Phoenix Contact AG
How the IT department at Phoenix Contact AG uses Docusnap to gain transparency into its local infrastructure.
Phoenix Contact AG, based in Tagelswangen, is the Swiss subsidiary of the globally active Phoenix Contact Group. From this location, the company serves customers throughout Switzerland with products and solutions for industrial connectivity, automation, industrial communication, and electrical engineering. Sales, technical consulting, and customer service work closely together, from the planning phase through to the implementation of entire automation projects. The IT department supports the entire Swiss organization while working hand-in-hand with the group's international IT units. It views itself as a service provider for the business and a bridge between local requirements and global standards.
Who documents the systems in between?
In an international corporation, there is a central tool for almost every task. Microsoft 365 services and group-wide systems cover a large part of daily operations. However, the local site also runs its own network, communication, building, and IoT systems, as well as numerous local applications, and these are not always fully captured by the central tools. As complexity grew, it became increasingly difficult to maintain an overview of systems, dependencies, and changes at all times. Previously, the team maintained this information primarily by hand, spread across documents, spreadsheets, and diagrams. While this worked, it was time-consuming and had limited reliability during audits. The goal was therefore to find a solution that could automatically capture local assets, network devices, IoT systems, and technical dependencies. "The interesting question is always: Who documents the systems that fall in between? That is exactly the gap we wanted to close," the IT team says, summarizing the initial situation.
A decision for transparency, not just another tool
The team first became aware of the solution through recommendations from within the IT industry. Ultimately, the deciding factors were the automated data collection, the flexibility of the solution, its ease of use, and a compelling price-performance ratio. The fact that there is a direct contact person behind the software, along with readily available training and information materials, provided additional peace of mind. Docusnap was not intended to be the next big system, but rather to complement existing corporate tools exactly where the local perspective had previously been missing.
In use, without disrupting operations
Docusnap has now been in use for several years. The implementation was straightforward; after a short familiarization period, the team was able to work productively with it, and the Docusnap contacts were on hand to answer any questions. In day-to-day operations, the IT team primarily uses the automated inventory of clients, servers, network components, and other local assets, as well as the documentation of the infrastructure and reports on the local IT environment. The effect is most noticeable in the time that has been freed up. "When an IT team spends less time updating documentation, there is more time for the really exciting topics," the team says, adding with a wink, "...or for finding that one printer that decides to break down exactly when you need it most."
Answers at the touch of a button, right when it counts
Transparency across the IT landscape has improved significantly. Much of the information is generated automatically rather than being painstakingly maintained by hand, and the team can access up-to-date details on systems, assets, and dependencies much faster. This is particularly evident during infrastructure changes, audits, or outages: instead of first having to figure out which systems are affected, time can be invested directly into finding a solution. Preparing for audits, internal reviews, and technical documentation also becomes easier because the relevant information is structured and current. For a company that needs to provide mobile field staff with stable and secure IT services, this reliability is essential: devices, user assignments, and dependencies remain traceable at all times.
Making local reality visible, meeting global standards
As an independent subsidiary within a global group, the Swiss IT team thrives on this interplay: it implements global requirements locally while simultaneously managing site-specific systems and processes. Well-maintained documentation provides the greatest added value here, as it makes local specifics transparent and facilitates coordination with central IT units. Data protection and IT security are of high priority. For a company that develops security solutions for people, machines, and data, reliable documentation is more than just a box-ticking exercise. "Only when systems, assets, and dependencies are known can they be effectively protected and managed," the IT team says, summarizing their approach.
An integral part of daily IT operations
Today, Docusnap is the central solution for Phoenix Contact AG to document and inventory its local IT infrastructure. Looking ahead, the team sees further potential in leveraging reporting and analysis functions even more effectively to enhance transparency, operational reliability, and traceability. They would recommend Docusnap especially in environments where local infrastructure, central IT policies, and tight daily schedules intersect. Or, as the team puts it: "In an international corporation, there is a central tool for almost everything. Docusnap ensures that we also keep track of the systems that fall in between."
What impressed us most is that Docusnap provides transparency exactly where core systems naturally fall short.
IT Team at Phoenix Contact AG
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