Sibambene Trade & Services (STS), a specialist in railway locomotive sales, spares, support and technical services, contract maintenance, upgrading and rehabilitation, has contracted mid-market ERP solutions provider Lorge to supply, install and commission a SAP Business One financial and ERP software solution at its Meadowdale headquarters in Edenvale.
Sibambene is the southern African associate of Electro-Motive Diesel Inc of the USA. The company recently won a major locomotive supply contract for Transnet Freight Rail under a Joint Venture Electro Motive Sibanye (EMS).
There will be substantial local content in the contract and this requires a major shift in production capacity and logistical planning as well as skills transfer and training. Sibambene has subsequently contracted Lorge to provide a SAP Business One solution to facilitate this major expansion.
Apart from full financials including general ledger, debtors, creditors and cashbook, Lorge`s implementation will also include ERP production, materials requirement planning (MRP), stock control and management as well as customer relationship management (CRM) functionality for full operational integration.
"The multi-user SAP Business One solution will generate strategic management reports for Sibambene directly from the accounting package, integrating with the CRM, stock control and MRP functionality," said Alex Viviers of Lorge SAP Business One corporate sales.
System installation of the multi-user site has begun and the project is expected to be completed by the end of October. Viviers added that it will streamline forward planning and provide greater flexibility in decision-making for management. The solution is also scaleable and can be extended to meet longer-term requirements and the demands of company expansion.
Key management personnel at Sibambene have among them more than 200 years of combined operational experience in the rail industry. BEE owned, the company provides consulting and engineering services for Diesel-Electric Locomotives together with its technology partners.
Sibambene started off as a supplier of replacement parts 10 years ago but has since developed into a multifaceted company. The wide range of services includes modernisation and upgrading of locomotives, accident repair, fleet assessment, failure analysis, training and a host of others. These services are provided using South African engineering skills and expertise backed up by international technology partners. The implementation of SAP Business One will further enhance Sibambene services.
Share