SAP and TietoEnator collaborate to lift value for forest products industry

TietoEnator and SAP AG’s Mill Products and Mining industry business unit have formed a collaboration to provide comprehensive enterprise resource planning (ERP), supply chain management and manufacturing execution packages for the forest products industry.

Christian Hofmann, Manager responsible for Business Development & Partner Management, says: “The pulp, paper, board and tissue industries need to combine regular production management operations with corporate-level business functions in order to improve ‘time to information’ and process transparency. This means integrating the mill production systems seamlessly with the corporate business system.”

There are five pre-defined best-practice integration scenarios based on TietoEnator’s production-optimization and management solutions for mills, and the SAP business suite in place for the pulp and paper industry. The scenarios cover all customer and production-related processes and organizational setups from small and mid-sized to large enterprises with multiple mills and global reach.

“The SAP and TE solutions span previously uncovered areas, allowing clear visibility between the top-level management and the shop floor. Our collaboration provides customer-driven solutions following the business-process approach,” Hofmann says.

The integration scenarios follow a joint roadmap that reduces the complexity of the system and makes it easier to upgrade and implement.

Eckhardt Siess, vice president of the Mill Products and Mining Industry business unit at SAP, says: “It is important to combine our experience and guide our customers through the integration process. The complexity of the project is reduced significantly because implementation follows a ready-made process, which in turn reduces risks. There is a guaranteed total cost reduction to the customer because there is a single implementation.”

TietoEnator and SAP are currently expanding this joint solution development to natural resources, forest products and the converting business.