Shimano, a well-known wholesaler of bicycle, rowing, and fishing parts, has recently started using the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP). This has ensured a future-proof ordering platform for their customers, with the ability to roll out the technology behind it worldwide. Not only has the onboarding process for new customers been accelerated, but the platform has also contributed to better securing the data of internal activities and customer information.
The power of integrated data
In recent years, there have been many delivery issues due to a shortage of parts. Customers often did not receive a shipping date because the data flow between Shimano and the resellers was inadequate. Shimano sought a solution to this challenge. They implemented the Business Technology Platform, enabling them to build a future-proof integration landscape. By using SAP products, including SAP Cloud Platform Integration and API management, a reusable and scalable set of integrations has been created, providing flexibility and operational stability to the company. By using SAP Build Workzone, SAP Business Application Studio, and SAP Workflow management, they are able to create extensions for monitoring and operational support. For example, statistics related to message volumes, errors, and trends have improved the collaboration between different software applications.
Collaborating towards the same goal
"How do we build a smart architecture foundation for a landscape that starts in Europe but needs to be scalable?" This was the question posed by Ana Tosi, IT Senior Manager at Shimano Europe Group. "We had a clear goal in mind, but we didn't know which integration platform would fit or what was possible. Technology experts Guido Koopmann & Igor Mitrovic from Acorel supported us together with their team in this quest and in setting up the platform. The collaboration between us was really good; we built a strong bond. There is a trust within which obstacles and challenges can be openly discussed. In addition, Guido and Igor have also helped me personally broaden my knowledge in the field of integration platforms."
Acorel: the place for integration challenges
Acorel looked at the needs Shimano had - a scalable integration platform. Mitrovic: "There was a lot of curiosity from Shimano about how BTP could help them. From that need, we facilitated a number of workshops so that employees had a clear understanding of how BTP works." Koopmann adds, "By setting up the future landscape correctly, sharing integrations and developments between entities globally is not a problem."
SAP BTP has also contributed to improving the security of data flows between internal activities and customer data. Tosi: "With the help of API Management, we have increased the security level and features such as policies and quotas related to business-critical processes like Order to Cash."
Future-proof and shorter onboarding time
What does the future-proof integration platform bring to Shimano? Tosi: "We have developed 34 integrations now, which is much more than we originally had in mind, and we know there are more to come. We have also managed to implement these new integrations without any delays. Everything is on time and even within budget. And the best result is that we can now reuse integrations for new projects." Additionally, the onboarding process for new customers and retailers has been reduced to 6 weeks, compared to the previous minimum of 8 weeks. In the future, Shimano aims to reduce this to a maximum of 4 weeks.
Providing better service and acceptance to customers and partners
What can be further improved in the future? There are many new tools available on the BTP. Alongside Acorel, the possibilities of Robotic Process Automation and AI in the monitoring tool have been explored. This enables patterns to be visible to detect what is happening or going wrong in the landscape at an early stage, anticipating issues before they occur. Shimano also aims to support customers in promoting their health and happiness by enjoying nature and the world around us. Thanks to a smooth and fast integration platform, the go-to-market has accelerated, offering Shimano a future-proof and scalable platform that enhances their customers' experiences. Just like Shimano, do you want to speed up the onboarding process and see customer satisfaction grow? Our specialists are happy to help you achieve these goals. Contact us.
SAP Discovery Day for Analytics & Integration
Integration, data, analytics, and AI - these terms are prevalent nowadays. But how can your company benefit from these technological innovations? During SAP's business festival, you will be inspired on how to keep up with these advancements. Together with Shimano, we will be on stage, where Shimano will share its story about why they chose BTP and the added value it brings. Watch the aftermovie here!
The power of data, integrated data! How Shimano realizes 97% cost avoidance.
If you want to be even more inspired by this case, check out our podcast with SAP Business Innovation and our customer Shimano and listen to Ana Tosi (Shimano), Guido Koopmann (Acorel), and Igor Mitrovic (Acorel) on how you can improve customer experience by integrating data to answer a common question like "When will this be available?" Listen to the podcast!
