DEF Network makes Boomi a key component of its information system

Since 1958, DEF Network has been an expert in fire safety, drawing on a vast international network of specialized players. This enables it to cover the entire spectrum of fire safety issues, from detection, warning, extinguishing and smoke extraction solutions to security, video protection, emergency exit management and supervision. 

Organized as a network, the group is just as capable of responding to targeted needs as to more complex requests, for which it can mobilize the necessary experts to provide the ad hoc response. "We support companies wishing to upgrade or maintain their fire safety systems, as well as those wishing to entrust us with the creation of complete fire safety systems", confirms Axel Higos, IT Project Manager, Réseau DEF. 

DEF Network currently comprises 61 companies worldwide, with a total workforce of over 2,500. The group is autonomous and has its own fire equipment production facilities, with 12 factories in France and abroad.

First goal: find the middleware for Logtek 4 

"For almost 10 years, our technicians have been entering their reports into a tool called Logtek," explains Axel Higos. "Logtek was previously split into two separate software packages: a PC tool dedicated to maintenance and installation operations, and a mobile application dedicated to troubleshooting. We wanted to offer a single, modernized smartphone solution capable of covering all these activities." 

This led to the launch of the Logtek 4 project. The problem was that DEF Network needed a more powerful middleware capable of connecting to the group's various applications.

"For this major project, we wanted to work with an integrator," notes Ben Badarou, IT Project Manager at DEF Network. "We launched a call for proposals aimed at finding the right combination of tool and integrator. At the end of this process, the Boomi/VISEO pairing seemed the most suitable. Boomi offers a large number of connectors. As for VISEO, it convinced us with its responsiveness and mastery of the Boomi offering."

The choice of Boomi was confirmed at the beginning of 2021. Once Logtek 4's requirements had been gathered and its specifications defined, development could begin, with a view to integration with various key applications, such as Microsoft Dynamics365 CRM and the various ERP systems used within the Group. All this in compliance with standards, without forgetting the phase of transferring historical data from the previous version of Logtek. 

Second objective: make Boomi a central part of DEF Network's information system 

The Logtek 4 pilot was deployed in June 2023, at the end of a long development process, justified by the complete overhaul of the solution. "The deployment of Logtek 4 is now accelerating, with availability throughout France scheduled for early 2024 at the latest", says Axel Higos. 

However, the teams didn't wait for the release of Logtek 4 to take advantage of Boomi's power and rich functionality. "From the outset, our objective was to make Boomi one of the key components of our IS," confirms Ben Badarou. "We wanted to use it for all our interfaces, in particular between the Group's various ERP systems, our CRM and our data warehouse. Today, almost all the flows from our old ETL have been switched over to Boomi. We're seeing a real willingness on the part of DEF Network companies to switch to this solution, which brings greater fluidity to interfaces and greater clarity to the way it works." 

On the advice of VISEO, developers have also gradually abandoned point-to-point connections, in favor of a half-interface approach, taking advantage of Boomi's functionalities, capable of acting not only as an ETL, but also as an ESB or even an API management platform. This approach enables IT departments to save time during deployment, by defining core models based on easily replicable workflows. CRM can now be deployed in 2 to 3 weeks, compared with 3 to 4 months previously. 

"VISEO played a major role in our adoption of Boomi: their expertise not only saved us a lot of time, but also enabled us to learn how to use the solution and build our flows according to recommended best practices," explains Axel Higos. "Today, we are totally autonomous in Boomi, where we are able to create flows that can be deployed on a large scale. However, we're counting on the VISEO teams to continue to support us on specific subjects requiring specific expertise." 

"This project, built with DEF Network, sums up VISEO's state of mind," explains Nabila Morchid, Data Management Consultant at VISEO. Right from the consultation stage, we put all our know-how around Boomi solutions to work to support DEF Network in its delivery, with the ultimate aim of achieving autonomy in future developments. We'll continue to be a driving force behind the Réseau DEF's future development projects."