Global sales configurator with SAP® IPC

With the conversion of the SAP® IPC solution into a fully compatible offline version, it was possible to create a unique configuration system for STILL GmbH

STILL GMBH

STILL has long been one of the leading suppliers of forklift trucks, warehouse technology, platform trucks and tractors as well as the latest intralogistics systems. With over 7,000 employees, four production plants, 14 dealerships in Germany, 20 subsidiary companies abroad, plus a dealer network consisting of 246 dealers worldwide, STILL is successfully active on an international scale. With the highest quality, reliability and innovative technology, STILL is meeting, today and in the future, the requirements of small, medium and large companies.

THE TASK

For a forklift truck, for example, there are on average between 1.5 and 3.6 million possible combination options for configurable materials. In addition to the huge volumes of product-specific data, there is the issue of multilingualism, with 18 languages and eight currencies supported at present. STILL has been successfully using SAP software to manage customer-specific requirements for many years. To complete its automated sales processes, STILL needed a solution

for integrating external dealers and employees without MSA access. The task was to develop a fully compatible offline CD solution suitable for distribution, based on and in parallel with the existing in-house SAP configuration solution.

THE PROCESS

The core of the offline application is the database for saving the master data for the configuration model. To ensure flexibility with regard to the installation, the ORISA File Database is used for the offline version. The data saved here is compatible with the original MS SQL Server. SQL commands are still used

to access to the ORISA File Database. In addition to flexible installation, the ORISA File Database offers high-speed access combined with low memory requirements. These benefits are the result of optimised access structures and effective compression algorithms.

“We are very satisfied with the implemented configuration solution. The profound knowledge of ORISA in terms of the SAP software has contributed to this.“

- Ulf Schnackenberg, Marketing, Teamlead Configuration Systems STILL GmbH

THE OUTCOME

With the conversion of the SAP® IPC solution into a fully compatible offline version, it was possible to create a unique configuration system for STILL GmbH. The resulting application based on SAP® IPC includes all data and program components for configuration within the offline solution. The application runs without installation and is distributed on CD to several

hundred PCs worldwide. STILL chose to distribute updated CDs every quarter to ensure secure and reliable administration and authorisation. ORISA also offers the option of web-based distribution and updates. Only configurations from the current CD are accepted by the handling IT processes. Clear structures and boundaries for the created configurations prevent possible faults in the process

chains and excessive control requirements. The configuration system architecture is created in such a way that changes are generally only implemented at the data level. To meet special configuration requests that are not covered by the model, ORISA expanded the SAP configuration standard.

If the customer chooses special equipment for an option, this option is marked for special treatment and can be described using free text. When the configuration result is transferred to the SAP® ERP system, the special treatment instructions are recognised and the description of the special request is documented and organised.

THE OUTLOOK

The integration of the external sales organisation, dealers who work with STILL in particular, into an overall concept for the STILL configuration system proved to be an instant success. The intuitive user interface, the high level of functionality, consistency and transparency enable the company to respond

more effectively and provide more reliable information to customers and increase competitiveness. The concept of the offline configurator met the functional expectations of STILL with respect to handling and implementation of the sales concept.

The Project in figures

84

product groups and market-oriented execution of the products

1,5 — 3,6 Mio

combination possibilities of the configurable materials

14

languages and six currencies

> 720

user worldwide

>10

month until worldwide commissioning

Customer benefits at a glance

Customised adaptation of the existing IPC solution for optimum offline operation
Offline solution easy to implement and update
Can run on external PCs belonging to dealers
Binding, accurate configurations with reproducible results
Standardised quotation process and automatic document generation