Worldwide, BW IT is making important contributions to the business every single day. Read more about your fellow IT team members and their wins, successes, and plans in this edition of IT Connect, the newsletter for BW IT team members!

Celebrating an Exceptional Year: Our 2025 Achievements and the Road Ahead

As we approach the end of 2025, let me extend my sincere gratitude for everyone’s hard work throughout this successful year. Your unwavering commitment has driven innovation in BW's technology, as well as improved operational efficiency. The data backs up what I believe: this has truly been an exceptional year for BW IT, perhaps the greatest in our history, and certainly during my tenure as CIO.

When I reviewed the team’s 2025 goals and accomplishments this past October, I was amazed by the sheer volume and impact of our achievements. Looking at everything we've accomplished together, it’s clear that we’ve set a new standard for success. This motivates us to keep pushing forward, as BW and BW IT remain dedicated to continuous improvement, professional growth, and personal development. 

Information Security Team

The Information Security Team made substantial progress in strengthening BW’s operational resilience. Their efforts included securing our internal IT environment by patching software vulnerabilities, blocking malicious lateral movement, enhancing the security of our Microsoft Azure environment, and improving email security protocols.

Afinitas

The Afinitas team prepared and secured business support for launching the next iteration of the LN ERP program. They initiated the engineering standardization process, then began building a standardized program in collaboration with the engineering department. Additionally, they successfully implemented Starlink internet backup connections at all company sites, ensuring business continuity and reliability.

Amplify ERP

Amplify ERP transitioned from initial concepts to user testing phases in Finance & Operations (F&O) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), marking a significant step toward broader adoption and operational improvements.

Digital Innovation

The Digital Innovation team enhanced both the quality and speed of IIoT feature delivery. These improvements have enabled the organization to respond more rapidly to evolving business needs.

Business Insights

The Business Insights team successfully optimized and stabilized the Enterprise Data Hub (EDH), resulting in notable cost reductions and fewer outages. They also released the Inspire reporting suite on schedule for Amplify User Acceptance Testing (UAT), which was well-received by business stakeholders.

Global Infrastructure Services

The team celebrated the successful rollout of Webex Calling, which replaced the HCS calling platform following its end of life. They also began the VMware replacement project with HyperV. Although still in early stages, these changes illustrate the team’s adaptability to vendor-driven technology requirements.

Global Service Desk

The Global Service Desk achieved several major milestones. These include a successful upgrade to Windows 11, the replenishment of over 1,500 computers (with a total of 2,500 PCs configured), and the resolution of more than 73,500 support tickets during fiscal year 2025. The team also supported acquisitions, completed the St. Louis office remodel, consolidated and standardized printers, established the Service Desk Apprentice Program, and created a dedicated PC Vulnerability Team.

IT Business Management and Strategic Portfolio Management

The IT Business Management team orchestrated vibrant communication programs, fiscal discipline and optimization, while the Strategic Portfolio Management teams introduced new capabilities and rigor in our Project Management and Organizational Change Management playbooks, further strengthening our approach to major initiatives.

Design Group: IT Productivity and Integration Initiatives

Jim Meier’s team led the development of the DG AI Assistant, leveraging secure large language model (LLM) technology to improve internal productivity. His team also helped enormously with the onboarding of the Malisko acquisition, integrating the new team with Planview access, SharePoint documentation, and cultural orientation. They also deployed essential security tools and ensured all team members were onboarded efficiently.

Converting Platform

The Converting IT team supported the Amplify Green Bay project, implemented ERP improvements in Serbia, and facilitated the migration of legacy Baldwin Cloth Manufacturing systems to the Green Bay XA platform.

Papersystems Platform

The Papersystems IT group managed the relocation of the Parts Warehouse from Hamburg to Frankfurt, introduced several enhancements to SAP ERP, and improved the engineering infrastructure in Bologna by migrating SolidWorks from Italian to English.

