- Seamless migration of 29-year-old legacy ERP system to Google Cloud and go-live completed in less than 48 hours with zero business disruption
- Initiative projected to deliver a complete return on investment within 18 months through operational efficiencies and reduced infrastructure costs
- New cloud foundation leverages Google Cloud’s integrated data and AI stack to accelerate smart manufacturing and digital agility
ABB’s NEMA Motors division has successfully completed a landmark digital transformation project, migrating its massive SAP-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to Google Cloud. The move modernizes nearly three decades of legacy infrastructure, securing a scalable, cloud-native foundation for the division's future growth and enabling the immediate deployment of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
The migration involved the transfer of 23 terabytes of critical data—supporting 4,600 users across 70 countries—from on-premise servers to the cloud. Despite the complexity of moving a highly customized system that has served as the division’s digital backbone since 1996, the switchover was achieved in just more than 40 hours with no interruption to manufacturing operations or customer service.
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
Google data center, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas, U.S. 
More than 23TB of data were migrated from ABB's on-premise hardware in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. 
More than 23TB of data were migrated from ABB's on-premise hardware in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. 
More than 23TB of data were migrated from ABB's on-premise hardware in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S.
Driving Value and ROI
This transformation is not merely an IT upgrade, but a strategic pivot toward greater operational agility. By eliminating the constraints of aging hardware, ABB’s NEMA Motors Division expects to achieve a full return on investment within one and a half years. The shift allows the division to scale resources in real-time based on business demand, significantly lowering the total cost of ownership while enhancing security and compliance.
Strategic Partnership with Google Cloud
ABB selected Google Cloud for this critical transition not least due to its differentiated capabilities in data handling and its comprehensive AI stack. Unlike other providers, Google Cloud owns every layer of the AI stack and therefore offers an end-to-end integration of infrastructure, data management and AI models. This unique ecosystem allows ABB to not only store data, but to actively use it—applying machine learning to optimize supply chains, predict maintenance needs and drive smarter manufacturing processes without the friction of disjointed tools.
“Modernizing a system of this scale and complexity requires more than just technology; it requires deep expertise and trust,” said Jesse Henson, President, NEMA Motors Division, ABB. “Google Cloud's SAP White Glove Advisory Services were instrumental to successfully completing this migration on time and seamlessly without any issues. This move transforms our operations from a hardware-reliant model to a data-first approach, giving us the agility to innovate faster and serve our customers better than ever before.”
Future-proofing Operations
The newly modernized platform serves more than a dozen manufacturing facilities and 24 sales offices globally. By leveraging Google Cloud’s reliable and sustainable infrastructure, ABB's NEMA Motors Division has enhanced its disaster recovery capabilities and positioned itself to integrate future technologies rapidly.
“The future of manufacturing lies in the ability to turn data into actionable intelligence,” said Marianne Janik, Vice President EMEA North, Google Cloud. “We are proud to partner with ABB on this pivotal transformation, providing a unified cloud and AI foundation that not only modernizes their infrastructure but also unlocks new opportunities for innovation. By leveraging Google Cloud’s integrated data and AI capabilities, ABB NEMA Motors is setting a new standard for agility and operational excellence in the industrial sector.”
The successful migration was a collaborative effort involving teams from ABB, Google Cloud and implementation partners, ensuring that the NEMA Motors Division continues to lead the market in delivering reliable, energy-efficient motor solutions.
ABB Motion, a global leader in motors and drives, is at the core of accelerating a more productive and sustainable future. We innovate and push the boundaries of technology to contribute to energy efficient, decarbonizing and circular solutions for customers, industries and societies. With our digitally enabled drives, motors and services we support our customers and partners to achieve better performance, safety and reliability. To help the world’s industries outrun – leaner and cleaner, we deliver motor-driven solutions for a wide range of applications in all industrial segments. Building on over 140 years of domain expertise in electric powertrains, our more than 22,000 employees across 100 countries learn and improve every day. go.abb/motion
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. By connecting its engineering and digitalization expertise, ABB helps industries run at high performance, while becoming more efficient, productive and sustainable so they outperform. At ABB, we call this ‘Engineered to Outrun’. The company has over 140 years of history and more than 105,000 employees worldwide. ABB’s shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ABBN) and Nasdaq Stockholm (ABB). www.abb.com
