How Kolbe Windows and Doors Transformed Their Manufacturing IT Infrastructure with Scale Computing
Behind every high-performance manufacturing operation is an IT system working just as hard to keep things connected, secure, and scalable. Recently, Kolbe Windows and Doors shared their experience modernizing their IT environment with Scale Computing, highlighting how their IT modernization journey streamlined virtualization, simplified disaster recovery, and improved system performance.
At our Platform 2024 event in Las Vegas, Scale Computing's Director of Product Marketing, Kris Schultz, alongside Luis Apodaca, Technical Services Engineer at Scale Computing, led the session "Unveiling the Journey: A Customer's Perspective on Implementing Scale Computing," featuring John Stuplich, Systems Administrator at Kolbe Windows and Doors.
Below is a recap of their discussion and some of the key lessons from Kolbe's IT transformation.
Meeting Manufacturing IT Challenges with a Lean Team
Kolbe Windows and Doors, a leading manufacturer of premium windows and doors, operates multiple facilities, including three separate manufacturing locations across Wisconsin as well as additional locations in Arizona and Minnesota. As a rapidly growing company with nearly 2,000 employees, Kolbe faces a number of diverse IT challenges, particularly in managing infrastructure across dispersed sites with a relatively small IT team.
Responsible for overseeing network-connected devices, servers, and the broader IT infrastructure, Stuplich described how Scale Computing provided a much-needed solution to their resource constraints. "With a relatively small IT team, we needed a system that was easy to manage, reduced complexity, and gave us more time to focus on strategic projects."
Kolbe's previous IT environment was built on VMware, requiring a separate storage system and a complex interface that added to their administrative burden. "VMware is powerful but can be overwhelming. We had issues with detached storage, and managing it all became cumbersome. We needed to consolidate these systems, streamline our hardware, and looking forward, wanted to deploy extra nodes to improve our disaster recovery capabilities. Scale Computing provided an all-in-one solution that just made sense."
While transitioning from VMware was initially a high-stakes decision, the benefits of Scale Computing became quickly apparent: simplified management, a consolidated hardware footprint, and significant cost savings. "The cost difference alone made it an easy choice," notes Stuplich. "And the interface is so much more intuitive. At first, I thought I might be missing features, but as I became more familiar with it, I realized everything we needed was there, just easier to use."
Ensuring Uptime for Mission-Critical Manufacturing Operations
For Kolbe's IT team, few metrics are more important than uptime. Their manufacturing software, which includes ReynaPro and WTS Paradigm, drives everything from sales quoting to CNC machine operations. Additionally, MasterPoint, their production tracking system, ensures seamless workflow coordination on the shop floor. Any disruption to these applications could lead to costly downtime and production delays.
Says Stuplich, "If Master Point goes down, our employees don't know what the next step in production is. At first, they can work based on previous instructions, but after a few hours, things start to fall apart. That's why reliability was such a key factor in our decision to move to Scale Computing."
Kolbe partnered with Scale Computing for an on-site installation, with Technical Services Engineer Luis Apodaca assisting with deployment and integration. "Luis and the team were great to work with. He worked closely with our third-party network provider, Solaris, ensuring that our network stayed up and running throughout the deployment."
While most migrations went smoothly, Kolbe learned that no two workloads are the same. For some applications, they found that alternate migration methods, such as Clonezilla, provided better results than traditional tools. "We had one instance where an application moved over, but the web interface wouldn't start. Switching migration methods solved the problem, but that was a good lesson - always have a backup plan."
The Road Ahead: Disaster Recovery and Future Expansion
Kolbe is already seeing improved performance with Scale Computing, with applications running faster and infrastructure management becoming more efficient. "Even simple tasks like taking snapshots for quick rollbacks are much easier now," Stuplich said.
Looking ahead, Kolbe plans to implement a disaster recovery (DR) site using Scale Computing. "Right now, we rely on Acronis for cloud backups, but we're exploring a Scale-based DR cluster in our Minnesota office. Having an easy-to-deploy solution for disaster recovery was another big selling point for us."
Beyond delivering a powerful IT solution, Scale Computing is dedicated to ensuring customers have the resources and support needed to maximize their investment. From hands-on assistance during deployment to ongoing technical support, the Scale Computing team works closely with customers to streamline migrations, troubleshoot challenges, and optimize performance. "One of the really cool things in the Scale Computing interface is the click-to-chat feature. You can just click, get on chat with tech support, and they'll take care of you."
Kolbe's journey underscores how Scale Computing can simplify IT for manufacturers dealing with complex operations and limited IT staff. Their advice for others considering a move? "Explore Scale Computing's migration services as it will save you a great deal of time," says Stuplich. "We've been able to move workloads ourselves, but if we had migration services handle it, we'd be even further along."
For manufacturers looking to streamline their IT infrastructure, Scale Computing offers a cost-effective, easy-to-manage, and resilient platform that enables teams to focus on growth rather than maintenance.
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