Machine Solutions

A thorough evaluation led by Mitch Wyatt led the Machine Solutions IT team to select Infor as the new MSI ERP platform, set to launch in 2026. The group also supported the IT integration of the Alpine Laser acquisition in Minneapolis, ensuring a smooth transition for all involved. In engineering applications, the team assisted Höri, Switzerland, in migrating from AutoCAD to SolidWorks, and deployed the CADLink tool to enhance bill-of-material imports and ERP integration, further streamlining engineering workflows.

I sincerely thank every member of the IT team for your remarkable contributions. As we enter the new calendar year, we’re launching our “Change the Game” strategy. In 2026, our goal is to set even more records and continue our upward trajectory, and I’m genuinely excited about the potential IT brings to BW as a whole. 

Warm regards,

Frank Lanuto, CIO

Windows 11 Upgrade Is a Success Story 

By Bryan Kennison, Senior Director, Global Service Desk 

I am pleased to announce the successful wrap-up of our Windows 11 Upgrade Project, a year-long, enterprise-wide initiative that impacted approximately 10,000 devices across all divisions of Barry-Wehmiller. This project was undertaken in anticipation of Microsoft’s end-of-support date for Windows 10, set for mid-October 2025. Our team worked diligently to ensure a smooth and timely transition to Windows 11, prioritizing security and operational continuity. 

Strategic Rollout Approach
Our primary objective was to complete the migration by July 31, 2025, well ahead of the official deadline. This proactive timeline minimized disruption and ensured continued support for our systems. To manage the scale and complexity, we adopted a phased rollout by division. Each team received advance notice and dedicated support as their upgrade window approached. Thanks to Windows 11’s familiar interface, most users experienced a seamless transition with minimal retraining required. 

Challenges and Solutions
The most significant challenges we faced were hardware and software incompatibilities. Some machines could not be upgraded due to these issues. Fran Kuhn, Automation Analyst, developed and continuously refined a custom script to ensure upgrade readiness in line with Microsoft specifications. This script detected and resolved issues related to disk space, drivers, and application 

Fran Kuhn, Automation Analyst, received a Shine the Light award for his role in this successful project. Shown here are, on the left, Rob Ondra, Manager, Enterprise Service Desk Systems, with Fran (right).

compatibility, while generating detailed reports and logs for the IT Service Desk to monitor progress and troubleshoot failures. The script, spanning over 2,500 lines of code, was iteratively enhanced throughout the project to address emerging issues. 

Cooperation from our global end-user community was essential. Scheduling upgrades to avoid disruption to local business hours was a challenge, given our presence in every time zone and over 25 languages. Upgrades were performed after hours, and associates were asked to leave their computers on and connected to the network. The team demonstrated flexibility, adjusting schedules to accommodate vacations, travel, critical production equipment, and other local needs. 

Conclusion
The move to Windows 11 was both necessary and beneficial, positioning Barry-Wehmiller for continued success in a secure and modern digital environment. Words cannot express how much we appreciate everyone’s support and cooperation throughout this important transition. 

Bryan Kennison

From left, Frank Lanuto, CIO; Fran Kuhn; Kyle Chapman, CEO; and Bryan Kennison, Senior Director, Global Service Desk, all in attendance for Fran’s Shine the Light celebration. 

In October, Roftiel Constantine, Chief Information Security Officer, visited the BW Packaging site in Duncan, South Carolina, and the Machine Solutions site in nearby Inman, South Carolina.  

Pictured here, left to right: Scott Benson, IT System Analyst; Pete Bremer, Architect, Enterprise Information Security; Thomas Cashin, ERP Process Expert; Brian Leet, IT Systems Administrator; Michelle Thornburg, Business Intelligence Leader; Roftiel Constantine; and Jonathon Nichols, IT Service Desk Analyst

Thanks for being part of this journey — let’s stay connected!

Neuwied, Germany, IT Team. Left to Right: Andreas Geuder, Jürgen Heuchemer, Uwe Schaub, Björn Weigel, Nils Linke, Tobias Pack, Leah Michele Gillig, Gerd Jäger.