Siegwerk

Why did this project come to be?

A complex master data landscape

In 2017, Siegwerk discovered that their self-programmed master data management tool was limited by manual processes, double-entries, offline steps, and development complexity.

Vincent Saadoun, Head of Product Lifecycle & Master Data Management at Siegwerk, explains: “The challenge for us is the numbers. We create, change, or extend over 500 materials globally every day – and each product requires comprehensive and correct master data. So, we needed more automation and a seamless end-to-end process.” The need for a new tool was underscored as Siegwerk acquired the formulation management application, SAP Recipe Development. Altogether, this meant they had to rethink the entire process of creating master data.

The perfect match

After assessing various tools, Siegwerk found NTT DATA’s GLASSWING as the perfect match offering automation, simplification, and full SAP integration. The aim of the project was to reduce complexity, enhance user experience, and streamline processes for higher data quality.

The project started in February 2017, and by the following year, Siegwerk launched their first pilot in Germany. By March 2024, they had fully deployed the tool across 26 countries and 130 plants. Today, 400 users engage with the tool daily, managing over 500 materials per day.

How did we solve it?

Integration into Business Suite

Siegwerk had a diverse system landscape, which in certain countries required a greenfield implementation of SAP ECC. With help from NTT DATA, Siegwerk integrated GLASSWING into its Business Suite and deployed it either as part of a greenfield project or a retrofit project. Now Siegwerk benefits from one template ensuring alignment in master data processes worldwide.

A customized coding solution

As a manufacturer in the chemical industry, Siegwerk has extensive needs for master data management. With GLASSWING only covering some objects, NTT DATA helped Siegwerk program a solution by utilizing the concept Additional Objects. This allows Siegwerk to handle and automate SAP Master Data objects like Recipe, Production Version, QIP assignment, and Costing all through fields maintained on the Material Master.

Initially, Siegwerk aimed to reduce custom programming. However, according to Vincent Saadoun, the 150 hours of coding to automate the objects in GLASSWING proved to be a valuable investment: “Now, it’s a no-code solution. After the initial setup, we haven’t needed much development time. We simply adapt it to local needs, which takes about five days per affiliate.

What changed for the better?

Automation and higher data quality

With the new tool, Siegwerk benefits from reduced complexity and a seamless, user-friendly process that does not require programming skills. When creating a new product, the user only needs to complete a low number of fields to gather the necessary information for procurement, production, and sales. This speeds up the entire end-to-end process and ensures high data quality.

Vincent Saadoun explains: “Before, manual data entries led to average data quality and increased the risk of errors. We’ve now achieved a high level of data quality, thanks to the business rulesets, and workflow capability.”

Also, Siegwerk maintains the tool with a small key user team, reducing their dependency on NTT DATA consultants to only two to five days of support per year. This boosts internal control in line with their business strategy.

A solid partner for future projects

Throughout the project, the collaboration between Siegwerk and NTT DATA has been characterized by close cooperation and flexibility, described by Vincent Saadoun as a partnership: “Right from the start, we felt genuinely supported. Not only in terms of the project phase implementation, but also with the assurance of ongoing support for the next 20 years.”

Looking ahead, Siegwerk already has their next project lined up: A transition to SAP S/4HANA for which they will continue to rely on NTT DATA’s support.