Process Integration for Major Auto Parts Manufacturing Client

 
 
5,200 employees
13 manufacturing facilities and 8 distribution centers
30,000 dealers and retailers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Business Problem

Goal: To improve process efficiency and reduce manual effort through automation of SAP processes and integration of multiple SAP systems.
 
The client in this case study is a major auto parts manufacturing company that was facing business challenges related to manual processes, data entry errors, and delays in production. The client relied on various SAP modules to manage its operations, but the processes were largely manual, leading to inefficiencies and productivity issues. They needed to find a solution that could automate the manual processes and reduce errors while improving production times.
 
Auto Parts Manufacturing company was facing significant challenges in terms of business performance. We were struggling to keep up with the competition and our processes were becoming increasingly outdated and inefficient. We realized that in order to improve our performance, we needed to modernize our business and data management processes and leverage enabling technologies to support them.
 
Our goal was to achieve business benefits by transforming our processes, automating repetitive tasks, and standardizing our operations. We also wanted to improve the stability and effectiveness of our IT systems to ensure that they could support our business objectives.
 
To achieve these goals, we implemented a comprehensive program of process improvement, technology implementation, and IT system optimization. This program included the implementation of new business and data management processes, the deployment of enabling technologies such as automation and machine learning, and the standardization of our IT systems.
 
As a result of these efforts, we were able to improve our business performance and achieve significant value through the transformation, automation, and standardization of our processes. Our IT systems also became more stable and effective, providing a solid foundation for our business operations. Overall, we were able to realize our goal of improving business performance and achieving real business benefits through the implementation of new business and data management processes supported by enabling technologies.

Business Solution

To address the business problem of improving our existing business processes, we implemented a comprehensive solution that included several key components.
 
First, we identified the specific areas of our business that required improvement, including our Order-to-Cash (OTC), Record-to-Report (RTR), Procure-to-Pay (PTP), Sales-to-Procurement (STP), and Logistics-to-Transportation (LTT) processes. We then developed a plan to improve these processes by implementing new business rules and leveraging the latest technology.
 
One of the key elements of our solution was migrating our existing SAP R/3 system to SAP S/4 HANA. This required us to cleanse our old data as much as possible before migration, in order to ensure that we were working with accurate and relevant information. We also used SAP Business Objects Data Services (BODS) as a data migration tool to extract, transform, and load our existing data into S/4 HANA.
 
In addition to migrating our data, we also implemented new company codes and plants as per the current business requirements. This allowed us to better align our operations with our current business objectives, and to ensure that we were making the most effective use of our resources.
 
We decided to go for Greenfield implementation of S/4 HANA. This means that we started fresh with no or minimal customization of the system and also adopted the best practices as offered by S/4HANA.
 
In summary, our solution included the implementation of new business rules, the migration of our data from SAP R/3 to SAP S/4 HANA, the implementation of new company codes and plants, and the use of SAP BODS as a data migration tool. These efforts allowed us to improve our existing business processes and achieve significant business benefits through increased efficiency, improved data accuracy, and better alignment with our current business requirements.

Technical Solution

To address the technical aspect of improving our existing business processes, we implemented a comprehensive solution that involved close collaboration with our business users.
 
First, we interacted with the business to understand their specific functional specifications, mappings, and extract logics. We then gathered the business requirements from the business users and prepared technical documents for the migration of data from the source system to SAP.
 
Next, we migrated the data to HANA, and wrote LSMW programs to load data to SAP. We also developed data services jobs for transforming and enriching the data, which helped us to ensure that the data was accurate and relevant for our business operations.
 
To ensure that we were implementing the best practices and providing the best possible solutions, we installed and configured Business Objects Data Services (BODS), as well as other EIM Business Objects product family. We used BODS to profile and validate the data, which helped us to identify any issues or discrepancies that needed to be addressed.
 
We also prepared technical specifications and knowledge transfer documents, which helped us to ensure that our solution was well-documented and easy to understand. Additionally, we wrote SQL scripts to analyze and validate the data, and developed a process layer using ABAP/LSMW, Oracle RDBMS, SQL Server, and SAP HANA.
 
In summary, our technical solution included close collaboration with the business, data migration to HANA, writing LSMW programs to load data to SAP, developing data services jobs for transforming and enriching the data, implementing best practices, validating and profiling data using BODS, preparing technical specifications and knowledge transfer documents, installing and configuring BODS and other EIM Business Objects product family, and developing SQL scripts for analyzing and validating the data, and developing process layer using ABAP / LSMW, Oracle RDBMS, SQL Server, and SAP HANA. These efforts allowed us to effectively migrate our data, improve our existing business processes, and achieve significant business benefits through increased efficiency and improved data accuracy.

Technologies Used

For this case study, we leveraged several technologies to improve our existing business processes and achieve business benefits. These technologies included:
 
SAP ABAP: We used this programming language to develop custom applications and enhancements for our SAP system.
 
SAP BODS: We used this data integration and transformation tool to migrate our data from our source system to SAP S/4 HANA and also used for profiling and validation of the data.
 
OOPS ABAP: We used this object-oriented programming language to develop modern, efficient, and maintainable code for our custom applications.
 
PL/SQL: We used this programming language to develop scripts and procedures for our Oracle RDBMS.
 
SAP S/4 HANA: We used this enterprise resource planning system as the target system for our data migration.
 
LSMW: We used this tool to load data to SAP S/4 HANA.
 
Oracle RDBMS: We used this relational database management system to store and manage our data.
 
These technologies allowed us to improve our existing business processes, automate repetitive tasks, and ensure that our IT systems were stable and effective. They also enabled us to achieve significant business benefits through increased efficiency and improved data accuracy.

Customer Success Outcomes

Customer Success Outcomes Process Integration for Major Auto Parts Manufacturing Client
Reduced manual effort by 80%: The automation of SAP processes and integration reduced manual effort by 80%, resulting in significant time and cost savings for the client.
 
Achieved a 40% improvement in order processing time: The implementation of the SAP process integration automation resulted in a 40% improvement in order processing time, enabling the client to process orders more quickly and efficiently.
 
Reduced invoice processing time from 15 minutes to 2 minutes: The implementation of the automation solution reduced invoice processing time from 15 minutes to just 2 minutes, resulting in a significant time and cost savings for the client.
 
Increased accuracy of order processing and shipping information: The automation solution ensured that the order processing and shipping information was accurate, reducing errors and improving the overall efficiency of the process.
 
Automated order processing and reduced errors: The automation of SAP processes and integration reduced the number of errors in the order processing and shipping process, resulting in improved accuracy and efficiency.
 
 
The solution also allowed for greater visibility into the supply chain, improved communication between the client and its customers, and helped to streamline the order-to-cash process. Overall, the implementation of SAP Process Integration Automation helped the client to improve its operational efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the customer experience.

 

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