Sasol Polymers in broad SAP roll-out

Sasol Polymers, Southern Africa`s leading producer of monomers, polymers, chlor-alkali chemicals and mining reagents, has successfully completed the installation of SAP R/3 version 4.6c.

The year-long project commenced with a three-month business process re-engineering exercise facilitated by EDS and Deloittes Consulting. The purpose of the exercise was to establish common business processes across the seven business units running separate SAP R/3 (version 3.11) systems.

The business drivers that supported the move from a segmented environment included:

• .         the drive to enhance Sasol Polymers` Vision `to be world class`;

• .         the need to improve business processes and to deliver additional value to customers;

• .         preparing the business for future e-commerce; and

• .         to enable Sasol Polymers to improve customer service.

The project commenced in January 2001, and SAP version 4.6c went live at the beginning of October. The project was dubbed `Project Confluence`, which precisely describes the merging of the seven business systems into a single integrated system.

According to Dudley Schnetler, general manager of Information Technology at Sasol Polymers, the project engendered a great sense of unity among staff. Says Schnetler: "It has been great to witness the surge of enthusiasm and motivation as the project progressed. The same goes for the effort that was willingly put in by the team in the closing stages of the project to complete the implementation by delivering quality work within the planned time."

The project, jointly managed by Sasol Polymers, Deloittes Consulting and EDS affected approximately 800 users at various geographic locations around the country.