Lets understand a use case

In this article, we explore a real-world example that clearly demonstrates a common problem statement in the modern business landscape. Our example follows a pharmaceutical company that manufactures and ships healthcare products globally. The company's distribution network uses trucks within the USA and international shipments to places like Sri Lanka. This scenario underscores the broad use of various services in contemporary business operations.

The company's operations can be broadly divided into three main sections:

1. Production, Maintenance, and R&D
2. Logistics
3. Sales and Inventory Management

Production, Maintenance, and R&D

The Production, Maintenance, and R&D department plays a critical role by:

• Manufacturing healthcare products.
• Securing certifications from various government bodies.
• Maintaining machinery and supporting research and development initiatives.

Logistics

The logistics department is responsible for:

• Tracking shipments of goods.
• Monitoring product quality during transit.
• Ensuring the efficient and safe delivery of products.

Sales and Inventory Management

The Sales and Inventory Management department focuses on:

• Tracking sales transactions.
• Streamlining the ordering process for new stock.
• Managing interactions with buyers.

Each of these divisions consists of multiple teams working in close coordination to maintain the company’s robust operational framework.

Building and Deploying Software Applications

To support these core business functions, a variety of software applications are developed using diverse technical stacks. Users can access these applications either via mobile apps or web browsers. Given the company's extensive scale, hundreds of professionals including developers, quality assurance specialists, automation engineers, data engineers, security experts, and network engineers collaborate closely to roll out daily updates and innovative features.

These applications are deployed across multiple servers grouped into data centers. A reliable supply of power, continuous internet connectivity, and round-the-clock security are critical in ensuring seamless operations.

The Problem Statement

Operating at a large scale and implementing daily updates often results in slowed processes. The problem statement we address in this article is:

How can a large-scale company modernize its infrastructure using Google Cloud Platform (GCP)? Which GCP services can help replace or phase out legacy tools? And how can GCP's advanced offerings like AI, data analytics, and machine learning streamline performance and drive operational efficiency?

With this clear problem statement in mind, let’s explore how GCP Cloud can modernize your infrastructure while enhancing overall operational performance.