BASF standardises SAP across 54 sites, increases efficiency and cuts costs

In just six months, BASF IT Services has standardised the SAP graphical user interfaces (GUI) for around 18,000 BASF Group users at 54 sites on different releases of SAP ERP systems. The firm says that achievement will facilitate an imminent changeover of SAP systems to BASF’s enterprise release and enable the group to react more quickly to new demands from the SAP environment. It also claims it will reduce costs and be able to make sustained improvements to process efficiency. Says Ekkehart Matke, who works in the Enterprise Systems unit of BASF Group’s Information Services Competence Centre: “Thanks to the dedication of BASF IT Services, we have been able to complete the project in just six months – a month ahead of schedule. This was achieved despite the fact that many more installations had to be made than were originally planned and is therefore an extremely positive result.” What he means is that not only was its IT infrastructure a historical mix of different release statuses of client software across Europe, but the project started in the midst of the company’s PC standardisation project. So BASF IT Services technicians had to deal with both standardised and non-standardised PCs. Further, the removal of the old SAP client and the installation of the new one had to be done manually, as initially, there was no software distribution tool available – fault-free distribution via the SDO system was not guaranteed and the subsequently successful RADIA tool was not yet in use. “Through the project, we have greatly extended our know-how in dealing with the complete distribution of complex software like the SAPGUI”, says Theo Mittag, project manager with BASF IT Services.