One Platform for the entire World
Gore is harmonizing its Processes as Part of an S/4HANA Greenfield Project. Worldwide.
W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) is a U.S.-based company headquartered in Newark, Delaware. Gore is a global leader in the processing of fluoropolymers, particularly polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Approximately 10,000 employees across more than 30 countries and various application areas (electronics, industrial products, medical, textiles) work on developing innovative and versatile solutions for the most demanding conditions—from medical implants and clothing for Mount Everest expeditions to electronic cables that transmit signals to Mars.
With a greenfield approach—essentially “out with the old”—Gore set the tone for its S/4HANA transformation. The clear objective was globally harmonized processes. Maintenance for the existing legacy system (JD Edwards) was coming to an end, making SAP S/4HANA the solution of choice. With CONSILIO as a partner, all SAP modules were implemented. In a big-bang rollout, nine plants went live simultaneously across three countries on two continents.
Go-live im Big Bang across nine plants, in three countries, on two continents.
Requirements and Challenges
The goal of the project was to establish a global platform for all locations worldwide. This included process simplification and digital enablement. The project followed a template-based approach and a project methodology based on SAP Activate.
Process and System Complexity
- The processes span 17 different industry segments — resulting in high functional diversity and complexity in standardization
- The need to harmonize 7 parallel SAP projects — alignment of timelines and target designs was required
→ risks due to system inconsistencies, and the need for standardization and integration - The Ariba implementation (procurement processes) needed to be closely aligned with the project — requiring both technical and process integration
Project Organization and Time Management
- Short project duration of 11 months
→ increased time pressure and accelerated decision-making - Tight resource planning
→ strong focus on SAP standard and fit-to-template
International Complexity
- 9 plants going live in parallel across 2 continents and 3 countries
→ high coordination demands, differences in local requirements
and processes - Different cultures/languages across 5 time zones (India, USA MST + EST, Scotland, Germany)
→ communication barriers, time differences complicating meetings and alignment.
17 Industries harmonized in SAP S/4HANA.
We chose CONSILIO as our partner for the S/4HANA transformation because their consultants bring not only deep expertise in the SAP SCM environment, but also strong business know-how. This was a key factor in the success of our S/4HANA transformation,
Key Benefits for GORE
- Secure implementation of S/4HANA at all locations
- Establishment of the strategic foundation for process innovations and further optimizations
- Optimization of the end-to-end supply chain
