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in Saudi Arabia and one of the largest
distributors for Toyota globally. The design
of the solution, called the Business Blueprint,
was completed by the time Britehouse
came on board. However, the design had
to be reviewed as new functionality had
become available since the inception of the
programme in 2014. The new solution was
configured and developed using the SAP
software. The next phase was to obtain user
acceptance and the training of all end-users,
across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Potgieter added: “Britehouse had a very
strong organisational change management
team on board, ensuring adoption of the new
solution, after many years of users operating
on a legacy system. Being responsible
for overall programme management,
our structure consisted of a programme
director and six project managers, each
one responsible for a specific stream of
functionality, including finance, human
capital management, vehicles, after sales,
training and the technical stream.
“We followed a ‘three-in-the-box’
approach, comprising of full time and
complementing project members from
Britehouse and Abdul Latif Jameel Motors, IT
and business.”
The magnitude and complexity of the
SAP implementation required a phased
approach. The first functionality went live
as phase one in April 2017, with finance,
non-core procurement, human resources and
payroll, as well as the technical landscape,
including SAP’s life cycle management tool,
Solution Manager. Britehouse also was
instrumental in certifying the Abdul Latif
Jameel Motors’ SAP Centre of Excellence
during this phase.
The second phase was the most complex.
It comprised vehicle sales and vehicle
logistics, part sales and part logistics,
service and warranty, advanced planning
and optimisation, and extended warehouse
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management. For phase two, the go-live
dates were approached in five distinct waves
to ensure proper training and adoption of the
solution across the kingdom, and to allow for
minimal business disruption.
Quality control
SAP ensured the quality of the solution
before every phase and wave of going live.
It also collaborated to resolve functional
issues within the software. This was the first
project globally that required such a wide
scope of functionality, and Britehouse and
SAP worked closely together to develop
functionality that was not previously
available to other SAP clients in this industry.
Providing new levels of service
For Faisal Abdalla, the Vice President of Abdul
Latif Jameel Motors, the project was about
more than just implementing a new IT system.
“It is completely changing how we
manage our business and team to provide
a new level of service to our guests. It is
an important step for Abdul Latif Jameel
Motors, introducing advanced technology
and infrastructure that will serve us – and
our guests – long into the future,” he said.
“As the government made clear in its Vision
2030 strategy, the private sector in Saudi
Arabia needs to innovate and modernise if
we are to create the competitive economy
that delivers the growth and jobs the
country requires. We are proud to be doing
our part and will continue to strive to
strengthen and grow the business.”
Looking to the future
Britehouse is committed to the success of
the Abdul Latif Jameel Motors’ SAP solution
and intends to be involved in further
expansion and driving value from this
solution. The solution as implemented now
is the baseline for Abdul Latif Jameel Motors’
Digital Transformation drive.
The company is looking forward to
expanding its footprint in the automotive
sector across not just the Middle East, but
globally too.
“We now have a very strong, very
competent team, and should use this to the
advantage of potential new clients,” said
Potgieter. “We now understand the culture
within the Middle East and know what the
challenges and pitfalls are. We enjoyed
working in the Middle East, so we are
looking forward to the next opportunity in
this region.”
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