B–ON and delaware realize full SAP implementation in three months

You know those characteristic yellow e-trucks for Deutsche Post DHL Group? They scoot the streets thanks to StreetScooter. When B–ON took over production earlier this year, though, it needed to ramp up its digital footprint. In order to meet their aggressive growth targets, B–ON had to centralize all operations on one ERP platform in just three months' time. The fact that B–ON has teams in Asia, South America, Europe and the US made this project even more ambitious - but delaware was up for the challenge.

In April 2022, B–ON started that journey with SAP, delaware Belux and delaware Germany. "Their expertise in the automotive industry and global presence certainly gave them a leg up as an implementation partner. They very quickly understood our critical business needs,” says Michael Giske, Global CIO at B–ON.

One global SAP template for all operations

After the StreetScooter acquisition, B–ON faced the unique challenge of developing siloed and localized existing systems into something fit for a global business. After two months of RFP processes and pre-planning, the team had only three months left to implement a global standardized template and streamline operations in all B–ON workspaces around the globe.

"We had to set up a full SAP implementation from scratch, while the top management and production plant were all in different time zones," says Boris Zeller, partner at delaware Germany. "Fortunately, B–ON helped us find the right people and data. They provided strong management support and allowed us to go 'the delaware way'. In the end, we were able to repay that trust with success."

B–ON and delaware implemented SAP S/4HANA between May and August 2022 based on delaware's FAST-Automotive template. It is completely cloud-based and includes the SAP Vehicle Management System (VMS), C/4H (SAP CRM), an SAC connection, and more. In the project's second phase, which started in September and is still running, B–ON and delaware will focus on topics such as vendor invoice management, quality management, plant maintenance, SAP marketing, and SAP PDMI services.

This first implementation will be used as a global template for B–ON’s future factories which will service North American and Asian markets. Olivier Spahn, Managing Director at delaware Luxembourg, adds: “The goal is to have a global template and standardization for both the software and the set-up of the factories. All production processes will be the same across all B–ON factories, using the same FAST-Automotive template of delaware.”

A high bar for partnership

"When it comes to partnerships, delaware has set the bar really high," adds Giske. "I'm probably one of their most loyal supporters. They helped us structure an immensely complex undertaking and made it enjoyable for the entire organization. The team has been extremely customer-focused and results-oriented, which has significantly contributed to our overall success to date. We are excited about the next phase of our collaboration!"

Bertrand Brackman, Country Manager at SAP Luxembourg, agrees: "This collaboration is the perfect example of how SAP and delaware can support companies in becoming digitally native organizations. SAP gives B–ON a strong foundation of integrated services, while delaware brings its expertise in different industries to the table to ensure a smooth implementation.”