First Coca-Cola bottler in World to Upgrade to mySAP ERP 2005

Situation Overview: mySAP ERP 2005 Upgrade

SAP users know all too well that upgrading, to the newest version, mySAP ERP 2005, is inescapable. It’s the buzz among the SAP community because companies who don’t upgrade will inevitably incur higher costs and invest more staff time to maintain older versions. But making the choice to upgrade isn’t a simple one. It can be an expensive and a time-consuming process due to the intense testing process and downtime.

As the third largest Coca-Cola bottler in the U.S. , Coca-Cola Bottling Company United (CCBCU) of Birmingham , AL , made a strategic business decision to upgrade early. It enlisted the help of Solutience, an independent leader in SAP support for the manufacturing industry, to identify key upgrade challenges. For CCBCU it was a critical move, as the company would be the first Coca-Cola bottling company worldwide to upgrade to mySAP ERP2005. Together, CCBCU and Solutience, with its wealth of SAP expertise, successfully implemented the project on time and under budget.

Benefits

  • Having upgraded from version 4.6C, CCBCU is no longer three versions behind the current release.
  • mySAP ERP 2005 will be the last major release until 2010 and can be supported by mainstream maintenance until March 2012.
  • Increased functionality in mySAP ERP 2005 will allow significant process improvements for the long term.
  • Future SAP implementation projects will require the latest release.
  • Interfaces from other core business applications at CCBCU have been written to take advantage of SAP XI technology that is available in, mySAP ERP 2005.

Strategies

Solutience implemented the following strategies for CCBCU:

  • Solutience used local resources. A strong emphasis on using resources who live within driving distance of the job-site kept the consultants refreshed throughout the project and dramatically reduced travel and expense costs. Local support was provided after Go-Live..
  • Solutience was proactive in test tracking. The progress of hundreds of unit tests and dozens of integration tests was monitored closely and tracked at a detailed level using graphs and charts to make each sub-team and management aware of progress on a weekly and often daily basis.

  • Solutience used its efficient new Upgrade Tool – U:RforU – to quickly identify and prioritize custom objects ready for upgrading.
  • Solutience ensured a high level of communication with management. Regular meetings and an atmosphere of open and free communication kept management in the loop and included in the project. Critical issues were raised quickly and key decisions were made within 48 hours.
  • Solutience was highly available for Go-Live support: After Go-Live, support was handled on an as-needed basis. Because Solutience consultants are in close proximity, they were able to respond to post Go-Live issues quickly. This approach reduces costs without sacrificing service and response times.

Challenges

  • Documentation: over 500 different types of official documents were either reviewed, changed or created.
  • Scope changes: scope changes were handled according to a pre-determined process and caused little disruption.
  • Security Authorizations.
  • Dealing with transactions that either didn’t work, worked differently or were cosmetically different.
  • Enforcing development freeze.

Results

Solutience came in significantly under budget. Factor in the savings in travel and expense costs, and Solutience saved even more. Working closely with CCBCU, Solutience implemented the project on time, with minimal down time and without disruption to normal business. Overall results of the upgrade included access to more functionality, solid documentation and clear processes.

For more information email Info@solutience.com.