Customer Reference__________
Milliken transforms global logistics with SAP TM and SAP S/4HANA.
Customer
Milliken
Industry
Discrete Manufacturing
Key technologies
Go-live
09/2025
Country
United States of America
Milliken, a 150-year-old global manufacturer with operations in 15 countries, partnered with Westernacher Consulting to replace its legacy ERP with SAP Transportation Management (TM) on S/4HANA, streamlining complex logistics processes built over decades of growth and acquisitions. The implementation enabled Milliken to centralize transportation operations, optimize shipments across all modes, automate carrier selection, and improve freight contract management – delivering end-to-end visibility, reducing manual work, and driving measurable freight cost savings. The transformation enhanced business continuity, empowering teams with data-driven decisions and facilitating carrier selection.
About Milliken – Driving innovation across industries since 1865.
Established in 1865, Milliken is a diversified global manufacturing company producing textiles and fabrics, specialty chemicals, floor coverings, performance materials, and health products across multiple industries. Headquartered in South Carolina, USA, Milliken operates more than 70 locations across 15 countries.
Rachel McAllister, Product Owner enablement IT at Milliken, says:
Milliken is an older company. We’re about 150 years old now, and as you can imagine, we’ve grown a lot organically and through acquisitions. And with that comes a lot of different processes.
The Challenge – From legacy to leading edge with SAP TM on S/4HANA.
To modernize operations and replace its custom ERP system, Milliken partnered with Westernacher Consulting to fully implement SAP Transportation Management (TM) on SAP S/4HANA. The goal: optimize shipments, consolidate loads into trailers, empower teams with better carrier selection strategies, and manage freight contracts directly within the system.
Keith Rourk, Director Corporate Logistics and Transportation at Milliken, explains:
The challenges that we wanted to tackle with TMS, the legacy knowledge, the manual processes and the limited data, the impacts from a business perspective, you’ve got business continuity. When you have legacy knowledge and you have an individual that moves on from one role to another, that knowledge goes with them if it’s not in a system or in a process that’s written out.
Deep expertise and real results – Following the successful go-live, Milliken can now:
Plan sales orders and stock transfer orders (STO) for ocean and air shipments, and delivery-based planning for road shipments.
Optimize road transportation planning with routing guides, freight costs, and priorities.
Maintain freight contracts and streamline freight charge calculations.
The Results – End-to-End visibility and automation drive smarter logistics.
As a result, the company has achieved end-to-end transportation visibility, centralized operations, and automation across key functions. Manual processes have been eliminated, enabling teams to focus on value-added activities. Automated carrier selection, balancing costs and priorities, has delivered measurable freight cost savings.
Full
systemic processing of shipments
90%
automatic carrier assignment
97
shipping points over 40 locations
David Heichemer, VP Corporate Sourcing & Logistics at Milliken, says:
The results we’ve seen since the TMS go live are really the payback that we initiated and thought about, we’re actually seeing and delivering, which is exciting.
The Results – Carrier selection made easy.
According to Heichemer, Milliken’s previous network forced them into a rigid process for selecting and deploying carriers. With the new system, they now have far more flexibility – exploring multiple options and automatically identifying the most cost-effective solution. This allows them to confidently tell their business units that they are consistently choosing the lowest-priced option and the best carrier for their needs.
Katie Nix, Agile Sr. IT Project Manager at Milliken, concludes:
I would recommend Westernacher as an implementation partner for transportation management. They bring deep expertise, assemble the right teams, and provide end-to-end project support. They’re never afraid to roll up their sleeves, solve problems, and ensure we get the right solution in front of our plants.
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
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
Implementation duration varies depending on company size and complexity. At Rushil Décor, thecomplete SAP S/4HANA implementation across 6 production plants and 25 depots was realized in just 7months. Average projects take 6-18 months.
SAP S/4HANA offers real-time data processing, a modern user interface (SAP Fiori), simplified data models, and cloud-readiness. Companies report 40-50% faster processes and significantly improved data quality.
Manufacturing companies like Rushil Décor in the laminate and MDF sector particularly benefit through integrated production planning and supply chain management. Logistics, retail, and service companies also successfully use SAP S/4HANA.
Costs depend on company size, number of locations, selected modules, and deployment model (cloud/on-premise). A detailed cost estimate is provided after individual analysis.
Change management is critical for project success. At Rushil Décor, structured change management by Westernacher was a key factor in the successful rollout in just 7 months and high user acceptance.
Yes, SAP S/4HANA offers extensive integration capabilities via APIs, SAP Cloud Platform Integration, and standard interfaces to third-party systems.
A greenfield implementation means starting fresh with SAP S/4HANA without migrating configurations from old systems. This approach allows companies to implement SAP best practices from the start and avoid technical debt.
SAP S/4HANA provides real-time visibility across the entire supply chain, predictive analytics, and integrated planning. Companies like Rushil Décor achieved 99% delivery accuracy and 10% cost reduction through improved supply chain management.
- How long does a typical SAP S/4HANA implementation take? Implementation duration varies depending on company size and complexity. At Rushil Décor, the complete SAP S/4HANA implementation across 6 production plants and 25 depots was realized in just 7months. Average projects take 6-18 months.
- What are the main benefits of SAP S/4HANA compared to SAP ECC? SAP S/4HANA offers real-time data processing, a modern user interface (SAP Fiori), simplified data models, and cloud-readiness. Companies report 40-50% faster processes and significantly improved data quality.
- Which industries benefit most from SAP S/4HANA? Manufacturing companies like Rushil Décor in the laminate and MDF sector particularly benefit through integrated production planning and supply chain management. Logistics, retail, and service companies also successfully use SAP S/4HANA.
- What does an SAP S/4HANA implementation cost? Costs depend on company size, number of locations, selected modules, and deployment model (cloud/on-premise). A detailed cost estimate is provided after individual analysis.
- How important is change management in SAP projects? Change management is critical for project success. At Rushil Décor, structured change management by Westernacher was a key factor in the successful rollout in just 7 months and high user acceptance.
- Can SAP S/4HANA be integrated with existing systems? Yes, SAP S/4HANA offers extensive integration capabilities via APIs, SAP Cloud Platform Integration, and standard interfaces to third-party systems.
- What is a greenfield implementation? A greenfield implementation means starting fresh with SAP S/4HANA without migrating configurations from old systems. This approach allows companies to implement SAP best practices from the start and avoid technical debt.
- How does SAP S/4HANA improve supply chain management? SAP S/4HANA provides real-time visibility across the entire supply chain, predictive analytics, and integrated planning. Companies like Rushil Décor achieved 99% delivery accuracy and 10% cost reduction through improved supply chain management.
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