Nokia CIO John Clarke and
Colgate Palmolive vice-president
Paul McGarry have explained how SAP software had helped their
businesses at the
Sapphire conference in Berlin.
"Where we are today is very clearly the result of using
technology very smartly - both the technology we put into our
devices and the technology we use to help us make those devices,"
Clarke told the conference's 9,000 delegates.
Clarke said Nokia's huge growth in the 1990s had been
constrained by the inability of its IT systems to cope with the
company's fast expansion.
"The supply chain was unable to cope with this rapid growth and
parts of the IT ended up being criticised in the annual report," he
said.
He said SAP had played a key role in
helping the company turn around. Nokia is now moving away from
being a mobile phone handset manufacturer to focus on providing new
types of mobile services to customers, like music players and maps
of their locality. Global growth in Asia and Africa means Nokia
must adapt its products to different consumers.
"SAP has been a very strategic partner. We have had to exploit
SAP technology to the full. The right architecture is a key
enabler. It has allowed us to provide truly global services," he
said.
Colgate's McGarry said SAP technology helps the company to
communicate and work with partners. He said, "The customer
relationship management system (CRM) has been crucial in reaching
out to professional partners, like the dentistry industry, and
understand what's going on in their world and their
businesses."
He said, "The strategy for us was very clear. We looked to build
a business framework of capability all around the world. We wanted
to expand our network beyond our own company and SAP allows us to
do that."
Both companies have followed SAP's example of creating a
business "ecosystem" of global partners to support international
growth.