SAP Public Cloud in operation: Axians ensures stability at Schmidt Group with SAP AMS
Application Management Services as the basis for scalable growth
The Schmidt Group is a global logistics company based in Heilbronn that operates in a highly competitive and efficiency-driven market environment. Rising transport volumes, growing cost pressure and an increasing shortage of skilled workers presented the company with a key question: how can further growth be achieved without overburdening the organization and IT?
Digitalization as a prerequisite for further growth
Following the successful go-live of the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud, the Schmidt Group decided to work with Axians in the area of Application Management Services (AMS). Axians took over the ongoing operation of the cloud solution and has been supporting the stabilization, optimization and further development of processes ever since.
Initial situation: Limited scalability and high manual effort in IT
The Schmidt Group ‘s existing IT and system landscape had grown historically and was highly individualized. Many processes were tailored to so-called “Schmidt processes”, which had been optimized over the years but hardly standardized. In addition, there was a heterogeneous system landscape with numerous interfaces, a high level of manual effort and heavily paper-based processes.
The fact that the previous accounting system was discontinued and had to be replaced at short notice was particularly critical. At the same time, the existing architecture did not provide a future-proof basis for further growth or digital innovations. This resulted in high operating costs, limited transparency and an increasing burden on the specialist departments.
Objective: Increase efficiency and enable growth despite a shortage of skilled workers
Schmidt pursued clear goals: Processes were to be simplified, manual activities reduced and the IT landscape modernized so that it could keep pace with the company’s growth. At the same time, the new solution was to offer stability to the specialist departments and significantly reduce the administrative workload despite a shortage of specialist staff.
A particular focus was placed on a solution that was not only introduced, but also professionally operated and further developed in the long term.
The solution: SAP Public Cloud as the digital backbone for freight forwarding
The Schmidt Group decided to introduce the SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud in combination with the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). The solution covers central business processes such as FI, CO, MM and SD and replaces the previously fragmented system landscape with an integrated, standardized platform.
After the successful go-live, Axians took over the Application Management Services (AMS) for the cloud solution. This ensured that the system not only runs stably, but is also continuously optimized and adapted to new requirements.
SAP AMS: stable operation, optimization and further development with Axians
As part of its application management services, Axians supports the Schmidt Group with proactive monitoring and incident management, regular release management for cloud updates, key user support and user support. Axians also advises on expansions, innovations and the further development of the system landscape.
This approach significantly reduces the workload of the internal specialist departments and ensures that Schmidt continuously derives added value from the cloud platform – without having to build up its own resources for operation and maintenance.
Results: scalable processes, transparency and future-proofing
Reduction of manual processes
By digitizing and automating the process landscape, Schmidt benefits from significantly more stable and transparent processes.
What used to be predominantly manual and partly paper-based processes is now a standardized cloud that is professionally managed by Axians with SAP Application Management Services.
Acceleration of month-end closings
A wide range of end-to-end processes were mapped in the new SAP Cloud. Financial management (FI/CO), materials management (MM) and the sales and delivery process at Schmidt now run according to the latest SAP standard.
This is particularly noticeable in repetitive processes – for example, a significant acceleration of monthly closings.
Stable and scalable cloud platform
The SAP Cloud makes it possible to map increasing transport volumes without the IT complexity or administrative effort growing proportionally.
As a result, the SAP Public Cloud now forms the digital backbone for the Schmidt Group’s further national and international growth.
“By taking over our AMS after the project, Axians has shown what true long-term partnership is all about: expertise, transparency and the will to create sustainable solutions together.”
Amna Malik
Assistant Commercial Director & Project Manager, Schmidt Group
Conclusion
The Schmidt Group’s reference shows how medium-sized companies can use the SAP Public Cloud and a professional AMS model to modernize their IT, stabilize processes and at the same time create the basis for sustainable growth. With Axians as a partner, not only was a support system introduced, but a long-term, future-proof solution was established.
Blueprint ERP – The SAP Podcast from Axians
Public cloud projects from a customer perspective: Amna Malik in a live interview
Public cloud projects often appear surprisingly simple in presentations: standard processes, best practices and a go-live in just a few months. The reality is usually somewhat different. In this special episode of Blueprint ERP, you can listen to a live panel discussion from the Court & Cloud event.
Konstantin Marth joins guests from consulting, SAP and the customer perspective to discuss how public cloud projects really work. Also present:
Amna Malik – Project Manager Public Cloud Introduction at the Schmidt Group
Johannes Schwager – Cloud ERP Consulting, SAP
Felix Sander – Delivery & Project Business Germany, Axians