CompanyKuka
BranchMechanical Engineering
ProductsIndustrial robots
Number of employees14,000
Turnover2.6 bn. Euro
HeadquartersAugsburg, Germany
Challenges
Challenges
  • Numerous customised developments
  • Integration of Kuka’s own master data management system
Solutions
Solutions
  • SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance
  • Ariba Realm set to Multi-Tenant-Account
Advantages
Advantages
  • Standardised and harmonised processes in a central structure
  • Communication with suppliers via the Ariba Network
Why Apsolut
Why apsolut
  • Excellent advisory service from the first preliminary discussions onwards
  • Very good price/know-how ratio

From the Search to the Finder Structure

“The secret of art is not to seek, but to find”, Pablo Picasso once said. The new supplier portal at KUKA may not have been inspired by the work of the great Spanish painter. However, the secret of the new portal’s success was clearly defined from the very beginning: Data should no longer be searched for in a laborious and time-consuming manner, but should be found quickly. To achieve this, all supplier information should be transferred to a central structure and a new commodity group structure should be agreed and introduced.

KUKA decided to implement SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance, or in short Ariba SLP. After the initial consulting discussions, apsolut was chosen as the partner to implement of the new portal. apsolut was particularly convincing due to its excellent cost/know-how ratio.

During the project, apsolut implemented numerous customer-specific requirements together with the KUKA project team. One particular challenge was the integration of Ariba SLP with the existing SAP S/4HANA system and the KUKA-specific Master Data Management. Other individual adaptations included the conversion of the Ariba Realm from a single-tenant to a multi-tenant account as well as the conversion of the material group structure from standard-UNSPSC to custom.

In addition, apsolut provided support in the creation of complex qualification questionnaires for condition-based approval processes.

On the collaboration with apsolut, Tanja Sefrin, Project Manager at KUKA, says the following:

“We had many specific requirements and together with apsolut we found a solution for each one of them. We used to search for supplier information, now we do find it. We are really very satisfied!”

The first feedback from suppliers and employees was also particularly positive. In a first wave, 28 suppliers were invited and thanks to the new portal, the already trained staff noticed their work becoming significantly easier and more efficient.

In any case, as a conclusion of the project one can say: The secret of success lies in pursuing it!

Creation of complex qualification questionnaires for condition-based approvals

Development of an interface for customer-specific S/4HANA Master Data Management with SAP Ariba SLP

Implemented tools

SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance
SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance
Ariba Realm
Ariba Realm

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Alina Aftene, Procurement Solutions Specialist, Delivery Hero

“In addition to the high level of expertise, what impressed me most about the apsolut team was the enormous commitment. We were very well supported throughout all stages and overcame all difficulties together”,

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"As our experiences with apsolut were so positive across all national companies, we have already doubled the number of monthly support days twice. Thanks to apsolut, we now have the resources we need to implement rollouts in other national companies. At the moment, they are ongoing in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and France."

Sandra Mancino, Application Consultant, C&A
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"With apsolut, we have gained a partner who has implemented our requirements effectively and efficiently in the configuration of Ariba in a practical manner and in a breathtaking amount of time. The customer-oriented approach was one of the main reasons why we also chose apsolut for the implementation of SLP and Contract Management."

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„Every time we came up against an unexpected challenge during the course of the project, apsolut immediately showed up possible options to resolve the issue. We always knew to what extent we had freedom of movement within the constraints of the cloud solution.”

Linna Krasnikov, SCC System Administrator, Kärcher
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"apsolut impressed us in our project , particularly because of the open and cooperative partnership. The project team gets on very well with each other. But we were also impressed by the solution-oriented approach and the fast and efficient enablement of our support staff!"

Annette Römer, Project Manager at McKesson Europe
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„apsolut not only guided us through the project with utmost professionalism and a proactive approach – decisive was the fact that apsolut enabled us to operate the new tool independently and to control the next steps ourselves. In addition, thanks to apsolut, we have been able to establish the right network, including with the right contacts at SAP Austria. The project has been an overwhelming success and we have managed to foster an almost friend-to-friend relationship with the apsolut team."

