Winning confidence to deliver a pan-continental ERP migration

The challenge

Our client is a global leader in foreign currency with operations in over 27 countries and 1,200 stores at airports and other locations worldwide. Their business had grown through multiple acquisitions, resulting in disparate processes and systems across the organisation.

The client’s finance function was running 4 different general ledger systems, leading to inefficiencies and consolidation challenges. Previous attempts to migrate to a single GL, using internal resources, had failed.

ESHER was appointed to lead migration to a new consolidated ERP (SAP) general ledger across seven countries spanning Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Fresh stakeholder confidence would need to be inspired and buy-in to the programme would be critical - local resources would need to be allocated and motivated to succeed.

Approach

Given the challenge of a changing business environment, it was essential for our team to maintain certainty in the programme’s delivery objectives throughout. We engaged C-Suite stakeholders regularly to ensure the full range of challenges and concerns were understood and mitigated.

Through this we were able to establish a roadmap that allowed the client a level of flexibility to meet changing internal requirements, but also allowed the necessary certainty required with a significant investment.

With a roadmap established, our team led the migration on a country-by-country basis. This meant the client maintained confidence through iterative roll-outs and avoided the greater risks of a single event deployment.

The approach also enabled the team to develop the solution over time. We introduced increasingly complex standardisation and automation into progressive deployments. Simultaneously we adapted the solution to comply with local tax and regulatory requirements. This generated efficiencies in finance processes, freeing up workforce capacity.

We delivered further value by managing the transition of consultancy-led knowledge to internal, on and offshore, teams. We assisted in building the client’s in-house capability to meet its future delivery needs, establishing an ERP/SAP Centre of Excellence. This allowed us to provide stabilising strategic guidance to finance at a time of challenging operational crisis.

Throughout this engagement we provided a high performing, adaptable technical team that were able to pivot according to evolving circumstances. The complex delivery was successfully completed within the budget and timeframe and our strategic insights enabled the client to align to industry best practices.

Impact

Old ERP technology decommissioned

replaced with a new SAP system in 7 countries across 4 continents.

Standardisation delivered efficiencies

the standardisation meant that a template model was created which delivers efficiencies for back office finance processes and within the technical component, enabling the client to increase capacity within operations and deliver cost savings.

ERP automation created greater control

automation of the ERP solution (wherever possible) increased efficiencies against equivalent manual processes and also delivers greater control from a risk perspective.

Defined model improved visibility

a more defined accounting model and technical solution enhanced the finance reconciliation processes, allowing clearer visibility into product profitability.

Strategic guidance led to alignment

our consultancy expertise allowed us to provide additional strategic guidance to the client enabling them to align short term needs to a longer-term vision for SAP.