EagleBurgmann | Conversion of current SAP ECC landscape to SAP S/4HANA
EagleBurgmann - Rely on Excellence
EagleBurgmann is one of the leading international suppliers of industrial sealing technology. Its products and comprehensive services are used wherever reliability and safety are essential. EagleBurgmann is characterized by excellent quality, close customer proximity, high innovative strength and a comprehensive product portfolio for almost all industrial processes and applications.
This includes mechanical seals and seal supply systems, magnetic couplings, carbon floating ring seals, expansion joints and flat gaskets, packings, special products and comprehensive services. As part of the German Freudenberg Group and the Japanese EKK Group, EagleBurgmann has all required resources for a reliable partnership on a solid basis. And that worldwide.
Key Benefits of the Implementation for EagleBurgmann
- Harmonization of the Eagle Burgmann ERP system landscape
- Use of new functionalities in S/4HANA to improve production, delivery and group reporting
- Best-of-breed solution for more business process efficiency - improved performance through new HANA technology
- Feedback of in-house developments and use of S/4 standard functions to utilize future innovation potentials
Challenges
- Provision of a company-wide S/4 digitisation platform for all producing units
- Conversion to S/4 using a hybrid project approach with the best mix of brownfield and greenfield
- Tight project schedule of ten months and thus limited optimisation options for existing processes and interfaces
- Code adaptation and S/4 readiness checks including the necessary pre- and post-conversion activities
- Ensuring the existing functionality of interfaces to SAP (non-S/4) and third-party systems
- Ongoing functioning of existing MES systems and customer add-ons under S/4
- Simultaneous introduction of SAP GTS
CONSILIO is the strategic Partner for the conversion of the current SAP ECC landscape to SAP S/4HANA at EagleBurgmann.
Starting Point
Before the project began, EagleBurgmann locations worldwide used around 30 site-specific ERP systems. However, a company data model for digitalisation should be available in a standardised ERP system. The driver for the conversion was therefore a harmonisation of the EagleBurgmann system landscape. The goal was to build an SAP Digital Core, in this case the S/4HANA system, to which all countries would migrate in the long term.
The question of whether a rollout of the existing ECC system would be a better alternative was quickly dropped due to the advantages of S/4HANA and the new business models. The digital core, which will initially be used in Germany, Austria and China, is to be rolled out to the other locations as quickly as possible.
Not only the cooperation between business and IT was elementary for the success of the project, but above all the support of an experienced S/4HANA conversion partner such as CONSILIO.
Project objectives & realisation
Strategic project goal
Provision of a company-wide S/4 digitisation platform, a core system for all EagleBurgmann manufacturing units – integrated with Lean Cloud ERP for smaller sales and service companies.
- Best-of-breed solution for maximum business process efficiency
- Cutting-edge technology as a basis for continuous improvement
- Central master data backbone system
Key driver: Speed
It was clear from the outset that the implementation project had to be completed in ten months so as not to delay downstream activities such as rollout and digitisation.
- Project implementation and go-live back in in 2019
- Fastest roadmap for implementing the EagleBurgmann Digital Core
Quick Wins and Benefits for the Departments
- Identify the standardisation potential of S/4 to reinstate functionalities with customer-specific coding in the standard
- Use the speed potential of S/4 by applying innovative functionalities and new KPI apps
- Increase process efficiency and reduce delivery times and inventories by using current key figures from production and scheduling
Innovations
Development of a future-proof platform for digitisation and provision of new functionalities for accompanying projects.
- Establishment of a digital core for processes and master data before rollout
- Investment in innovations that can be used in later projects, such as Fiori UI and finite production planning
- Creation of a basis for the use of new, innovative technologies in the field of RPA (robotics), machine learning and digital manufacturing
Project highlights
- UI5 app masking
Development and introduction of a UI5 app to selectively display exception messages in the MRP run in a matter of seconds. The result: an 80% time reduction through the use of CDS view technology, as well as a reduction in administrative work and storage costs.
- Production versions
Timely creation and execution of production versions before the conversion, reduction of administrative work through regular testing of the migration report.
- MRP areas
Creation of a new process under S/4 and execution of MRP areas immediately before the conversion. Training of employees in subcontracting and warehouse disposition.
- Variant configuration
During the conversion, an error occurred in the configuration characteristics; the variant configuration in the customer order and the production orders were not resolved. In close cooperation with SAP, missing coding was replaced, the error was corrected and the conversion was carried out promptly.
Lessons Learned
- Preparatory measures should be tackled early on and numerous sandbox tests should be carried out.
- Sufficient time and effort should be planned for the initial conversion.
- Risk management with a clear risk and fallback plan for the go-live and cutover is recommended.
- Testing as often as possible, ideally on a productive copy, enables important routine in the conversion.