A successful implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud in just 13 weeks. Thielco Steel Solutions Group and Ctac proved it’s possible. During the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud Innovation Day 2024, CEO Juliëtte Heldens shared the remarkable digital transformation journey of Thielco.
Thielco Steel Solutions Group is a European leader in grid production and corrosion-resistant surface treatments. The family-owned company with around 175 employees had been working with SAP ECC, the former release of SAPs enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, to great satisfaction for years. “My father bought SAP ECC about twelve years ago, right here in this SAP office,” said Heldens, looking around the SAP reception area in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. “He just got SAP ECC on a CD back then. He handed it to our IT manager with a simple note: ‘I bought this. Implement it.’ It was that simple back then.”
From CD to the cloud
For years, SAP ECC served Thielco well. “It was a beautiful and robust system. But with new and faster changing business requirements, we increasingly ran into the limits of the system’s capabilities,” Heldens explained. “SAP ECC was just outdated and at the end of its lifecycle. To improve the productivity and quality of the organization, further digitization on the shop floor was necessary.”
“We had to do something,” said Heldens. “We primarily looked at SAP because we were a satisfied SAP customer. But initially, we thought S/4HANA Cloud was too big for us. Or rather, that our organization was too small for SAP S/4HANA Cloud. But SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition turned out to be a perfect fit for us, especially due to its standardized processes, modular approach, and scalability.”
Don’t reinvent the wheel
In particular, the standardization based on industry-specific best practices was exactly what Thielco was looking for. Heldens: “Every company is unique. But the business processes are 90 percent similar. Why reinvent the wheel yourself, when you can also rely on proven and successful processes for the industry? Thanks to the best practices in SAP S/4HANA Cloud, you will be provided with the best way to organize your processes. That’s why we adopted the ‘stick to the standard’ principle. Show us the best way to work, and we’ll adhere to that. Of course, there is always some customization, but if you standardize 90 percent, only 10 percent remains custom.”
This standardization allowed for a rapid implementation. “We could quickly set up the core processes, our running business, based on best practices,” Heldens explained. “Of course, there were additional elements, but we could work on those even after the implementation. So we could get started quickly.”
Live in 13 weeks
In September 2023, Thielco, together with implementation partner Ctac, started the project. They set a strict deadline: the company had to switch to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition by January 1. Heldens: “Production at Thielco always halts between Christmas and New Year. We had to use that week for the implementation. We succeeded, thanks to Ctac. After January 1, we could immediately continue our business.”
“We are able to grow again”
After going live, Thielco immediately reaped the benefits of the new system. The Brabant-based family business discovered savings on inventory levels and optimized margins on sales. In addition, Thielco now benefits from automated processes. “The next step is a fully digital, paperless factory,” Heldens is already looking ahead. “All work instructions, quality requirements and logistics processes can become part of the work and data flow of the ERP system.”
Heldens is optimistic about the future. “Thanks to SAP S/4HANA Cloud, we are able to grow. In our industry, it is quite a challenge to find and retain well-qualified staff. Our staff can now focus more on output, instead of administrative tasks. This automation with SAP S/4HANA Cloud allows us to grow, without having to expand our support department. We can rely on the support of Ctac and SAP.”
Are you curious about how SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition can help your SME? Please contact SAP or one of our partners.