ERP Case Study | Utilities and Energy

Client Problem

An upstream petroleum oil exploration and production company in the Middle East took ownership of assets from a multinational corporation and needed to transition their ERP system from SAP to Epicor9. The company requested professional help in capturing current business processes in four main business areas. The company also needed hardware and telecommunications recommendations for failover contingencies. Their assets were located in remote, austere and sometimes hostile areas of the Middle East. The company also required an onsite project manager to audit the Epicor implementer (located in Dubai, UAE), and ensure successful transition to Epicor9. The project manager would need to recommend performance targets, KPIs and help stand up a Center of Excellence for continuous process and business improvement. Finally, the project manager would need to provide and shepherd an organizational change management program to mitigate end-user resistance to the new system.

Problem Highlights

  • Migration from SAP to Epicor9
  • Assistance capturing current-state and future-state processes for migration to Epicor9
  • Hardware and telecommunications recommendation and sizing
  • Continuity of operations
  • Recommend performance targets and KPIs
  • Stand up a Center of Excellence for continuous business improvement
  • Manage a change management program to minimize end-user resistance

Panorama Solution

Panorama worked quickly to assess the company’s hardware requirements, telecommunications needs, organizational health, change management program, ERP implementation game plan, data conversion challenges and training strategy for hundreds of end-users. Our independent ERP consultants were willing to live on-site for extended periods in dangerous, remote and austere locations. The company selected Epicor from a VAR in Dubai; however, in the interest of safety, Epicor corporate policy forbids Epicor employees from working in the particular country in which the client was located. Our rotational consultants audited the ERP implementer and the third-party vendors to overcome language barriers and keep the implementation on-track, on-budget and on the path to expected benefits. Our consultants developed strategic, operational and tactical solutions for the ERP implementation, stood up a Center of Excellence, proactively led change management and provided advice for management on a wide range of issues.

Solution Highlights

  • Assessed hardware and telecommunications needs
  • Instituted change management and communications strategies to mitigate end-user resistance
  • Captured current and future business process and ensured their accurate input into Epicor
  • Considered continuity of operations in all phases of the implementation and provided guidance on branch and sequel plans
  • Recommended performance goals and KPIs for executives, managers and end-users
  • Helped stand up a Center of Excellence consisting of a Center of Guidance and Management Support, Center for Technical Support, Center of Governance and Center of Learning
  • Identified gaps between the change management program and change management “best practices”
  • Management consultation for entire organization – from executives to end-users
  • Built and enforced a training roadmap that trained multiple shifts seven days a week in four locations
  • Developed a Center of Excellence to implement solid program management and corporate governance principles
  • Developed and prioritized key performance indicators and measurement methodology, and assigned organizational accountability for measures in critical operational areas
  • Defined and documented current state business processes, technologies and system interfaces and identified opportunities for improvement
  • Conducted multiple organizational readiness assessments to identify key organizational strengths and weaknesses
  • Recommended organizational change management activities to enable recommended operational improvements
  • Assessed current data quality and recommended improvements
  • Developed and oversaw a high-level business process and organizational project plan, milestones, resources and budget

Measurable Business Results

Panorama ensured the Epicor implementation proceeded despite challenges with travel, Visas, operational disruptions and training. Panorama conducted stage gate reviews, provided guidance throughout the company and delivered quantifiable improvements to the company’s operational efficiency and effectiveness. All of these improvements were realized in less than one year after the start of the consulting engagement in November 2012.

Highlights of Results

  • Increased system data accuracy from below 50-percent to more than 95-percent
  • Improved standard business process compliance from under 40-percent to more than 90-percent
  • Identified and realized operating cost savings in excess of $500,000 annually
  • Identified operational savings opportunities of 29-percent of total labor costs
  • Identified more than $2 million in annual operating and capital cost savings after implementation of improvements