Contents
Background
The Client is a global leader in the production of bauxite, alumina, and primary aluminium. With over 3,000 employees, the Client is at the forefront of the metals and mining industry. The company operates advanced production facilities in the US, Iceland, Jamaica, and the Netherlands. The company provides long-term sustainable, efficient and economic solutions, all while keeping the safety of their employees and local communities.
Business Scenario
The Client was using SAP’s on-premise ERP solution to manage and operate the critical business processes. This ERP solution was integrated with other systems using a wide variety of integration solutions, including some home grown solutions.
While the system supported their core operations, they faced several challenges:
- Limited Scalability: The existing infrastructure struggled to handle increasing workloads
- Integration Complexities: Connecting SAP and non-SAP systems across various geographies required significant manual intervention, custom development and license costs for different solutions
- High Maintenance Costs: Maintaining on-premise infrastructure and integrations consumed almost 30% of the IT budget
- Slow Innovation Cycle: The IT team was bogged down with operational tasks, delaying digital transformation initiatives
- End of Life: SAP announced End of Life for SAP PI and PO, which forced The Client to explore alternate solutions (SAP BTP Integration Suite) to ensure compliance, compatibility, continuity and support
The Client aimed to proactively modernize its IT landscape by migrating to RISE with SAP and implementing the SAP BTP Integration Suite to enable seamless communication across its systems and partners.
The Migration Path
After several discussions and planning sessions with the Client’s team, CyberTech leveraged its proven expertise and approach to define a customized migration path for them. Migration plan was carefully designed to address all the requirements, minimize risks and optimize the timelines and the budget. Key components of the migration plan included the following activities:
With detailed planning and leveraging CyberTech’s proprietary tools and methodologies, the migration, upgrade and SAP BTP Integration Suite implementation was completed in a record time of 6 months.
The Challenges
The upgrade was a complex process entailing numerous integrations and various customizations. Key challenges in the engagement included:
- Unavailability of specific PI/PO adaptors in Cloud Integration (CI)
- Need of mapping redesign in SAP CI to accommodate parameterized values
- Handling Exactly-Once-In-Order (EOIO) data and processing without delayed message delivery
- Scalability issues while managing high-volume data to view reports
- Tableau Proxy Interface issues
With its deep technical expertise, field experience and detailed understanding of SAP products, CyberTech was able to resolve these issues with ease.
The Results
- Seamless Migration: A smooth transition with minimal or zero disruptions to business operations during the upgrade and migration process
- Enhanced IT Infrastructure: By upgrading to the latest SAP S/4HANA 2023 version, the company gained access to the new features and functionalities that significantly enhanced their business processes and provided improved system performance, stability, and security
- CapEx Reduction: Transitioning to cloud solutions significantly reduced the operations and maintenance costs for the company as compared to maintaining on-premise systems
- Optimized Integration: Successful migration to the SAP BTP Integration Suite, enabled robust and scalable integration capabilities
- Empowered Teams: Extensive training and knowledge transfer provided by the CyberTech team equipped CA’s team to maximize the benefits of the new systems
The new system enhanced integration functionality and performance, supporting scalable and resilient operations. Modernization of the SAP landscape allowed the company to leverage the future evolution of the SAP platform. This successful project positions the prominent global aluminium producer for sustained growth and efficiency in their IT landscape.
The Benefits
The migration was completed with zero business outage and the Client is enjoying various benefits such as:
Business Benefits
- Cost Savings: Lowered infrastructure, maintenance and license cost for third party tools costs by 25%
- Improved Agility: Enabled faster deployment of new business processes and services, cutting time-to-market by 30%
- Real-Time Insights: Provided executives with real-time data for better decision-making, improving operational efficiency by 20%
- Improved Customer Experience: Enhanced data synchronization across systems, ensuring consistent and seamless customer interactions
Technical Benefits
- Scalability: Enabled the company to scale resources on demand, supporting peak loads without additional hardware investments
- Simplified Integration: Streamlined connectivity across global systems, reducing manual efforts by 50%
- Enhanced Security: Leveraged cloud security features like data encryption, threat monitoring, and compliance with global standards
- Faster Deployment: Reduced integration time by 40% using SAP Integration Suite’s pre-built content and templates
CyberTech Advantage
The Client partnered with CyberTech as trusted advisor and an experienced RISE with SAP S/4HANA as well as SAP BTP expert, ensuring a smooth and efficient migration. Key CyberTech advantages included:
- Expertise in SAP Cloud Solutions
- CyberTech brought deep expertise in SAP S/4HANA and Integration Suite migrations, ensuring best practices and a robust strategy
- End-to-End Support
- Provided a comprehensive range of services, from initial assessment to post-go-live support, reducing the risk of errors or downtime
- Accelerated Deployment
- Leveraged pre-built accelerators and tools to speed up the migration process
- Customized Solutions
- Delivered tailored integrations and workflows aligned with the company’s unique business needs
- Change Management and Training
- Supported user training and change management, ensuring high adoption rates and minimal disruption during the transitions
Voice of the Customer
“CyberTech’s expertise in SAP integration migration was instrumental in our successful transition to rise with SAP. Their seamless execution comprehensive training and robust governance framework ensured a smooth upgrade with minimal disruption. Their team’s dedication and technical prowess have significantly enhanced our integration capabilities and positioned for future growth.”
Global SAP Applications Manager
Conclusion
The transformation of SAP S/4HANA from on-premise to the private cloud using RISE with SAP S/4HANA transformation, and the implementation of SAP Integration Suite transformed the Client’s IT landscape. By partnering with CyberTech, they achieved cost efficiency, agility, and improved business outcomes, positioning itself as a leader in innovation and customer satisfaction.
CyberTech Systems and Software Inc.
