Case Study
UST helped global retailer streamline SAP ERP application management
OUR CLIENT
This American multinational company is one of the leading big-box retail chains in the world. With more than 750 locations across the globe, the company employs more than 300,000 people and generates annual revenue of nearly $250 billion.
THE CHALLENGE
Needed SAP ERP expertise to reduce costs and streamline system management
This expansive, global retailer chose SAP for its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. However, after an extensive and costly implementation effort with a top-tier systems integrator, IT leaders realized that an off-the-shelf ERP application, like SAP, wasn’t well-suited to its unique operations. The company needed to alter its processes to suit the SAP application, which proved difficult and led to expensive cost overruns.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Oursourced end-to-end application management services frees resources, reduces cost
With a successful 20-year partnership, the global retailer selected UST for this SAP application management support (AMS) engagement. The UST team:
- Provides 24x7 production support - for SAP ERP Central Component (SAP ECC) on SAP HANA, Finance and Controlling (FICO), and Business Application Software Integrated Solution (BASIS)
- Follows best practice support methodologies - using an information technology infrastructure library (ITIL) framework with Run SAP
- Manages upgrades, enhancements, and refreshes - for kernel and support packs, plugins, tools, and database clusters
- Conducts SAP audits and sizing for new European retail locations - to ensure all internal systems can handle the additional transaction loads and that the systems will function properly in each expansion country
- Provides extended support - when new retail locations open
- Develops tools to streamline application processes - such as the “virtual POS” tool, which automatically updates sales data in the point of sale (POS) data management system and the SAP ECC financial and materials management systems
THE IMPACT
Decreased SAP-related IT expenses and eased pressure off the SAP ERP system management
With the successful AMS engagement in place, this multinational retailer has reduced its SAP-related IT costs and alleviated the burden of SAP ERP system management so that in-house IT personnel can focus on more strategic initiatives, like European expansion efforts. Even more importantly, company executives and IT leaders have peace of mind that the company has a stable IT foundation to scale growth.
RESOURCES
https://www.ust.com/en/what-we-do/strategy-implementation-operations/enterprise-application-services