Enterprise modernization with AWS for a tools manufacturer

Enterprise modernization for a leading tools manufacturer

Digital enablement and future readiness through cloud transformation with HCLTech and AWS

6 min 所要時間

Published: 30 9月 2026

Last updated: 30 9月 2026

The Objective

Leading tools manufacturer faced compounding operational and technology headwinds stemming from legacy technical debt, escalating vendor costs and fragmented infrastructure:

Fragmented engineering landscape and siloed data: The manufacturer's Product Engineering and R&D functions relied on disparate legacy CAD, PDM, PLM, CAE, configuration and BOM management tools. This fragmentation created severe data silos, inconsistent product definitions and high process friction across global engineering teams, lengthening product development cycles
Escalating hosting and virtualization pressures: The enterprise faced imminent, high-cost contract renewals with legacy hosting providers alongside steep VMware subscription and licensing price increases, exerting substantial pressure on IT operating expenditures (Oppes)
Datacenter sprawl and technical debt: Aging on-prem datacenter facilities across multiple locations required significant capital outlay and maintenance overhead, limiting enterprise agility and posing business continuity risks
Imperative for modernization and AI readiness: To maintain global market leadership and accelerate innovation, the manufacturer required a cohesive, cloud native digital foundation capable of establishing a single source of truth across the product lifecycle, accelerating time-to-market and positioning the enterprise to leverage emerging AI capabilities readily

The Solution

The Integrated Digital Enablement Program

Rather than executing disjointed point solutions, HCLTech—serving as the manufacturer's strategic transformation and managed services partner of over a decade—collaborated with AWS Professional Services (AWS Proserv) to deliver an integrated digital enablement program. Leveraging AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) incentives and a scaled core-flex delivery model, the unified program synchronized three foundational pillars:

Transformation Pillar	Strategic Focus	Key Technologies and Architecture	Implementation Scope and Approach
Product Lifecycle Modernization (PLM)	Unified engineering platform and global digital thread	Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE on AWS, Artwork and Packaging modules, CAD/CAE virtual desktops	Multi-phase consolidation of legacy CAD, PDM, CAE, configuration and BOM systems onto a unified cloud platform, defining a 10–20 year technology roadmap.
Mission-Critical Core Modernization (SAP)	Enterprise ERP cloud migration and DC exit	SAP HANA, AWS Cloud Infrastructure, automated testing tools	Migrated complex SAP SHP environments and 50+ TB of SAP/HANA data across 2 datacenters; delivered Phase 1 in ~7 months with zero defects.
Infrastructure and Hybrid Cloud Modernization	Datacenter consolidation and virtualization exit	AWS Compute, Storage and Software-Defined Cloud Networking	Transitioned 1,500+ VMware virtual machines to AWS in a structured lift-and-shift motion, mitigating licensing risks and closing physical datacenters.

In-depth architectural execution: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) transformation

Recognizing that selecting and deploying an enterprise PLM platform is a once-in-two-decades decision that defines product engineering for the next 10 to 20 years, HCLTech mobilized over 30 years of product engineering expertise and its 10-year customer incumbency to deliver a structured, phased transformation roadmap:

Two-phase modernization roadmap:

Phase 1 (Foundation and Platform Modernization): Established the high-availability AWS cloud foundation, deployed the Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE core platform, upgraded legacy environments to modern releases for enhanced scalability and security and migrated critical 3DEXPERIENCE workloads to AWS Phase 2 (Consolidation and Module Rollout): Unified disparate engineering tasks and business unit workflows onto the centralized 3DEXPERIENCE platform, phasing out legacy point systems

