Signify is the global market leader in lighting for professionals, consumers, and Internet of Things lighting. Thanks to their energy-efficient lighting products, systems, and services, their customers experience superior light quality, people live safer and more comfortably, businesses operate more efficiently and productively, and cities become more livable.

Harnessing the extraordinary potential of light for a better life and a more sustainable world. As the largest lighting company globally and a key innovator in their industry, Signify assists professional customers and consumers alike in reducing their electricity consumption and energy costs while achieving sustainability goals with high-quality, energy-efficient lighting products, systems, and services.

SAP Extended Warehouse Management
MES Integration 

A complex business with highly specific production steps (for example color changes in the spray booths).

Highly challenging project conditions, rolling out internationally without physical visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SAP S/4HANA consolidates multiple systems into one.

From now on, users can leverage the more advanced EWM solution.

Innovation case Signify - SAP Mobile Innovation Lab

Timber and Building Supplies (TABS) Holland is a holding company consisting of 15 entities. Together, these companies are leading suppliers of timber and building materials in the Dutch new construction, renovation, and maintenance market.

SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) embedded in S/4HANA central solution

SAP SCM EWM (Migration of SCM platform to SAP EWM embedded in S/4HANA)

For the subsidiary companies PontMeyer Handelsbedrijven and Koninklijke Jongeneel, the SAP EWM solution has been configured for 5 locations. 2 locations were previously set up on SAP SCM EWM and have thus been migrated to the central platform SAP S/4HANA.

Employees: 1,880
Revenue: €1.027 billion

Timber and Building Supplies (TABS) Holland is a holding company consisting of 15 businesses. Together, these companies are leading suppliers of timber and building materials in the Dutch new construction, renovation, and maintenance market.

To execute the migration from a decentralized to a centralized SAP EWM solution, a thorough technical analysis of SAP Basis and the SAP landscape is required beforehand.

To maintain both the current decentralized SAP EWM functionality and the additional developed part of the solution, most of which could be converted to standard SAP S/4HANA embedded EWM processes.

To closely monitor the scope of the implementation and simultaneously apply or identify the innovations associated with a SAP S/4HANA-based SAP EWM solution for future improvement projects.

SIMPLIFICATION - The migration of the SAP Extended Warehouse Management solution from a decentralized to a centralized approach has primarily yielded benefits in simplifying integration and master data synchronization.

COST SAVINGS - By transitioning from SAP SCM EWM decentralized to SAP S/4HANA centralized, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) could be reduced as everything could be consolidated onto one central SAP platform. Naturally, prior to the migration, a SAP sizing and analysis were conducted to enable the technical changes in the SAP EWM landscape.

INNOVATION - By leveraging SAP S/4HANA embedded SAP EWM as a digital platform, the latest functionalities can be utilized, and certain solutions that previously needed development can now be standardly applied. Additionally, numerous extra capabilities have been added to SAP EWM, allowing optimizations of existing processes to be implemented.

For 2 locations, a decentralized SAP SCM EWM system was previously established. Our task was to migrate these 2 locations to the new SAP S/4HANA embedded EWM system, which was to serve as a template for rollout to other locations. This rollout was carried out to 3 other locations. Various optimizations were also implemented during the migration.

At one location, additional functionalities were added, such as the standard SAP advanced production integration. Additionally, a custom solution was added to allow pallets originating from other non-EWM locations to be loaded via EWM at this location.

The story of FrieslandCampina and its relationship with milk began in 1871. In that year, farmers decided to unite their strengths in the precursor to today's cooperative. This allowed them to strengthen their market position and ensure the distribution of their milk. Today, FrieslandCampina is one of the largest dairy companies in the world.

Employees: 20,928 
Revenue: €1.4 billion

FrieslandCampina, nourished by nature. Their goal is to create better nutrition for the world and therefore require all hands on deck. The organization has establishments in 29 countries and employs a total of 20,928 staff members. All products produced find their way to over 100 countries.

IT Manager Supply Chain @ FrieslandCampina

They possess significant expertise and have a team of professionals with a deep understanding of the business landscape, including experienced program managers. This combined knowledge has been leveraged to develop a robust plan, in which they excel at mobilizing their network. By collaborating with various partners and individuals, they have been able to create a manageable program despite the numerous uncertainties. This sets them apart from other parties, as they are not only capable of leveraging the Dutch network but also providing international support.

