Templating Business Processes Across Multinational Manufacturing Landscape Reduces Complexity and Transformation Costs
Multiple acquisitions? CHECK. Multiple countries, languages, and regulatory requirements? CHECK. Multiple types and versions of ERP’s? CHECK and CHECK. Defining a global template is critical in these situations. Defining transformational business processes early will deliver huge benefits. Manufacturing is complex, so ensuring standard processes reduces complexity. Limiting localizations that are not required by law reduces costs. Understand how to leverage SAP S/4HANA as the solution for your global transformation project.
Challenges
- Client has multiple companies to integrate in one large SAP program roll out but wants to leverage economies of same business process sharing—yet not all processes are identical
- Client has multiple country locations that operate independently; realizing how they may work closely aligned is uncertain; without some enterprise alignment S/4 HANA lacks any business case to justify investment
Solution
- Ketch and the client collaboratively defined a multiple country, multiple legal entity approach to moving the entire company onto one instance of S/4 HANA
- The Ketch Building Block Methods provided the path to combine and differentiate business processes between the companies. Parallel processes made a common integration model to bring company departments in line across geographies. The distinct processes are addressed along with new business models. Commonality in process, design, and front-end Fiori including master data governance are in-place
Results
- Significantly less project spend to achieve the one instance model
- Production support is done with fewer agents, simpler business process set costing less annually
- Data was synchronized across regions including product catalogs and marketing efforts via variant configuration product models
“Ketch Partners served as the Program Management of the SAP implementation where we worked together. I worked with them as part of the program leadership overseeing the SAP implementation. Ketch has some of the finest SAP program managers I have come across amongst the several SAP projects I have been a part of. During the time I worked together with Ketch they have been instrumental in providing inputs and suggestions on SAP program deliverables, processes, program improvements and all other aspects of the program. I always like to lead SAP programs together with peers that are honest, upfront, hardworking, dedicated and self-respected. Ketch has been exceptional and excelled in all these categories. Again, Ketch has some of the best SAP managers I have ever worked with and would recommend them to any SAP program as genuine and able leaders.”
“I worked together with Ketch Partners CEO (Chris York) in different roles during my time at SAP. Chris is a true IT service professional combining tremendous leadership capabilities with outstanding Retail Industry and SAP solution knowledge. He has great customer focus, active listening skills, effective communication to C-level audiences, and keep everybody focused on the decision making process.”
“Ketch Partners were the Global Program Managers for our SAP implementation at Tyco International. They personally led the implementation at one of our largest manufacturing plants. Ketch demonstrated great leadership that helped us be successful at implementing such a massive change at our plant. Their experience helped us sidestep many pitfalls that would have cost us thousands of extra dollars. Their strength is leading projects and managing an aggressive timeline. Their approach is regimented but still flexible to get everyone’s buy-in and support. I highly recommend Ketch Partners for their leadership skills and abilities. They were a pleasure to work with!”
“Ketch Partners are the commensurate SAP IS-Retail professionals; they are the model against which all others should be judged. Having worked with IS-Retail from both the user and consulting sides, their knowledge of retail in general and SAP IS-Retail specifically is extensive and in depth. They have the unique ability to get to the essence of a detailed issue, develop an integrated solution and then explain that solution to the non-technical users in a language they can understand. They successfully brought the ASAP methodology to the chaos of a very complex BI Retail Reporting project we worked on together for over a year. It is without hesitation that I would recommend Ketch for any SAP project and would gladly join their team. You cannot get anyone better than Ketch.”
“Ketch Partners is an extremely well organized, detail oriented, hardworking and driven team. They won all round appreciation from both the project team and the client for their work. Their excellent understanding of SAP and retail provided very practical and valuable insights in all aspects of the project.”
“Ketch is a very experienced and knowledgeable SAP resource that have had the pleasure of working with for the past year on our Best Buy International SAP BI implementations. Their thorough understanding of Retail and SAP were an immense benefit to me personally and to Best Buy. In addition to supporting me at the Program level, Ketch provided strong leadership in key project areas such as business solution design, testing and production cut over. Their blend of business and technical knowledge enabled them to be very effective.”