- After winning the contract to redesign IMPERIAL Logistics International's global commercial processes, arvato Systems was also awarded the contract to implement and host these processes based on SAP S/4 HANA.
- Using a roadmap based on SAP S/4 HANA created by arvato Systems, a new international group template has been produced that ensures a swift, group-wide implementation of commercial processes.
A solid economy and good acquisitions have helped IMPERIAL to achieve strong growth in recent years. A consequence of this expansion strategy is today's partially heterogeneous system landscape at the company. Currently, IMPERIAL's accounting department is working with two SAP R/3 installations in parallel. In practice, this means using different processes, maintaining duplicate master data and having an overly elaborate system administration in place. To more efficiently integrate future acquisitions into the system landscape and to ensure globally standardized processes in financial systems, IMPERIAL decided to consolidate their existing data, processes, and systems based on SAP S/4 HANA. The aim was to develop a template that could be used to quickly and efficiently bring both new and existing companies into the system. In addition to controlling and administrative accounting, it was also important that group-internal cash management be included in the changeover.
Safe migration with the SAP S/4 HANA roadmap
The implementation is being carried out using a two-stage plan, with design and implementation having been bid for separately. The design phase was awarded to arvato Systems. "arvato Systems was one of the first SAP partners to be certified for SAP S/4 HANA and we were really impressed by their existing roadmap. At the same time, by working with them we were also able to bundle strategy and licensing consulting with one partner", says Reimund Kuche, Head of Accounting SSC at IMPERIAL Logistics International, explaining the company's choice. Using the roadmap format, arvato Systems provides its customers with a standardized process model for transitioning to the S/4 HANA platform and presents customer-specific options for solutions that are both transparent and harmonized in line with the customer's overall commercial goals. The roadmap also summarizes the most important requirements and provides an objective, 360-degree view of the project. Over the course of several workshops, by the fall of 2015 the project team had developed a comprehensive solution with a "design phase for commercial processes" as the next recommended action.
Faster rollout planned
In December 2015, arvato Systems was also awarded the contract for the implementation. "Once again, their broad portfolio of services played a central role", stresses Thomas Schulz, CFO of IMPERIAL Logistics International. The broad expertise that arvato Systems has as a trusted service partner was, just in the interests of minimizing risk alone, enough to make them indispensable for IMPERIAL's purposes. It was, therefore, clear that arvato Systems would take over not only the implementation but also the hosting of the system. On 30 June 2016, initially four companies in the IMPERIAL Group will switch over to SAP S/4 HANA. Then, thanks to the arvato Systems template, the remaining 75 companies will follow in rapid succession. "With SAP S/4 HANA we'll be achieving significantly leaner processes. At the same time, we're also be achieving greater usability. And SAP Fiori is playing an important role in doing this, because our employees will also be able to access relevant information on the go", says Reimund Kuche.
More on the SAP S/4 HANA roadmap
If you would like to find out more about the SAP S/4 HANA roadmap, you can speak to the arvato Systems experts in person. You can do this at the "SAP Forum for Financial Management & Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC)" on 26 and 27 April 2016 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany or at the "8th Info Day for CFO Services" on 9 March 2016 at the arvato Systems offices in Gütersloh, Germany.
IMPERIAL Logistics International
As a wholly owned subsidiary of the South African company IMPERIAL Holdings Limited, IMPERIAL Logistics International is responsible for coordinating and managing all the international logistics business of IMPERIAL Holdings Limited outside Africa. The varied portfolio of services at IMPERIAL Logistics International, which has its headquarters in Duisburg, is separated into two divisions: the Group pools all its transport services in the Shipping and Road business units in the IMPERIAL Transport Solutions division. The IMPERIAL Supply Chain Solutions division covers all the services in the contract logistics, contract manufacturing and warehousing sectors for the Automotive, Industrial, Retail and Chemicals business units. Working together, both divisions provide a full and transparent range of services from one source along the complete supply chain. IMPERIAL Logistics International employs more than 7,500 people and generates turnover amounting to EUR 1.2 billion at 150 business lo cations.
www.imperial-international.com
