Reengineering of variant configuration for customer orders
Goals
Sappi uses a lean SAP variant configuration that is integrated with SAP S/4Hana and SAP APO. The maintenance of the underlying master data was carried out using different configuration techniques depending on the region.
This approach was unsynchronized, time-consuming and often inaccessible to non-technical personnel. Variant configurations and their maintenance required only highly skilled labor.
We identified a strategic harmonization project. The goal was to harmonize the high-level configuration (sales order configuration) for all regions and business units within the large company.
The main objectives of this strategic harmonization were:
- using uniform characteristics
- enabling centralized maintenance of business rules
- simplifing transport order management by reducing configuration discrepancies
Solution
SAP variant configuration (LOVC) has been expanded to include conFIGURE and SAP BRF+. This enables the linking of Variant Configuration from SAP and SAP BRF+ as a powerful environment for modeling object relationships.
conFIGURE enables Sappi to
- visualize and maintain object relationships in the form of BRF+ rules online
- easier understand object relationships thanks to the simplified syntax of BRF+
- work with cross-SAP rules, as the rules are called from different modules in the same way
Challenges
The individual divisions used very different and non-harmonized feature assessments. Reconciling these without hindering the underlying processes of the divisions was a key challenge when introducing this solution.
Benefits
- The maintenance of object relationships has been greatly simplified through the use of BRF+ rules and the conFIGURE tool. The new approach with harmonized configuration enables centralized maintenance, which represents a considerable simplification on the IT side.
- In addition, the harmonization reduces discrepancies between the individual business units, which simplifies communication and collaboration between them.
- Finally, this setup saves the effort of master data maintenance and enables business users to understand the determination logic and track automated decisions.
As a global organization with regional roots, Sappi has set itself the goal of harmonizing processes and master data in the regions in order to achieve maximum synergies. In the pulp and pater industry, variant configuration is a central topic for master data and is already used intensively in various aspects.
In concircle , we have found the ideal partner to advise us on this process of harmonization and simplification, but above all to support us in its implementation. Sappi sees the use of the product conFIGURE together with BRF+ as a key success factor, enabling us to meet the complex requirements in a manageable, easy-to-use and easy-to-maintain way that we did not have before. As a result, we have a much better solution that makes us independent of VC specialists and enormously reduces the effort required for master data maintenance.
