Entering master data into the SAP ERP system and keeping it up to date is often a complex task for companies as many business units are involved in master data processes. This means that errors can quickly creep in, which leads to poor master data quality in the long term. It is important to clearly define these processes and provide employees with a software tool that makes their work easier and more transparent.
In the past, many companies have developed their own software solutions to implement company-specific requirements when it comes to data creation and maintenance. This was also the initial situation at Werner & Mertz. The company was faced with the challenge of replacing its outdated in-house development for creating material master data. In the course of the transition from SAP R/3 to SAP S/4HANA, it is important for the Mainz-based family-owned company to use a professional master data solution that is close to the SAP standard version, includes workflows and simplifies material creation. The self-developed solution generates a lot of work for the company, for instance, which will be eliminated once FIS/mpm goes live: Customizing and user administration take place partly redundantly – in the ERP system itself and in the master data solution. The company’s wish was to enable parallel work on data records and to be able to test the dependency of fields with system support and enrich dependent fields based on rules.
The company was therefore looking for a comprehensive master data tool for the efficient creation of material master data. Later, the tool is also to support change and deletion processes. The decision was made in favor of FIS/mpm, the SAP optimization for efficient master data management. “First and foremost, we were looking for a product that would support us with our core challenge – the material creation processes. During the project work, however, we have just realized that we can also use the new tool for mass maintenance scenarios – a side effect that was not our primary goal beforehand, but will make things much easier afterwards,” explains Sebastian Krichbaum, Head of Strategic Master Data Management at Werner & Mertz. FIS/mpm now makes it possible to parallelize material creation process tasks. Roles and responsibilities as well as approval workflows can be stored in the system, making master data maintenance more transparent and faster. “In addition to greater speed, our software enables companies to achieve reasonable data quality and therefore create an optimal database,” explains Raphael Zundel, Head of Specialized Sales at FIS. “In addition, FIS/mpm enables digitization without media changes as the software is integrated directly into the SAP environment. There is no longer any need to work via e-mail, for instance, as workflows now only take place in SAP.”
With regard to their collaboration, Mr. Krichbaum and Mr. Zundel emphasize how good their mutual understanding was: “Already during the selection process, SAP service provider FIS – in addition to the FIS/mpm product – convinced us with its competence and solution orientation. This impression was confirmed during the project work and was complemented by a target-oriented way of working: After joint workshops, we were quickly provided with a prototype, for instance, that we were able to immediately concretize and adapt to our requirements together with the FIS team. This is a solution-oriented, targeted collaboration that we greatly appreciate,” describes Sebastian Krichbaum. Raphael Zundel adds that the fact that all persons involved work so well together is primarily due to a shared DNA: “The mutual understanding for each other and for the specific requirements is particularly remarkable. I had the impression that not only did all persons involved speak the same language right from the start, but that Werner & Mertz’s corporate culture also matched ours. In short: The chemistry was right from the start.”
As a consequence, nothing stands in the way of a successful project completion in the coming year. This way, Werner & Mertz is expanding its professional master data management, which will make the company even more successful in the long term.
