The implementation works which started in February of 1999, has been divided into two stages. The first stage was concluded in January of 2000 by starting up the following modules: FI (financial accounting), FI-AA (assets accounting), controlling (CO) in the sphere of intermediate costs with elements of production costs controlling, as well as the modules of material management (MM) and sales & distribution (SD).
The implementation of SAP R/3 system in Zachem Chemical Works in Bydgoszcz, conducted by BCC, reached its conclusion. The works were performed in all of the eight business units comprising the company, five of them production plants.
The second stage included start-up of other functions of the controlling (market segments results controlling) and in MM and SD modules (purchase of services, supplier assessment, inventory, processes of sale of goods and services, credit control of customers). TR-CM function (Treasury – cash management) was implemented as well.
In addition BCC specialists prepared several extensions of SAP R/3 standard connected with specific Zachem requirements, e.g. OKG (Obsluga Kasy Gotowkowej – Petty Cash Management), a function which integrates and supports cash-clerks operations in R/3 system.
The project was performed by about 120 employees of Zachem and a team of 30 consultants from BCC. The implementation covered the entire company operating within a holding structure. Zachem is divided into eight business units, five of them production plants: Dyes, PUR Foam, Synthesis, Plastics and Epichlorohydrin, which maintain their separate book-keeping, trade and marketing operations.
The implementation of SAP R/3 enables on-line access to current information about all processes taking place in all the plants of the company, within a single integrated information system. R/3 integrates all the plants into a single entity without restricting their autonomy.
"The efforts and dedication of the members of implementation teams and experience of the consultants brought expected results in the form of a system conforming to 21st century standards. Updating the system to 4.6C version planned for this year will enable us to implement electronic trade solutions. In this way we will find ourselves among those companies which take advantage of the benefits of new economy." – says Mr. Krzysztof Banaszewski, R/3 implementation manager on the part of Zachem.
The importance of implementation of SAP R/3 for Zachem was summed up by Mr. Tadeusz Wilusz, Production & Trade Director of the Bydgoszcz company: "Zachem is a Polish company, a state-owned enterprise. If we want to remain competitive, we must take advantage of proven solutions of the highest international standard. SAP R/3 system provides us with such an opportunity."
