JSE-listed CS Holdings has successfully completed the implementation of the SAP ERP system at Telkom, effectively enhancing and integrating the telecommunications company`s business processes in preparation for its listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
"Although Telkom had implemented SAP HR and Payroll some years earlier, they felt that the legacy systems they had in place did not provide the reliability they needed to be a global player," relates Mark Lindhorst, head of the SAP business unit at CS Holdings.
Having tendered for the contract, CS Holdings was eventually short-listed together with a number of global contenders. "We wanted a partner that would provide us with the support and guidance we needed, and be able to adapt to the Telkom environment," says Telkom Group Executive for Finance, Brian Manning. "CS Holdings met all these requirements and we believed in their ability to deliver what we needed."
Having defined its objectives, Telkom set the timelines and was very aggressive in its expectations. "They wanted to go live by 1 April 2002, which effectively gave us nine months to carry out an implementation which, given its size and complexity, could easily take more than a year to complete," says Lindhorst.
The implementation covered most of the functionality provided by SAP, including financial, controlling, and sales and distribution modules, as well as materials, management, logistics, warehousing and procurement, and a very complex project systems solution.
"There was no time for customisation," says Manning. "We wanted the basic packages installed as quickly as possible. While we did encounter some problems along the way, we never experienced a lack of commitment from either management or the project team. Together with CS Holdings, we successfully navigated every obstacle."
The system went live on 1 April as scheduled and was heralded as the first successful IT project of its kind within Telkom. John Dekker, MD of SAP Public Services, described the record-breaking implementation as "unbelievable".
CS Holdings also prepared training material for the 6 000 users of the new system, running several pilot and train-the-trainer courses, who then rolled out the training to users countrywide.
Lindhorst says Telkom stands to benefit in several ways from the new system. "Because they are now running an integrated system, there is automatic transfer of information between relevant parts of the business, which wasn`t previously the case. This will not only enhance speed and accuracy, but also improve productivity levels."
Since then, CS Holdings has been providing post-implementation support in key areas. The Telkom user helpdesk deals with day-to-day issues and refers more complex matters to our consultants.
CS Holdings also intends carrying out a user satisfaction survey to ensure Telkom receives ongoing optimisation of its investment.
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