Freeing the data 19 Seagate Technology was at a crossroads. The SEAGATE global leader in data and cloud storage solutions was managing many custom, on-premise Java Mark Brewer applications and maintenance had become time- SVP and CIO consuming and expensive. Seagate could either proceed in the same direction or make a move to modernize its app development. The solution came in the form of the Salesforce. As SEAGATE’S Founded: 1978 a longtime Salesforce customer, Seagate already had in-house developer expertise. “The new TIME OFF HQ: Cupertino, CA custom apps we built were actually CRM extensions Workforce: 60,000 with sales and marketing,” says SVP and CIO, Mark REQUEST APP Industry: Technology Brewer. “In fact, some of the front-end app dev tasks were even prototyped by WHAT IS IT? business analysts.” Employee time management app. A huge bonus has been that the previous complicated application infrastructure and WHAT DOES IT DO? demanding upkeep that came with it has been eliminated. More and more of Seagate’s enterprise Allows employees to submit and apps now live in the cloud, where they can be track requests for time off directly easily connected for external usage by clients and from managers. Managers can partners. And they all have modern capabilities, approve requests and keep track of such as mobile and social, built right in. overall employee time off. Another major benefit for Seagate is that its apps HOW WAS IT BUILT? rely on common data. “We were able to seamlessly On Force.com. integrate all of our back-office data from Oracle ERP,” says Brewer. “This allows for consistency and Connect to any database accuracy across the board, because when the data in minutes, not months. gets updated in one location, it gets updated everywhere.” SEE HOW Seagate has now built more than 40 apps across seven lines of business. The applications tend to be global in nature and, in many cases, replace multiple, locally developed solutions. Examples include an ergonometric self-assessment application, a time-charging application to track time cards and vacation, a facilities change request application, and an application to manage their VMI hubs which is used by internal and external users. We were able to seamlessly integrate all of our back-office data from our previous ERP. This allows for consistency and accuracy across the board, because when the data gets updated in one location, it gets updated everywhere. Mark Brewer, SVP and CIO