Tokyo Electron (TEL)
encompasses nearly 80 offices in 16 countries that engineer,
manufacture, sell, and service wafer-processing and
semiconductor production equipment (SPE), as well as flat
panel display (FPD) equipment. TEL provides customers with
superior electronic components and computer networks from
around the world and, as the world market share leader, TEL
plays a vital role in the evolving global semiconductor
industry.In mid-2004, Pemeco
Inc. was selected to manage a complex upgrade project to
integrate SSA Global’s Baan ERP software into Tokyo Electron
America (TEA), TEL’s North American distribution, service, and
finance operation. SSA Global’s software replaces a previous
version and is surrounded by numerous “bolt-on” web-enabled
programs, all designed to satisfy their quality-sensitive
service and distribution customers.
Pemeco consultants joined more than thirty TEA managers and
staff to lead three core implementation teams:
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Sales, Planning,
and Warehousing Logistics
-
Service
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Finance,
Costing, and Integration
Starting with a scope analysis,
continuing with core team training on system fundamentals,
through mapping, conference room, departmental, and integrated
piloting, and concluding with the migration and cut-over
tasks, the extremely aggressive seven-month, multi-million
dollar implementation was delivered precisely on schedule.
Barry Mayer, president of TEL U.S.
Holdings, states, “Projects of this magnitude require a highly
structured approach to maintain a clear focus on the
objectives. Each project team member must provide his or her
undivided attention to the implementation tasks at hand –
this, in addition to his or her normal day-to-day
responsibilities. Without exception, our people stepped up to
the challenge while Pemeco’s professionals rolled up their
sleeves and worked side-by-side with them.”
Russ Finney, vice president of
Information Systems at Tokyo Electron America, adds, “The
entire company was astounded that such a complicated project
could be so successful and delivered on time. The Pemeco
implementation methodology, ‘Milestone Deliverables’, provided
a comprehensible roadmap to follow with clearly-marked,
tangible deliverables serving as signposts along the way.
Integrating numerous web-enabled, outside process, our IT
developers worked closely with the consultants who never let
up for a moment – providing the project guidance, business
understanding, and technical know-how from day one until our
cutover to production. We moved to our new ERP systems on the
final weekend and balanced our $51M of inventory to the
penny!”
Mr. Finney continues, “ERP
implementations of this scope are extreme challenges. Project
members must dedicate a significant portion of their time to
the endeavor and you can never spend too much time training
end users. Just as importantly, make sure you choose
business-savvy, product knowledgeable consulting partners,
ready to get into the trenches with the other team members.
With Pemeco, we got those skills plus much, much more.” |
