Tokyo Electron America
For Immediate ReleaseAnother Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Success
May 2005 -- Austin, Texas
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:
- Sales, Planning, and Warehousing Logistics
- Service
- 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.”