A new home for Honda Europe’s 110 terabytes

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The essence

Honda Motor Europe Logistics has over 110 terabytes of files stored in their current cloud solution. In addition to the enormous quantity and the corresponding cost that this storage brings, the files are also not structured. That had to change, and Honda Europe called in the help of The Flow. After an extensive information analysis, we made an action plan including blueprint, inventory and a switch to the Microsoft 365 Cloud. On top of that, we are optimising the use of M365 within the organisation. As a result, work will be done more efficiently, faster and more cheaply in the future.

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Problem statement

Honda Motor Europe Logistics handles the distribution of cars, motorcycles, power products and industrial engines of the Japanese brand Honda. One of the largest departments is located in the canal zone in Ghent. In total there are around 30 different branches across Europe.

With around 4000 users storing files and data in the NetApp Cloud, the company deals with an immense amount of data. No less than 110 terabytes of various files, including videos, AutoCAD files, documents and more.

Although the existing cloud solution works well, the annual costs for maintenance and availability are considerable: around 300,000 pounds (346,975 euros) per year. Honda Europe already uses Microsoft 365 for communication and asked itself the question: can’t we also use that as a storage location and thus optimise the recurring costs? Moreover, there is a need for a solid information structure and improved data security, as well as optimisation of M365 use in the organisation. A complete project, then, from analysis to implementation. Coincidentally (or not) entirely our expertise!

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Project flow

Analysis

Mario Van de Velde, trusted advisor at The Flow: “Before we set up structures or force migrations, we always start with an analysis. How much data is there? Who uses it and how? What kind of data is it? Is it about work documents, sensitive information, information sources, etc.? For this we spoke with the users themselves to understand how they currently work with the documents, which files they still use, which can be archived or deleted, and so on.”

Initially the plan was to speak with users from all 30 locations, but it soon became clear that almost 80% of the files had not been modified in the past year and that the information was enormously fragmented.

And so we took a different approach!

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Greenfield: new construction

Compare it to a move: if 80% of your belongings are never actively used, why move all the boxes along, right? You undoubtedly also have a fondue set in the cellar; not in your kitchen with all the cooking pots. The same applies to data.

Mario: “Instead of further investigating what could all be archived, we turned it around. We assumed that all the information stored today may go to an archive. A new information structure is drawn up in which users themselves can store active files in a defined way.”

“In ICT terms we call that a ‘greenfield’ approach, or in our analogy: new construction, not renovation. Instead of asking everyone how much surface area, windows and doors they want, we build a new house with X number of rooms, put everything in the cellar (archive) and let people decide for themselves what they need in their office.”

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Blueprint

Before you get to work on the “architect’s plan” (blueprint) there is a crucial aspect: the information architecture. Which information are we going to organise where and in what way?

Mario: “For this we made an inventory. With this we got an overview of how the data was structured at that moment. That includes details such as the type of files, the size, the owners and the last modification date. We did spend a lot of time on that – you don’t just casually go through 110 terabytes of data. Afterwards we made a report with the current structure, which gave us a better view of what would still be relevant to effectively move over and what not.”

After working out the blueprint, we also thought about data security. The sensitive information around car manufacturing (new models Honda is working on), for example, must under no circumstances leak and end up in the hands of the competition; or be lost in a ransomware attack.

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Result

The result still has to be seen, because the project is still in full execution. But it is already certain that the recurring storage cost will become at least 10 times cheaper, even if we factor in the project work. That works because 80% of Honda Europe’s current files will be on Azure Files, a cheaper but still secure storage location. Consulting a document there will take a bit longer than retrieving work documents, and that is logical. You also keep a physical archive in the cellar, and not all of it in your office, right?

Mario: “Our defined approach was clear: personal documents are placed on OneDrive, documents you collaborate on are placed in MS Teams and published information that is useful for everyone appears on SharePoint. Everything else sits in Azure Files as an archive.”

By splitting up all the files, you also work faster and more efficiently. If every cabinet contains 80 documents you barely need, and 20 that you do need every week, then it takes longer to search.

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Future steps

With the inventory and planning process completed, Honda Europe is now moving on to the actual implementation of the project. The effective move of all old files to the new storage space, providing trainings to employees and ensuring a smooth transition. The implementation starts in April 2023 with the IT department as pilot. After that, implementation follows across the entire organisation, in five waves.

Honda Europe’s employees will have to get used to the new use of Microsoft 365 and Azure Files. That is why we also provide trainings for all employees at all locations in Europe, with attention to both technical aspects and user skills. This runs in parallel with the technical implementation and also focuses on the broader use of M365 such as efficient and correct use of, for example, all Teams functions.

We will also continue to work with Honda Europe after the implementation to ensure that the transition runs smoothly and that the new systems are used effectively.

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“That is what makes us strong as a company: that as a trusted advisor we can guide a transition to a better digital workflow from A to Z.”

Mario, Trusted Advisor at The Flow

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