Artwork and packaging module migration: Re-platformed and configured the Artwork and Packaging management module within 3DEXPERIENCE, automating packaging artwork approvals, regulatory compliance tracking and asset versioning across consumer and industrial brand portfolios
Unified data model and multi-system data migration: Architected a standardized enterprise product data model. HCLTech orchestrated the complex extraction, transformation and migration of legacy CAD, PDM, CAE, BOM and configuration data from heterogeneous legacy PLM instances into the centralized repository, eliminating duplicates and establishing an authoritative single source of truth
Process modernization and change management: Overhauled and harmonized Product Data Management (PDM) and Engineering Change Management (ECM) processes across business divisions, replacing fragmented local workflows with standardized global engineering change orders and approval workflows
Enterprise application integrations: Implemented robust, bi-directional integrations connecting 3DEXPERIENCE with surrounding enterprise systems, including enterprise ERP (SAP), manufacturing execution, procurement and downstream supply chain platforms for seamless digital continuity
High-performance engineering VDI on AWS: Migrated compute-intensive CAD and CAE workloads to AWS virtual-desktop infrastructure (VDI), equipping globally distributed engineering teams with low-latency access to 3D modeling and simulation tools regardless of physical location
Joint Execution Across Core Systems and Hybrid Infrastructure
Mission-critical SAP HANA migration: Executed tool-based discovery and automated migration planning for more than 50 TB of SAP and SAP HANA data spanning two major datacenters. Combining AWS ProServe’s architectural direction with HCLTech’s scaled execution, the team delivered Phase 1 cutover in approximately seven months, establishing a cloud-ready operating model and hypercare framework
VMware datacenter modernization: Transitioned 1,500+ VMware virtual machines to AWS in an expedited lift-and-shift motion. Utilizing AWS technical and financial incentives, HCLTech proactively resolved application interdependencies, managed cutover risks and eliminated on-prem hardware maintenance overhead with zero operational disruption

The Impact

The integrated digital transformation delivered substantial, measurable performance enhancements, major cost savings and operational agility across all business divisions:

Dimension	Transformation Impact	Strategic Value Delivered
Product Innovation	30% reduction in NPD cycle time	Accelerated speed-to-market for new tools and outdoor innovations through streamlined digital workflows.
Engineering Productivity	20% improvement in engineering efficiency	Eliminated redundant data entry, unified change management and automated global engineering workflows.
Financial Optimization	Multi-million-dollar legacy cost avoidance	Averted high-cost legacy hosting contract renewals and insulated the manufacturer from surging VMware licensing expenses.
Scale of Execution	50+ TB SAP HANA data and 1,500+ VMs migrated	Seamlessly transitioned mission-critical ERP systems and core enterprise infrastructure with zero-defect delivery.
Process Standardization	Enterprise-wide single source of truth	Harmonized engineering, packaging and BOM standards across all global operating divisions and brands.
Data Quality and Integrity	Eradication of cross-system data silos	Removed duplicate product records and established full digital continuity across the product lifecycle.

Customer Benefits

Through this strategic engagement, the leading tools manufacturer has built enduring enterprise capabilities that drive long-term competitive differentiation:

Future readiness and AI enablement: Modernizing core compute, data and engineering platforms onto AWS establishes an open, API-driven architecture primed to deploy Generative AI, predictive analytics and smart manufacturing capabilities
Enterprise resilience and scalability: Shifting from rigid on-prem facilities to elastic AWS cloud infrastructure ensures robust disaster recovery, high availability and the ability to scale workloads dynamically with seasonal and regional demand
Enhanced employee and engineering experience: Unified engineering and ERP environments provide global product designers, plant managers and supply chain teams with frictionless access to real-time data, boosting collaboration and morale
Data-driven decision making: An unbroken digital thread connects product design, bills of materials and enterprise transaction data, unlocking end-to-end operational visibility and precision cost management
Sustainable cost efficiency: Rationalizing infrastructure, consolidating software licenses and retiring aging data centers converted heavy fixed capital expenditure (CapEx) into optimized, predictable operating costs (OpEX)

Conclusion

Through this unified digital enablement program, the leading tools manufacturer successfully eliminated decades of technical debt, modernized mission-critical operations and established a scalable AWS cloud architecture. By consolidating product engineering on Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE and migrating core SAP and infrastructure estates, the organization achieved a 30% reduction in product development cycle times, along with substantial operating cost reductions. This transformation delivers enterprise-wide digital continuity, robust operational resilience and the foundational agility required to lead the tools industry in an AI-driven future.