipt. We are almost 100% dependent on our system. When my salesmen are not on the system for 5 minutes, they are all crying that they are losing money.”
Smooth Sailing through Version Upgrade – Cloud400 V7.3 to V7.5
The Cloud400 Version Upgrade from V7.3 to V7.5 proved to be a straightforward, easy, and seamless experience for Stephen, influenced by two key factors.
Stephen tells us the factors driving the decision to upgrade were the expensive added cost for IBM V7.3 Extended Software Support and the monthly access to IBM i cybersecurity software patches with IBM Software Support.
Collaborative Preparation With Cloud400
Once the decision was made, Stephen collaborated with the Cloud400 technical team to prepare for the version upgrade. The team proved to be very helpful, providing clear outlines of tasks and timelines essential for a smooth transition.
“The upgrade process was straightforward and seamless- we really did our homework so that our downtime was minimal,” Stephen says.”
Critical Task – Gathering Security Keys
One critical task included gathering all independent software provider security keys to ensure IBM i applications could run at V7.5. Particularly important was obtaining the Presto web software key, given its significance in running Stephen’s IBM i-based web site, contributing to 20% of his business.
“I made sure to have new license keys from all of our vendors and tested them on our test box, so that we didn’t miss a beat when we went live.”
Powerful Test Environment On POWER9 Server
Stephen was hosted on a POWER8 server. The IBM i OS on IBM POWER8 is limited to V7.4. Because Stephen wanted to upgrade to V7.5, Cloud400 made plans for him to migrate his system to a POWER9.
To ensure a smooth migration and upgrade, Cloud400 set up a test LPAR on a POWER9 server prior to the go-live date. This strategic move allowed Stephen to thoroughly test all applications at V7.5 before the actual transition.
Efficient Go-Live Process
The go-live day scheduled for a Saturday, saw the completion of the version upgrade in just 4 hours. While Stephen encountered a VPN tunnel issue from one of his offices to Cloud400, the network engineer at Cloud400 swiftly resolved the matter.
“The upgrade took 4 hours. We had to make sure we had a clear tunnel to our 2 locations and 1 wasn’t pinging. Wow! Does Alan, that Cloud400 network guy, know his stuff! That got fixed within minutes and the upgrade resumed,” Stephen exclaims.
300% Performance Boost With POWER 9
Moving to the POWER9 server brought an additional benefit of improved server performance. Stephen noted a substantial 300% improvement in the time it takes to complete month-end processes, providing more efficiency and reducing downtime for his sales team.
“Since we did the migration, our end of month procedures went so quickly that we actually thought something was wrong,” Stephen laughs.
Reflecting On the Upgrade – A Seamless Process
Stephen reflects on the version upgrade as a well-thought-out and clearly explained process. He emphasizes the seamless nature of the transition, stating “Everything was well thought out, clearly explained, and the process was seamless.”
Enjoying Peace of Mind with Cloud400
Since migrating to Cloud400, Stephen no longer needs to babysit his system. Any issues that arise are promptly handled by the Cloud400 team. This newfound peace of mind allows Stephen to dedicate more time to his business without the distractions of IBM i concerns.
“I don’t have the time or patience to babysit an onsite machine- now I can call or email Cloud400 and they take care of it so that I can focus my time on other tasks.”
Stephen Zieger Recommends Cloud400 Version Upgrade
“I wouldn’t do anything differently. The whole process was well thought out and explained to me. We planned the work and worked the plan and it all went very well for me…I honestly have nothing but good feedback.”