SAP Extended Warehouse Management
SAP Transportation Management
MES Integration 

FrieslandCampina, driven by its commitment to natural nourishment, operates branch offices in 29 countries, employing a workforce of 20,928 individuals. Its extensive product range reaches over 100 countries worldwide.

The company provides consumer products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, infant nutrition, and desserts, catering to professional markets with offerings including cream, butter products, ingredients, and semi-finished goods for producers in the infant nutrition, food, and pharmaceutical sectors. With a global presence spanning 29 countries and exports reaching over 100 nations, FrieslandCampina remains a key player in the international dairy industry.

The history of FrieslandCampina and its relationship with milk dates back to 1871 when farmers came together to form the precursor of today's cooperative. Their collaboration aimed to strengthen their market presence and secure sales of their milk. Over time, FrieslandCampina has evolved into one of the world’s largest dairy companies, supplying millions of consumers globally with nourishing dairy products derived from milk. These products range from milk itself to various dairy derivatives.

To create the most successful SAP EWM solution that will be suitable for all business units of FrieslandCampina and deploy it across the various divisions.

To tailor the Advanced Production Integrated SAP EWM solution to fit all production and warehouse business units and roll it out across the various divisions.

To integrate the SAP S/4HANA decentralized TM solution into the SAP system landscape and implement it as a basis for streamlining processes and reducing costs for transportation management.

GLOBAL WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT TEMPLATE - An SAP EWM solution that is easy to implement and simple to customize for all departments within the organization.

SIMPLICITY - A simplified Supply Chain Execution model via Advanced Production Integration that combines user-friendliness with handling complex process steps in the background. Fully integrated with all business processes and guided by production planning and execution processes.

GLOBAL TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT TEMPLATE - A foundation of SAP Transportation Management sufficient to expand further functionality and realize a template methodology for SAP ERP integration and SAP Shipment Costing across all business units. The resulting rollout has led to cost savings and process simplifications for the various divisions.

A supply chain based on SAP EWM with an efficient solution for all warehouse management-related business processes.

An SAP EWM (API) Advanced Production Integration template that seamlessly integrates warehouse management with production-related business processes.

An integrated decentralized SAP S/4HANA TM-based Supply Chain solution that is future-proof and provides a platform for the future in Transport Management.

We are FrieslandCampina

Every day, millions of people worldwide enjoy dairy and dairy ingredients from Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods. The high-quality and nutritious milk powders are used as ingredients for infant nutrition, for delicious milk in a glass, or as ingredients in the food industry. For example, for the finest chocolate, ice cream, cookies, and culinary applications. They bring you the best of milk!

Every day, millions of people worldwide enjoy dairy and dairy ingredients from Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods. The high-quality and nutritious milk powders are used as an ingredient for baby food, for delicious milk in a glass, or as an ingredient in the food industry. For example, for the finest chocolate, ice cream, cookies, and culinary applications. They bring you the best of milk!

The expiration date of our old system Navision had passed. Aspects such as transportation and production were separated in it. When selecting a new package, we focused on what best suits Vreugdenhil. We wanted an integrated package that allows us to serve customers well. We have a complex supply chain; how do you get that into an ERP package? Furthermore, we were looking for a package that ensures a more disciplined way of working. Another reason was that a large part of the food industry works with SAP, which simplifies collaboration.

SAP Extended Warehouse Management 
SAP Transportation Management
MES Integration

The implementation journey was not without its challenges and required a 24/7 mentality with day and night shifts. "Vreugdenhil's supply chain is unique. There is no room for disruptions," says De Groot. "Moreover, the implementation coincided with the peak of milk production in spring. The COVID-19 crisis also didn't make the process any easier. Many people had to work on the project from home." NTT DATA Business Solutions and Vreugdenhil opted for a phased go-live due to the challenging circumstances, a choice that proved successful. One production facility was brought live at a time, with intervals of three to four weeks. During those weeks, experiences and feedback were collected and insights were incorporated into the next production facility.

