ZKW Named a Finalist for the SAP Quality Award
Specialist in innovative, premium light systems and electronics replaces SRM and SLC system, and switches to a future-proof cloud solution
Last year, ZKW implemented the cloud-based B2B marketplace Ariba as part of the Hercules project. This is a highly innovative implementation, and one of the most comprehensive thus far, even for the international implementation partner Apsolut GmbH, which is represented by a site in Vienna. By doing so, ZKW not only succeeded in accelerating the purchasing and approval process through digitization, but also made it more user-friendly and transparent. That was why the Wieselburg company was chosen as a finalist for the SAP Quality Award in the category of “Business Transformation.” The award has been handed out each year since 2006 for customer projects that meet the jury’s ten quality criteria. The assessment primarily covers an evaluation of strict project planning, as well as concentration on fast and cost-efficient implementation which is closely in line with the SAP standard. In addition, the results of the project must generate measurable added value and meet the demand for shorter introduction cycles and fast value creation. Hubert Buchsteiner, Group Vice President of Purchasing of the ZKW Group, is proud for the company to take its place among the finalists. Particularly because the entire team faced unexpected challenges during the parallel implementation of Ariba and S4/HANA: “The Covid 19 wave hit us shortly before the SOP in June 2020. We had to switch over to working from our home offices within a very short time. Despite these more difficult circumstances, we were able to implement all of the requirements in a timely manner and activate the new system for 1800 users. Of course, that is why we are particularly proud of being one of the finalists for the SAP Quality Award.”
Modern purchasing platform and supplier management
ZKW has digitized and thereby optimized all purchasing and approval processes with Ariba Buying. This has a clear advantage for purchasers: It significantly reduces their operational duties, so that they can focus on strategic issues. Electronic documentation of all processes makes it possible to reproduce past decisions and transactions, and improves auditing. Ariba SLP (Supplier Lifecycle and Performance Management), in contrast, optimizes the supplier management of the ZKW Group. Suppliers self-register and manage both their master data and certificates. Changes made by the supplier are simply approved or added on to by ZKW via a workflow – an enormous improvement in efficiency. “By implementing Ariba, we are consolidating our suppliers and we are able to bundle our requirements” explains Peter Schweinzer, SAP Solution Architect – Sourcing & Procurement at ZKW. In his opinion, it was not a foregone conclusion that such a comprehensive conversion of the system would be successful: “Collaboration among everyone involved in the project is important. From the start, we had a motivated and highly qualified project team – and with the support of management, the project was on a successful path right from the beginning.”
SAP Quality Award
This year, a total of 15 projects were nominated for the SAP Quality Award in Austria. Each year, the award is given to SAP customers who achieve outstanding performance by digitizing business processes. All projects are evaluated by a jury, with the help of ten quality principles suggested by SAP. The jury’s criteria include good project planning at a high level of quality, as well as concentrating on fast and cost-efficient implementation closely in line with the SAP standard. The project results are outstanding, generating measurable “business value” and meeting the need for shorter introduction cycles and fast value creation.
Press contact
Mag. (FH) Sandra Simeonidis-Huber, M.E.S.
Headquarters
ZKW Group GmbH
Rottenhauser Straße 8
A-3250 Wieselburg
press@zkw-group.com
+43 7416 505 0
Press Download 1.38 MB