We would like to present a case study of our company, “ERP TOHAMA,” which specializes in the localization of SAP ERP implementation projects for Japanese subsidiaries of overseas companies and has a strong track record of successful implementations.
The company presented here is a case study of SAP localization implementation for a Japanese subsidiary that has its headquarters in the U.S. and is also expanding its business in Japan.
Company that implemented SAP
The case study introduced here is for a major food supplier company headquartered in the United States. It is one of the leading companies in the food industry with a long history and one of the top market shares in the world.
We were engaged to undertake a localization project for a Japanese SAP system with the objective of improving system integration between the Japanese subsidiary and the U.S. parent company and increasing operational efficiency.
Project Period
The implementation project started in 2020 and was able to progress to Go-Live in a period of about 10 months without any major problems, failures or bugs.
The success of the smooth implementation has led to no major problems as of 2024, and ERP Tohama continues to provide support for limited operational support.
Issues before SAP implementation
While the U.S. headquarters was using SAP, the Japanese subsidiary was using a different system.Information sharing and data integration between the U.S. and Japan were not going well, which led to the decision to introduce SAP to the Japanese subsidiary as well as the headquarters.
Functions and Scope of implementation
Standard functionality for financial accounting, logistics, sales, and purchasing was implemented. Add-on development occurred only for limited scope, such as adjustments to invoice forms format, language, bank information, etc., which needed to be adapted to Japanese business practices.
SAP Implementation Outcomes
Both the implementation timeline and post-implementation operations proceeded smoothly and have been highly evaluated by the client. Some of the financial accounting operations, such as data linkage with the U.S. headquarters, which used to be handled manually using Excel, can now be handled using SAP functions.
As a result, quantitative results such as reductions in overtime hours and costs have been achieved.
In addition, data linkage with the U.S. headquarters, which was an initial issue, has been linked, and global visualization of data has been realized.
SAP implementation and consulting costs
This SAP implementation in about 10 months was handled by about 10 consultants and developer resources, and the implementation and consulting cost was about 120 million yen.
SAP Case Study Summary
| Industry / Company | Leading food supplier company |
| Project Period | 10 months in the year 2020 |
| Functions and Scope | Financial Accounting, Logistics, Sales, Purchasing |
| Main Objective | Localization to Japanese subsidiaries Data Linkage and Business Improvement |
| Outcomes | Global data visualization Streamlining of accounting operations |
| Cost | About 120 million yen |
ERP Tohama is available for consultation on SAP implementation projects focusing on localization functions across all industries in Asia pacific region. In addition to the case studies introduced here, we also have many other examples of projects, so please feel free to contact us for more information about SAP case studies, project inquiries, or about our company.
