NFPC, a leader in the Middle Eastern Food and Beverage industry, collaborated with Circular Edge to optimize their operations with OCI migration, JDE 9.2 reimplementation, and object streamlining.
The project planning spanned two months, facing challenges in translating high-level requirements into a clear project scope. Successfully executing a large-scale ERP implementation under agile methodology, a notable accomplishment for Middle East customers accustomed to waterfall planning. A team of over 10 people dedicated 14,000 hours, achieving the largest-ever project executed by CE in the region. Significant streamlining included an 85% reduction in order types, document types, and GL class codes, while integrating a new manufacturing plant into JDE. The implementation left behind 90% of customizations, with version 9.2 requiring minimal retrofits and new customization. User manuals were meticulously created for all entities and businesses, providing a valuable reference for future endeavors.
Challenges
- In March’20 , pandemic COVID19 forced us to stop ongoing BA sessions at site when CE team just kicked off project to start understanding people, processes, data & systems of NFPC, Dubai UAE.
- This was the first and last face to face one month of interactive sessions at client side with entire team from thereon project execution went completely remote.
- This greenfield implementation project had several processes re-engineering in all areas of functional, technical and CNC which CE team had to execute professionally & very efficiently despite being remote.
- Several system improvements, 3rd party interfaces, 9.1 objects retrofits, 9.2 enhancements, data related challenges had to be worked on throughout to make users understand about the upcoming changes
Business Requirements
- Companies, business units and chart of account restructuring (brands consolidation) across 6 lines of businesses (Water, Juices, Bakery, Real Estate, Plastics, Contract Manufacturing)
- Functional Complexity on reporting side for HFM roll out was cleared with above restructuring.
- Simplification on invoicing, automated emailing of customer statements, bank payment vouchers, several operational reports
- Conversion and Data Migration templates capabilities for future roll outs on mergers or acquisitions
Customer Benefits
- 133 JDE operating companies were reduced to 19 operating companies. Business units and COA structured shrinker by 50% for efficient reporting
- Organizational, management and shareholder reporting become efficient.
- Several processes improved and 9.2 features saved overall users time by 22%
Lessons Learned
- Planning a project took 2 months of efforts as requirements at high level were not translated properly to conceive the project scope.
- Typical middle east customers’ challenge of executing project under agile methodology instead of planned waterfall is an ACCOMPLISHMENT for any such large-scale ERP implementation
- With a team of 10+ people, 14K hrs largest ever executed project in Middle East by CE
- Reduced Order types, document types and GL class codes reduced by 85%
- One new manufacturing plant brought into JDE
- 90% Of customization were left behind and 9.2 went with very limited number of retrofits & new customization
- Created user manuals for all entities and businesses that could be referred going forward