Early results thanks to standardized workflows

SAP S/4HANA is now running satisfactorily. There are still some efficiency and deepening efforts on the agenda. For example, work is still underway on workflow tooling to expedite the data process around articles, reducing the lead time for creating a new article. Additionally, business intelligence capabilities are being explored, and systems are being integrated to streamline processes on the customer side. However, the implementation is already yielding results for Vreugdenhil. Employees make fewer mistakes, transparency increases, and reports are available in the blink of an eye, making the organization much more efficient and scalable. SAP S/4HANA provides Vreugdenhil with standardized workflows for all departments and links within the entire supply chain.

Out with silos, time for a Single Source of Truth (SSoT)

Previously, the entire process ("from grass to glass") was managed from an outdated ERP system. Business processes were insufficiently integrated and lacked transparency; departments operated as silos and were not aligned. "Aspects like transportation and production were separate worlds. We aimed to transition to an efficient, integrated, and transparent system with minimal error risks," says Albert de Groot, CEO of Vreugdenhil. A well-functioning system with minimal error margin was the challenge. The solution? As a platform, SAP S/4HANA provides a single source of truth and a transparent way of working based on standard processes. Moreover, a large portion of the food industry utilizes SAP solutions, simplifying collaborations. Therefore, the choice of SAP S/4HANA was a logical one for Vreugdenhil. The transition to S/4HANA enables Vreugdenhil to standardize processes and harmonize departments.

A complex supply chain that allows no room for disruptions.

Customers worldwide relying on delivery guarantees.

Highly challenging project conditions, such as the COVID-19 crisis and the seasonal peak of milk production.

SAP S/4HANA provides a single source of truth.

Increased efficiency and the ability to deliver better service to customers worldwide.

A significant portion of the food industry uses SAP, facilitating collaboration.

A closed system that prevents errors and increases efficiency.

A phased go-live approach of one production facility every three to four weeks with interim evaluation and feedback.

Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods stapt over naar S/4HANA

Sligro Food Group consists of foodservice companies in the Netherlands and Belgium that are active in the market for food and food-related non-food products and services. The international ambitions of the publicly listed company from Veghel, however, extend beyond Belgium. To enable further growth beyond national borders, Sligro initiated a renewal process.

Sligro Food Group comprises foodservice companies in the Netherlands and Belgium, offering a comprehensive range of food and food-related non-food products and services in the market for consumers of food and beverages. Sligro Food Group aims to be a consistently and responsibly growing quality enterprise in all its activities and for all its stakeholders. In its strategy, Sligro Food Group combines the efficiency and professionalism of a large national player with the customer focus, service, and personal approach of a regional business partner.

According to Van de Ven, in the old situation, Sligro still dealt with a website and a webshop that functioned as two separate worlds. "We distinguish two customer journeys. In the first, the restaurateur checks his inventory after serving the last meal and places his order for the next day in the evening or at night. That process needs to be as fast and intuitive as possible. The second customer journey is the entrepreneur who updates his menu. He expects to find inspiration online and takes the time to do so. You want to combine these two customer journeys into one platform."

"We wanted to integrate ordering and inspiration into one platform so that the customer who has found inspiration can order immediately," Van de Ven continues. "Moreover, the entrepreneur should not only be inspired online but also through other channels such as email and eventually in-store. Offline self-service and online need to come together in one integrated customer experience."

"Our ERP, CRM, and online platforms were built for the Dutch market, not for an international market," says Jorn van de Ven, IT Manager for IT Digital, CRM & API at Sligro Food Group. "For online, we wanted to move to a single platform that could be used internationally, and furthermore, for the different brands so that we can benefit from each other's developments and investments."

The customers in the hospitality sector demand flexible ordering options that extend into the evening hours and require a high degree of variability from a TMS solution.

TRANSPARENCY - Improved insight into executed transports and load utilization has led to increased understanding of capacity utilization.

FEWER ERRORS - Thanks to the SAP TM system implemented by SP, users can work more efficiently. The automation of these processes helps prevent user errors, resulting in smoother planning processes.

Implementation of (Advanced) SAP TM with SAP EWM integration as a key success factor.

