With its 500 years of history Orell Füssli AG stands for reliability, quality and security, but also for the utilization of advanced technologies in favor of its customers. When it comes to internal processes like planning and consolidation, Orell Füssli expects efficiency, highest data quality and user-friendly system support. The new Business Planning & Consolidation solution (BPC) that was implemented by Stampa & Partners perfectly reflects these values.
Challenging Project Objectives
Our client‘s history goes back to 1519, where it started as a printing Company and supplier of the government. Today Orell Füssli is established in four key markets which all share a high demand in regards to quality based on advanced technologies, reliability and long customer relationships. No surprise therefore that Orell Füssli set the same requirements for its new consolidation solution.
Orell Füssli teamed up with Stampa & Partners to integrate and customize a new SAP BPC tool to replace a previous solution that had served for years. Further to optimizing and simplifying the financial closing, Stampa & Partners were asked to focus in particular on the following attributes:
- An intuitive and self-explanatory User Interface should guarantee user acceptance and minimize training efforts
- Data entry should be straight-forward, with immediate transparency along different reporting dimensions
- Pre-defined business process flows should allow a flexible adaptation to the requirements of the individual business units
- Data integration needed to be smooth also in case of subsidiarys‘ fiscal years deviating from the Group’s one
Based on these requirements SAP BPC was chosen as the solution of choice. Orell Füssli was looking for an experienced, reliable and highly qualified consulting partner. Stampa & Partners was awarded the contract because of its extensive track record of planning and consolidation projects with different versions of SAP BPC.
SAP BPC as a most efficient solution
«SAP BPC enabled us to fulfill the challenging project objectives and to implement an efficient solution in a very short time»
The new customized solution has turned out to be an asset for all parties involved. A simplified and easy to understand User Interface has reduced the risk of data entry errors. Clear and intuitive validation reports point users directly to where their input is required. The self-explaining interface allows quick handling and requires less instructions. Even users that were new to SAP had no difficulties to operate the new system. The straight entry of data into the system enables all parties involved to be up to speed on any relevant changes.
As a result, team collaboration has become more effective and less time consuming. To avoid any duplication of effort, the new solution still allows, if required, to access local excel sheets for data uploads.
An integrated and pre-defined business process flow further contributes to a smooth and effective handling and error prevention. It ensures that users are guided through the whole process in a carefully defined order. Less practiced users can be involved without much instructions which safes time and money.
Another specific benefit of the customized tool is its flexibility in handling deviating fiscal years within the Group and allowing unambiguous financial reporting. Instead of adjusting the data manually during the consolidation process, it is now integrated automatically. The Company gains time and can again rely on better data quality.
Mission accomplished
The first experiences with the new system verified that the project objectives were fully met and that the closing processes work faster and with less need for manual interventions now. Management appreciates a real-time data transparency that was not known before, and user feedback shows that the system is well accepted throughout the organization. Thus the project can be considered a full success.