Knoll SA, a subsidiary of global pharmaceutical company Knoll AG who in turn is wholly owned by BASF, is set to be the first South African organisation to implement the enterprise business SAP R/3 solution using the TeamSAP approach.
The TeamSAP concept provides a rapid implementation methodology (ASAP), ensures SAP certified consultants, features SAP Southern Africa in a coaching role and encompasses project and quality reviews throughout the implementation.
Petra Ackermann, financial director and SAP project manager at Knoll SA, says: "We had needed to implement a Y2K compliant enterprise wide business solution in time for the millennium."
Ackermann, discussing the reasons for the implementation, says: "Knoll AG and its parent BASF implemented SAP a number of years ago and in early May last year subsidiary Knoll SA followed suit." Knoll SA operates in the mid market sector, imports, markets and sells pharmaceutical products manufactured by Knoll AG - headquartered in Germany.
The South African subsidiary chose to implement SAP primarily for consistency across the Knoll Group, to fall in line with international company standards and to be year 2000 compliant.
"SAP will enable Knoll SA to consolidate its financial system with that of Knoll AG, allowing us to, for example, simply e-mail financial reports to head office," says Ackermann.
Financial accounting is just one of the modules selected by Knoll SA. The pharmaceutical company will also utilise the sales and distribution, controlling and materials management modules to regulate Knoll SA's business activities.
"Being live for two months, we can already identify areas where SAP is providing benefits for our business, once the system is operational.
"We anticipate being able to focus more attention on areas such as customer relations rather than tedious order processing.
"The SAP implementation will also free up time for us to provide in-house assistance and services to colleagues," says Ackermann.
She says the SAP Southern Africa consultants, who did the implementation, were very dedicated and professional and worked according to plan. This team was supported by a Knoll AG implementation team. "The SAP project has been a very positive experience for myself and colleagues thus far."
Tinus Wagner, project manager from SAP Southern Africa, says the dedication of the Knoll staff was definitely contributing to the success of the project. "In most instances, Knoll staff have completed tasks before schedule or on time. The project went live on 4 October 1999, on schedule and within budget," he says.
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Knoll SA
Knoll Pharmaceuticals South Africa is wholly owned by Knoll AG, headquartered in Germany. Knoll AG and its affiliates constitute the core of BASF Pharma, the global pharmaceuticals division of the chemical corporation BASF AG.
Knoll SA imports, markets and sells pharmaceutical products targeted at patients with pain or those suffering from cardiovascular and central nervous system afflictions or obesity. The drugs are imported from Knoll AG, where they are manufactured.
Knoll AG & BASF Pharma
BASF Pharma is the global pharmaceuticals division of BASF AG, the Ludwigshafen-based chemical corporation. BASF Pharma researches, develops, manufactures and markets drugs.
Knoll AG and its affiliates constitute the core of BASF Pharma. Knoll is situated in Ludwigshafen - in the so-called Rhine-Neckar-Triangle.
SAP
SAP is a market and technology leader in client/server enterprise application software, providing comprehensive solutions for organisations of all sizes and all industry sectors. Cultivating innovative technologies on a solid foundation of business experience, SAP delivers scaleable solutions that enable its customers to continually improve upon best business practices. SAP products empower people to respond quickly and decisively to dynamic market conditions, helping businesses achieve and maintain a competitive advantage.
Founded in 1972, SAP is based in Walldorf, Germany, and employs more than 15,000 people at offices in more than 50 countries who are dedicated to providing a high level of support and service for the more than 18,000 installations of R/3 worldwide. The SAP World Wide Web site can be found at http://www.sap.com and the local site at www.sap.co.za.
TeamSAP
The components of TeamSAP are people, processes and products:
- People. SAP professionals, consulting partners, and complementary software, technology and hardware providers offer solutions expertise to customers. TeamSAP ensures that the right vendor skills are involved to the right extent at the right time. By the end of 1998, TeamSAP will encompass more than 30,000 consulting professionals in addition to the expertise of SAP hardware and technology partners and complementary software providers (CSPs).
- Processes. The AcceleratedSAP programs are the cornerstone of the TeamSAP processes, providing a methodology, resources and tools such as R/3 Business Engineer that yield rapid and predictable implementations and a platform for continual change. Furthermore, SAP offers accelerated services, education and knowledge-sharing programs.
- Products. The SAP Business Framework includes R/3 Business Components, integration technologies and open interfaces that allow customers to extend their R/3 solutions with independent products from SAP or third parties. The goal of TeamSAP is the successful integration and interoperability of defined components within a customer's R/3 solution.
ASAP
The ASAP methodology, employed by TeamSAP, enables customers to reduce implementation times as it utilises a step-by-step roadmap which significantly speeds up the configuration of the software, improves service, and reduces cost.
ASAP is built on best implementation practice and includes tools, templates, and services which exploit the power of existing implementation tools within the SAP system. The key to ASAP is flexibility. SAP is easily and inexpensively tailored to individual business, industry and timing requirements, without a major impact on the overall project timeframe.