Georgia-Pacific, a pulp and paper manufacturer is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. With plans in place to move from ECC to S/4, and JDA to IBP over a 3-5 year implementation period, senior planners became concerned that the existing JDA planning system would not support their business needs before the move to IBP was complete. SCMO2 was selected to evaluate their business requirements, review the existing system roadmap, and develop a recommendation for a “bridge” strategy that quickly replaced JDA with SAP planning tools prior to migrating to the S/4 end-state design.

Finding a Path in Just Five Weeks

The SCMO2 team performed a supply chain system capability and mapping assessment to better understand the plans and goals that Georgia-Pacific had set. Because their future process requirements were already determined, our standard assessment approach was modified to focus more specifically on IBP readiness during the interim state. This process included small-group interviews across multiple divisions with both business and IT representation to detail future process mapping against IBP and APO tool capability. After a five-week engagement, SCMO2 was able to provide actionable guidance on how to best leverage SAP SCM Suite tools that balance the “bridge” period between ECC and S/4 and the future system landscape vision.

Three Great Options, One Final Solution

The deliverable provided to Georgia-Pacific involved three different solutions involving a various combinations of IBP and APO capabilities. Each roadmap was accompanied by cost, resource requirements and timelines to allow senior planners to evaluate and choose the most effective approach. Specific capability gaps were addressed and weighed along seven dimensions to further guide their decision on which tool (SAP or 3rd party) would best address both the interim “bridge” period as well as fulfill their long-term vision.

SCMO2 planners continued to stay engaged, building a detailed cost/benefit business case for two of these three solutions, demonstrating how either scenario would ensure completion within IT-established timelines and requirements. Georgia-Pacific senior planners were able to support their decision to management which led to a smooth adoption and execution of the bridge solution.

SCMO2 Assessments are Solid, but Flexible

All our assessments are designed to be executed within a quick 2-8 week period, involving a review of business pain points, process ownership, key stakeholders and system landscape. After evaluating the current as-is state, our planners help define the critical-need capabilities and define solution alternatives to achieve those outcomes. The final assessment presentation typically involves several options to provide a flexible, yet predictable path forward.