An AdapChain customer was using several spread-sheet based processes to plan different elements of a global supply chain. While the spreadsheets required typical ERP data like inventory and sales information, they had never been integrated to the customers ERP system (SAP R/3), because the cost and complexity of doing so seemed insurmountable. The result did therefore not afford any forward visibility beyond the spreadsheet owner.

• AdapChain helped the customer design, integrate and implement the disparate processes with a global solution based on a server-based planning application (from Demand Works Company ) . Because the ERP system didn’t reflect the true supply chain structure the solution was designed to allow the super-user to add data representing key supply chain relationships through spreadsheets.
  

• These loosely integrated spreadsheets describing certain supply chain constraints overcame a common problem with tightly linked supply chain/ERP solutions, the fact that while the ERP system typically holds most of the required data, it rarely holds all the required data.
  

• This design therefore avoided sharing faith with many SAP APO projects that despite tight integration fail for (among many other reasons) missing or inaccurate representation of the true supply chain within the SAP ERP system.Even though the solution was quite unique to the customer's situation, it was still repeateable and supportable because it was implemented to standard AdapLink functionality.
  

Implementation time and Cost

• Time from prototype to go-live: 10 weeks
  
• Integration cost: Approx $25K
  
• Note: The indicated time and cost includes a licensed copy of AdapLink.