Sligro integreert site en shop met SAP Commerce Cloud

Damen Shipyards Group is a Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate with over thirty subsidiaries both domestically and internationally, headquartered in Gorinchem. The company is distinguished by extensive standardization and modular construction. Smaller vessels such as tugs, workboats, and patrol vessels are built 'off the shelf.' The conglomerate delivers a wide range of vessels of various sizes.

SAP S/4HANA Extended Warehouse Management

Damen Shipyards Group has grown significantly through standardization and off-the-shelf delivery of ships, resulting in short lead times. To further secure growth, scale up, and enhance efficiency, modernization is a top priority at Damen. This entails significant focus on digitizing and harmonizing business processes and technology, with particular attention to the people who work with them.

IT Project Manager @ Damen Shipyards Group

Because migrating to a new ERP system can be quite disruptive, we opted for a phased implementation rather than a 'big bang' approach. Damen assumes full project responsibility. Han states, 'For this project, we've engaged senior consultants from the market. The project is divided into functional streams, such as Record to Report (R2R), Order to Cash (O2C), Inventory to Fulfill (I2F), and Purchase to Pay (P2P). Each project team consists of one or two functional consultants per stream, key users, and a technical team based in India. The project is characterized by pragmatism with a mindset of 'delivering, not just talking.' We have set up a template in SAP beforehand, incorporating the basic processes that all Damen divisions can utilize. This template, built without complex modifications, is now in production at the Yachting division, serving approximately four hundred users, primarily in the Netherlands. The solution is as 'plain vanilla' as possible to support integrated collaboration across shipbuilding projects, even across divisions. It is now being rolled out to other divisions, with innovations being added along the way.

In January 2020, it was announced that Damen has been awarded a contract to build four frigates for the German Navy, pending approval from parliament. The contract is valued at 4.5 billion euros. Damen is the prime contractor and is responsible for design and project management, but the ships will be built in Hamburg at the shipyard of Blohm + Voss. Much of the equipment on the ships will be supplied by the Dutch branch of Thales. These are vessels of the MKS 180 type, 155 meters long, which can also be used in anti-piracy missions and submarine detection. In June 2020, the contract was finalized, and the ships will be delivered between 2027 and 2031.

We are proud to say that we have also built the solution for this project.

Damen constructs a wide variety of vessels including coasters, ferries, tugs, patrol vessels, and crew tenders for both civilian and military markets. Tugs and workboats have traditionally been standardized and categorized into classes with names like Stan Tug, Pushy Cat, Mini Cat, Multi Cat, Stan Tender, and Shoalbuster. The abbreviation 'Cat' therein refers to the engine brand Caterpillar, with which they have been collaborating since early on. Damen builds approximately 40% of all tugboats worldwide.

The shipyard prefers standardized ship hulls that can be quickly outfitted based on the diverse needs of customers. The hulls are supplied by foreign branches, and the ships are outfitted at Dutch shipyards.

The construction of a ship is a lengthy process aimed at producing a single end product.

The approach taken during the implementation of Supply Chain Report differs from the solution with Baan or IFS that had been in use for twenty years - and to which employees were accustomed.

Supply Chain Report is customized to track the logistics chain for each ship individually: how materials are planned, procured, stocked, and then delivered to construction or transportation.

Damen is capable of building luxury yachts and other vessels with the support of integrated planning, logistics, and financial handling.

Opting for SAP provides standardized processes that are closely interconnected.

Users experience clear benefits of SAP S/4HANA compared to Baan or IFS. In the old system, material planning was still highly manual.

We paid extra attention during the implementation to start using the new process and report.

A template was set up in SAP beforehand with the basic processes that all Damen divisions can use.

Introducing a modern warehouse with the latest technologies, such as RF scanners, label printers, and RFID kanban bins.

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About Signify

Innovation case Signify

Our Clients

Timber and Building Supplies

FrieslandCampina

Signify N.V.

Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods

Sligro Food Group

Damen Shipyards

Timber and Building Supplies

FrieslandCampina

Signify N.V.

Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods

Sligro Food Group

Damen Shipyards

Timber and Building Supplies

FrieslandCampina

Signify N.V.

Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods

Sligro Food Group

Damen Shipyards

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