Customer Reference__________
Transforming manufacturing with SAP Cloud ERP.
Customer
Häfele Berlin
Industry
Retail & Manufacturing
Key technologies
Go-live
January 2024
Country
Germany
Häfele Berlin, part of the globally operating Häfele Group, transformed its manufacturing operations by implementing SAP Cloud ERP and shifting from a predominantly Make-to-Stock to a primarily Make-to-Order production model. The transformation addressed key challenges including high inventory levels, outdated and highly customized ERP systems, disconnected financial and operational processes, and limited transparency in sales margin and reporting.
In partnership with Westernacher Consulting, Häfele Berlin aligned its business processes, master data, and organizational setup with the new operating model while leveraging standardized SAP cloud capabilities. The result is a more integrated, transparent, and agile manufacturing environment, with greater stock visibility, reduced overproduction, improved process effectiveness, and a modern digital foundation that supports the factory’s future requirements.
About Häfele.
Founded in 1923, Häfele is an international company specializing in furniture fittings, fitting technology, and electronic locking systems. Today, Häfele serves customers in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Häfele Berlin primarily manufactures connecting fittings for the international furniture industry. The site specializes in hot-chamber zinc die casting, thermoplastic injection molding, cold forming, and the assembly of components made from different materials.
Häfele Berlin primarily manufactures connecting fittings for the international furniture industry. The site specializes in hot-chamber zinc die casting, thermoplastic injection molding, cold forming, and the assembly of components made from different materials.
The operations at Häfele Berlin are supported by SAP Cloud ERP across key business areas, including Finance, Sales, Purchasing, Inventory Management, Manufacturing, and Delivery Processing. Alongside the implementation of the new ERP solution, Häfele Berlin also transformed its manufacturing model – from a predominantly Make-to-Stock approach to a primarily Make-to-Order production process. This shift required significant changes to master data, processes, and the internal organizational setup.
The Challenge – Why Häfele Berlin needed to change.
Häfele Berlin faced several challenges that limited operational efficiency and transparency:
Limited inventory transparency
Make-to-Stock production was not sufficiently aligned with actual sales demand, resulting in overproduction of semi-finished and finished goods.
Limited support for the new business model
The existing ERP environment was not designed to effectively support the transition from Make-to-Stock to Make-to-Order manufacturing.
Outdated and customized ERP systems
The manufacturing site relied on highly customized legacy systems, limiting opportunities for automation, standardization, and process improvement.
Disconnected IT landscape
Financial processes were not fully integrated with operational process execution, creating gaps in end-to-end process transparency.
Limited sales margin visibility
Sales margin analysis and customized reporting relied heavily on manual report creation, making timely insights difficult to obtain.
The transformation – A partnership focused on business value.
To address these challenges, Häfele Berlin partnered with Westernacher Consulting, with a strong focus on optimizing the value delivered by the new solution. The objective was not simply to implement a new ERP system, but to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and the way business processes are executed.
Westernacher worked closely with Häfele Berlin throughout the implementation, taking the required changes in manufacturing and business processes into account. The solution was designed around the specific challenges of the site while leveraging SAP standard processes and capabilities wherever possible.
This approach enabled Häfele Berlin to combine the implementation of a modern cloud ERP platform with a fundamental transformation of its manufacturing and operating model – helping prepare the factory for future requirements.
The results – Creating a more agile and efficient factory.
The transformation has delivered a range of benefits for Häfele Berlin.
By combining production optimization with the capabilities of a modern cloud ERP solution, Häfele Berlin has advanced its digitalization journey and established a more integrated foundation for future growth.
The shift from Make-to-Stock to a predominantly Make-to-Order production and sales model has improved inventory visibility and reduced overproduction of semi-finished and finished goods. At the same time, Häfele Berlin can leverage new capabilities provided by SAP Cloud ERP to modernize its processes and ways of working.
Moving away from an IT-centered ERP implementation toward a business-focused transformation has also strengthened process effectiveness. The adoption of standardized SAP cloud processes has improved resilience, transparency, and agility while reducing reliance on highly customized legacy solutions.
As a result, Häfele Berlin has created a more integrated, transparent, and future-ready digital foundation for its manufacturing operations.
About Westernacher Consulting.
Westernacher Consulting is a global SAP specialist with over 30 years of experience in digital transformation. With locations in Europe, Asia, and North America, Westernacher supports companies in implementing SAP S/4HANA, SAP Cloud solutions, and industry-specific ERP projects.
Westernacher competencies:
SAP S/4HANA
Greenfield and Brownfield implementations
Greenfield and Brownfield implementations
SAP Cloud Solutions
(RISE with SAP)
(RISE with SAP)
Industry 4.0 and
IoT integration
IoT integration
Change management
and training
and training
Managed services
and support
and support
Building trust through delivery. Creating impact through transformation.
Let's work together.
Want to achieve similar success as Häfele? Westernacher Consulting supports you in planning and implementing your SAP transformation.
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