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apsolut Implemented SAP Ariba Supplier Lifecycle and Performance at Kuka
CompanyKuka
BranchMechanical Engineering
ProductsIndustrial robots
Number of employees14,000
Turnover2.6 bn. Euro
HeadquartersAugsburg, Germany
Websitewww.kuka.com
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
Ariba Realm
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Chandrashekhar Saldur, AGM - Global Procurement & Projects, ETG Group
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Sarah Eve Wiedemann-Geiß, who oversees purchasing and supplier management at Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall
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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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Tanja Sefrin, Project Manager, KUKA
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Annette Römer, Project Manager, McKesson Europe AG
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Martin Traxl, Head of Strategy & Digitalization, OMV
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Annette Römer, Project Manager at McKesson Europe
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