Success story
UPS streamlines package tracking and delivery with Red Hat
About the company
United Parcel Service (UPS), a global leader in logistics, delivers more than 20 million packages per day. To provide better data insight and scheduling, the company decided to create a new application platform. With help from Red Hat, UPS created a flexible, agile, container-based cloud computing environment—and adopted a collaborative DevOps approach. Now, UPS developers can more efficiently create new features for operations logistics and staffing, providing a better tracking and delivery experience for end customers.
As opposed to providing a solution in 18 months, we can start giving value back to the business within weeks or months.
Challenge
Speed package delivery with data insight
UPS, a global leader in logistics, wanted to optimize package operations and delivery using a new application platform, called the Center Inside Planning and Execution System (CIPE). In addition, the company wanted to adopt a more agile, collaborative DevOps approach—and technology that would support both CIPE’s new capabilities and this new work method. "We needed to move from our old technologies to the cloud, to make better decisions using real-time, big data analytics," said Rich West, Senior Application Development Manager at UPS.
Solution
Build an agile, integrated cloud environment
After deciding that container technology would best meet its needs for agile, cloud-based workflows, UPS evaluated many solutions. It chose to create its new application environment with enterprise open source technology from Red Hat. In addition, UPS used Red Hat® Consulting to help plan and deploy CIPE. "They also quickly trained our developers on container platform technology," said Stacie Morgan, Senior Application Development Manager at UPS. "We were able to launch the first iteration of the site application in 3 months. We’ve never brought up a platform that quickly."
Results
Adapt services to internal and customer demand
With its new infrastructure, UPS has improved developer productivity for faster application and feature creation—and business value. "As opposed to providing a solution in 18 months, we can start giving value back to the business within weeks or months," said Carla Maier, Senior Manager of Cloud Platforms and Technology at UPS. The company can also scale automatically as needed during peak demand times—like the holiday season. As a result, UPS can provide consistent, reliable package tracking and delivery services to customers, no matter the time of year.
All the ways UPS worked with Red Hat
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