The power of smarter automation

For more than a century, SOCOMEC has led the way in independent low-voltage energy distribution. Their electrical devices and services play a key role in keeping critical environments powered when and where it matters most. While rarely in the spotlight, low-voltage energy is used to maintain everything from data centers and hospitals to modular grids and renewable energy storage. It’s the unseen force that enables life-saving care, lights up data centers and keeps renewable energy flowing–even when the grid is under pressure.

With new macroeconomic headwinds and geopolitical disruptions, keeping low-voltage systems secure, efficient and ready to scale has become more important than ever. To face these challenges, SOCOMEC took a radical new approach to integration and automation. Looking for an end-to-end solution that could be utilized by all members of their team, they decided to implement the IBM® webMethods® Hybrid Integration platform.

Before partnering with IBM, SOCOMEC had been relying on document workflow engines that required too many apps and fixes to keep pace with modern demands. Integrations were point to point, and visibility across systems was limited. “We needed something that could orchestrate workflows across applications—internally and externally,” says Michael Kister, IT Manager at SOCOMEC. “We were expanding our use of Salesforce and other cloud tools, and we needed a platform that could keep up.”

IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration supports real-time integration, centralized workflow orchestration and secured API management. This gave SOCOMEC the flexibility to connect legacy systems with modern Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, allowing for seamless data exchange across departments and partners. Using the solution’s hybrid capabilities, the company can now scale across cloud and on-prem environments without compromising performance or security.

The platform’s built-in analytics capabilities provide deep visibility into system performance, allowing SOCOMEC to refine operations continuously. Enhanced security features help protect sensitive data across every touchpoint, reinforcing trust and reliability. Together, these capabilities have positioned SOCOMEC to innovate faster while maintaining a stable, secured IT foundation.

SOCOMEC’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) migration included integrations for order management, invoicing, stock control and purchasing. They utilized IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration to redesign 65 business processes and integrate more than 100 applications. Today, 11 subsidiaries operate with full 360° data visibility. The system now orchestrates over 10,000 interfaces a day and continuously adapts whenever new processes are added.

With the new system, SOCOMEC customers, partners and distributors can view quotes, invoices, shipments and order status through Salesforce communities–without needing IT intervention. Kister remarks, “webMethods gives us a centralized view of everything.   If we want to change one thing, we can immediately see how it affects other areas.”

SOCOMEC also eliminated exposure of internal infrastructure by replacing a complex architecture of proxies and firewalls with a single API gateway. IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration is equipped with advanced threat protection, role-based access controls and encrypted data flows. These features help manage security and compliance across every integration point, even as the system scales across cloud and on-prem environments. The shift to cloud-based services helps cut processing costs, boost scalability and support sustainability goals.

With smarter automation, SOCOMEC’s business teams can now resolve most workflow exceptions themselves, such as with order fulfillment. When an error is triggered—due to financial blocks, lack of inventory or the wrong product being sent—the team is notified immediately. They have access and visibility to the whole workflow within a console and can act to correct the error with just a few clicks. “In the past, nobody would know an error occurred until days or weeks later,” says Kister. “And even then, IT would be called in via email and assume the problem required an update, SQL change or some other technical intervention that wasn’t actually needed. Now, business staff can solve most exceptions on their own, and IT is only involved for technical reasons.”

Looking ahead, SOCOMEC aims to roll out similar tools and workflows to support more than 400 skilled technicians.  They also plan to adopt microservices and DevOps—two moves made easier by the foundation built with IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration.

Every life touched by SOCOMEC depends on reliability. By uniting the power of cloud, APIs and hybrid integration, SOCOMEC has gained greater visibility, stronger security and seamless connectivity. Together, these advancements should help SOCOMEC keep the lights on for many generations to come.

SOCOMEC (link resides outside of ibm.com) is a leading electrical manufacturing and services company, specializing in low-voltage power distribution. With over a century of innovation, their worldwide team of experts helps keep data centers, healthcare facilities and critical infrastructure operating around the clock. In 2022, Socomec earned a “Gold” rating from independent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) rating agency EcoVadis, placing it among the top 5% of companies for sustainability in both business practices and culture.