Customer Use Cases

SAP S/4HANA Private Edition Implementation

Building a scalable foundation for labour-aware manufacturing and global growth

Sector: UK Energy | Focus: Integrated supply chain and manufacturing

The Customer: A UK-based energy sector organisation with ambitions to scale globally. Their manufacturing operations run around the clock, requiring a sophisticated approach to planning that balances continuous machine availability with the realities of workforce scheduling.

The Challenge

Manufacturing environments that never sleep present unique complexities, particularly when success depends on both machine capacity and the people who operate them. This organisation faced several critical challenges:

    • Dual-Resource Planning: Machines operating 24/7 but dependent on labour availability for new operations, creating a planning scenario that SAP PP/DS does not natively support
    • Process Automation: The need to streamline and automate workflows across both production and warehousing
    • Real-Time Visibility: Capturing actual production time through scanning and real-time confirmation to replace manual processes

The Solution

SAP S/4HANA was implemented over a 12-month pilot to deliver:

    • A scalable core system designed for expansion to additional global locations
    • Advanced production planning using PP/DS with parallel sequencing for labour-constrained operations
    • Integrated warehousing and production processes ensuring seamless material flow
    • Automation and data capture via warehouse and shopfloor scanning
    • Long-term flexibility to support advanced manufacturing technologies including additive manufacturing

The Outcome

    • Complex dual-resource planning successfully modelled with parallel sequencing in PP/DS
    • Improved scheduling accuracy by incorporating labour constraints directly into planning logic
    • Real-time production data capture achieved, significantly reducing manual confirmations
    • Scalable architecture ready to roll out globally from the pilot site

By designing a system that respects both machine capacity and human availability, teams now work with schedules that reflect reality rather than fighting against them. Planning is smarter, data flows in real time, and the foundation is set for global growth, powered by technology that puts people at the centre.

FURTHER READING

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Test, Learn, Scale: The Case for an S/4HANA Pilot

For a global energy manufacturer, a contained SAP S/4HANA pilot offered the chance to prove value before committing to full rollout. Learn how the business tackled dual-constraint planning, automated shopfloor data capture and built a scalable foundation – all while keeping frontline users at the heart of the transformation.

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