Use of a pre-configured “blueprint” application and
visits to customer reference sites played key roles in the
decision-making stage of Alpha Airports Group’s implementation of a
new SAP retail system.
The group, which provides retail and catering services for
airlines and airports, chose Ciber Novasoft to implement SAP for
its retail operations.
Group IT director Martin Cook spoke to senior staff at Direct
Wines, Halfords and Boots who had implemented SAP to assess Ciber
Novasoft ’s credentials in retail consultancy and the applicability
of SAP.
He also spent half a day with Direct Wines looking at its
merchandise supply chain. This allowed him to see whether the
system he was buying would support specific compliance
requirements.
Cook said, “Our key reference objective concerned the HM Revenue
and Customs compliance elements. We run a lot of bonded warehouse
operations and it was key to understand and verify the credentials
Ciber Novasoft had in dealing with that part of our business.”
During the implementation, a pre-configured SAP retail
application was demonstrated in workshops to find out what managers
were looking for in a production system.
The prototype SAP system allowed him to challenge managers on
the way they worked when their processes were not supported
directly within SAP, avoiding the need to customise SAP with
tailored business processes.
Since the installation of the system in April, Cook said the
business has experienced efficiency gains.
“For the first time we now have authoritative, topical
information about our inventory levels, which has allowed much
closer management of the working capital in our business,” he
said.
Read about Total's SAP systems
Vote for your IT greats
Who have been the most influential people in IT in the past 40
years? The greatest organisations? The best hardware and software
technologies? As part of Computer Weekly’s 40th anniversary
celebrations, we are asking our readers who and what has really
made a difference?
Vote now at:
www.computerweekly.com/ITgreats