NEW AG (Niederrhein Energie und Wasser) had been using SAP ERP in combination with the industry solution IS-U. Acquisitions, spinoffs, and restructurings, however, had led to a considerable expansion of structures. SAP New GL is to be introduced in accounting as well. “Our primary goal was to realize an efficient and precise system, optimally made for the reporting and invoicing regulations faced by utility firms,” said Michael Theisejans, Head of Accounting and Tax at NEW AG, in discussing the department’s requirements.
The Management and IT consultancy Acando GmbH and accounting specialist Stellwerk Consulting GmbH devised the implementation of the new system. “This reworking allowed us to significantly cut back on what used to be 2,500 individual developments and thus return to the standard. NEW AG now has more efficient logistics and accounting processes and a sustainable system,” said Acando Project Manager Werner von den Driesch. The consultancy conducted the design and the coaching of the staff. The project was managed jointly with the accounting and tax department and the IT department at NEW AG. Logistics processes were upgraded to meet the latest standards by optimizing internal billing processes as well as harmonizing vendor and customer records and master data.
Converting accounting over to the SAP New GL ledger solution brought about a uniform chart of accounts meeting the many reporting requirements. “The new system meets all of the requirements applicable to utility firms. Activity balance and consolidated data are mapped, and parallel accounting is provided, which is required under four relevant regulations,” said Detlef Schreiner, Project Manager at Stellwerk Consulting, about the accounting-related changes.
The successful teamwork by NEW AG and the two service providers made it possible for the new SAP system to go live after only one year of project work. NEW AG’s main operational benefits are clearer organizational structures, better-organized master data, and a high degree of automation in posting processes.