Gerald Goldgruber, Strategic Manager for Process Management and SAP, Frutura
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We were able to roll out Ariba very quickly, because we established a pragmatic and open culture of cooperation with the apsolut team from the very beginning, and we were prepared to systematically align ourselves with the standard“,

Sarah Eve Wiedemann-Geiß, who oversees purchasing and supplier management at Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall
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“With a partner like apsolut, not even a pandemic is able to stop us! When the project started, we were a little skeptical, due to the fact that the project team was unable to meet face-to-face. But we are now delighted to say that all our concerns have proven to be unfounded.“

Chandrashekhar Saldur, AGM - Global Procurement & Projects, ETG Group
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‘With its flexible and transparent procedure, apsolut perfectly complemented our own limited personnel resources. Together, we were able to address topics like multi-line items or dependencies with other tools. It’s unbelievable how much knowledge and expertise we were able to gain,’

Regina Krüger-Wendel, Chief Procurement Officer, Atruvia
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“We knew that this was apsolut’s first project for a health insurance company, but that didn’t matter. Because apsolut always listened to us, understood our requirements and finally delivered solutions. We could design different processes for direct and indirect purchasing. Together we work professionally in state-of-the-art mode.”

Michael Spiess, Chief Procurement Officer, Sanitas Krankenversicherung
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"apsolut has been supporting us in the ope-ration of our SRM system for 10 years. It does not matter whether we report a problem in the production system or want to discuss change requests. We are contacted by apsolut in a timely manner to resolve our concerns or discuss our requirements in detail. apsolut always provides the important piece of securi-ty in the background - if anything goes wrong, they always help quickly and straightforwardly."

Torsten Enseroth, SAP S/4HANA Solution Architect, Friedhelm Loh Group
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"Of course, we are immensely proud of how we implemented this complex transformation together. The always competent and more than punctual execution moved us to initiate a parallel project for partial process innovation in the ongoing project. Actually a no-go, but with apsolut no problem! With this positive experience, it was easy for us to initiate another project, which is currently being implemented. One thing remains to be said: Without the team around Bodo Hempelmann, this journey would definitely have been more difficult!”

Manuel Steffen, Project Officer Source-to-Pay, Evonik Industries
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"When selecting our implementation partner, apsolut was able to prevail over internationally active competitors thanks to its excellent understanding of our requirements, openness in partnership, and great flexibility. Thanks to the very good cooperation with the apsolut team, we successfully completed the project and signed a support agreement for future developments."

Julia Graubner, Senior Procurement Project Manager, K+S
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"A transformation program of this scale needs a strong internal team from Procurement and Internal IT, but of course also experienced and committed external partners. The most important aspect is that everyone then works together with passion and conviction towards the common goal. In addition to the strong know-how of the consulting implementation partner – in our case apsolut – a strong line of communication from the partner to the software supplier SAP is also necessary."

Martin Traxl, Head of Strategy & Digitalization, OMV

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Markus Ortlieb, Director Global Procurement, ProMinent GmbH
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"Being able to design our purchasing processes flexibly, digitally and above all efficiently offers great added value. We will therefore continue to expand our system in the direction of SAP Ariba."

Armin Kaczmarek, Senior Vice President Corporate Purchasing, Vorwerk
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Simon Bohn, Global Solution Architect Procure to Pay, STIHL
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„apsolut not only guided us through the project with the utmost professionalism and a proactive approach – the decisive factor was that apsolut enabled us to operate the new tool independently and to manage the next steps ourselves. apsolut’s employees quickly familiarised themselves with our system and processes, which made it easier for us to achieve the project goals within the given timeframe. I would also like to praise their flexibility in adapting to changes and their flexibility in implementation, with clear communication and excellent project management. We look forward to benefiting from this expertise more often.”

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"Although personal contact was very limited due to Corona, a strong team formed during the intensive project phase. The decision-making paths at BITZER and apsolut were always short so that issues could be dealt with promptly and the planned go-live date achieved. The home office was not an obstacle, but also gave us the necessary flexibility for a project of this size.

All team members have done a great job, I have rarely worked so well with a consulting firm!"

Steffen Bauer, Project Manager, BITZER
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"apsolut demonstrated a high degree of flexibility and commitment during the project. The structured working methods and the dedicated team enabled us to meet the urgently needed go-live deadlines."

Paul Trautmann, Manager Procurement Processes & Projects, Röhm GmbH
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‘We’re on the right track to being able to take full advantage of the potential that this transformation offers, as apsolut not only gives us the expertise that we need, but also has an incredibly agile and committed approach. apsolut no longer feels like an external partner to me, but more like an internal department, with whom I hope we can continue to work well into the future.’

Dr. Bei Mortensen, IT Business Service Owner – SCM & Manufacturing, GEA Group
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“We had many specific requirements and together with apsolut we found a solution for each one of them. We used to search for supplier information, now we do find it. We are really very satisfied!”

Tanja Sefrin, Project Manager, KUKA
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"From the beginning of the project, we have made a remarkable change together with apsolut. The Döhler employees find their way through the easy user interface without any prior knowledge of SAP. As a result, our purchasing department is no longer an operational procurement office, but a team of in-house consultants."

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