SAP, world leader in enterprise business software, has announced a pre-configured SAP system designed specifically for the consumer product industry.
Part of SAP`s global industry initiative, the Consumer Products solution is suited to the local market as it provides companies with a template for rapidly implementing the typical business processes of the consumer products industry quickly and effectively.
Locally, SAP boasts an extensive customer base in this sector already, including companies such as Bokomo/Sasko, SA Breweries, I&J, Ola, Robertson, Transvaal Sugar Limited and Premier. Globally, SAP is the market leader in the consumer products industry, with more than 1100 installations, including nine of the top 10 Fortune 500 consumer products companies.
The SAP Consumer Products solution now features comprehensive optimisation planning and execution of the extended supply chain, a tailored consumer products solution for small and mid-size companies, and additional industry-specific functionality.
"The consumer products industry is characterised by mass customisation, multiple delivery channels, intense product proliferation, minimal barriers to entry and diminishing brand loyalty," says Stefano Mattiello, general manager: retail and consumer products business unit, SAP Southern Africa.
"The explosion of marketing activity and competition poses a major challenge for consumer products companies whose original supply chain systems and processes were not designed to meet these demands," he says.
"To improve the productivity of their supply chain, consumer products companies must extend their enterprise to include suppliers and customers. The entire supply chain must be linked, from raw material producers to retailers and, with the emergence of the consumer direct channel, eventually to the consumers themselves.
"The SAP Consumer Products solution provides industry-specific functionality that includes more than 1 000 business processes and information management tools developed to meet the demanding requirements of the consumer products industry," he says.
"The latest enhancements to the SAP Consumer Products solution demonstrate SAP`s commitment to working with its customers to meet their changing business requirements in the dynamic consumer products industry."
SAP Consumer Products builds on the core R/3 solution to deliver improved customer responsiveness, real-time planning tools and the integration of strategic information in one enterprise solution. SAP Consumer Products is targeted to meet the business needs of consumer products manufacturers including both general business practices and those processes specific to the consumer products industry.
"The solution also prepares consumer products companies to meet future needs and trends in areas such as category, trade and account management as well as regional demand fulfilment, research and development, production and packaging," says Mattiello.
To provide a true cross-industry solution for customers, SAP works with the leading companies world-wide in all major industry sectors to develop industry-specific business processes. SAP is therefore able to offer comprehensive functionality for the standard business needs in a company, together with integrated industry-specific business processes.
The enhancements to the Consumer Products solution include: Supply Chain Management. SAP Consumer Products takes advantage of new solution offerings within the SAP Supply Chain Optimisation, Planning and Execution (SAP SCOPE) Initiative, including the SAP Business Information Warehouse (SAP BW), SAP Sales Force Automation (SAP SFA) and SAP Advanced Planner and Optimiser (SAP APO) as well as business-to-business commerce via the Internet. The combined solution enables seamless, multidimensional collaboration of events, processes and decisions among consumer products business partners.
It also allows manufacturers to reduce cycle times as well as inventory, distribution and manufacturing costs across the supply chain. Industry trends. The SAP investment in an emerging market channel, specifically Web-enabled consumer direct, and sponsorship of industry initiatives such as Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) push the data envelope for SAP Consumer Products customers.
SAP Accelerated Consumer Products. This new solution, which is generally available, facilitates quick implementation for small and mid-size consumer products companies. Leveraging the strength of the AcceleratedSAP implementation methodology, the Ready-to-Run R/3 pre-installed technical infrastructure, and Pre-Configured Client, SAP provides a fast, cost-effective and easily installed industry-specific solution.
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