3-Month SAP S/4HANA Localisation and Rollout for a Manufacturing Company in the Malt Industry

LeverX helped a malt production plant adapt SAP S/4HANA for a new regional market, aligning the system with local legal, accounting, and business requirements.

Client

The client is a malt producer and agricultural products supplier, combining manufacturing with wholesale trade. Its core business includes the production and sale of malt, as well as the wholesale supply of grain, seeds, animal feed, pesticides, and other agrochemical products.

The company is part of a French agroindustrial group that holds a controlling stake and manages the production facility. The local business operates within the group’s unified corporate SAP environment, adapted to the requirements of the regional market.

Challenge

The French parent company had implemented a corporate SAP S/4HANA system in line with European requirements. When the system was extended to the local plant, it needed to accommodate the specific requirements of the regional market.

This included local legislation, tax and accounting regulations, business processes, printed forms, and electronic document management. At the same time, the local setup had to remain aligned with the corporate SAP environment and the standards established by the parent company.

The project also required close coordination between the international IT team, management in France, and the local plant team. The teams needed to align corporate standards with local operational and regulatory requirements while preparing the system for use by the local business.

LeverX began the engagement with a consulting assessment of the existing SAP S/4HANA setup and the local requirements. The assessment helped identify the changes needed to adapt the corporate solution to the regional market and provided a basis for the subsequent system adaptation and testing.

The client selected LeverX based on:

• A strong reputation in the European SAP market
• The presence of LeverX offices in Europe and the client’s region
• Proven experience in multinational SAP projects

Solution

LeverX first evaluated and tested the existing SAP S/4HANA system against the requirements of the local market. The team analysed the areas where the corporate setup required adaptation and identified the changes needed to support local operations.

The assessment focused on:

• Local legislation, tax and accounting regulations
• Business processes and operational requirements
• Printed forms and electronic document management

Based on the findings, LeverX provided recommendations for adapting the system while following SAP best practices. The team then supported the adaptation of standard SAP functionality to the client’s local business and regulatory requirements.

The work covered core processes used by the accounting, procurement, and sales teams. This included adapting the relevant SAP functionality and validating the resulting setup to ensure that it could support the plant’s day-to-day operations.

LeverX also coordinated the required changes with the international IT team, management in France, and the local plant team. This helped maintain consistency with the corporate SAP environment while addressing the requirements specific to the local business.

LeverX’s localisation expertise, proven SAP solutions, and experience with multinational SAP projects enabled the system adaptation and fine-tuning to be completed in just three months.

Technology Stack

The adapted solution was built around the client’s central ERP system, SAP S/4HANA. Originally implemented according to the European standards used at the headquarters, the system provided the foundation for the plant’s integrated business operations and required further adjustments to address the needs of the local market.

Central ERP system: SAP S/4HANA

SAP S/4HANA provided the foundation for integrated business operations, data processing, and analytics across the plant.

SAP modules involved: SAP MM, SAP FI, and SAP SD

• SAP Materials Management (SAP MM): Supports procurement, inventory management, and supplier collaboration, helping the plant maintain the resources required for its operations.
• SAP Finance (SAP FI): Supports accounting and tax reporting while addressing local legislative requirements and maintaining financial integrity.
• SAP Sales and Distribution (SAP SD): Supports order management, pricing, and delivery processes across the client’s sales operations.

Results

LeverX helped the client successfully launch the adapted SAP S/4HANA system at the local plant, aligning the corporate solution with local business and regulatory requirements.

Key results:

• 3 months - LeverX completed the system adaptation and fine-tuning within three months.
• Local compliance - The adapted SAP S/4HANA solution met local legislative, tax, accounting, and document management requirements.
• Centralised visibility - LeverX integrated the local plant into the group’s corporate SAP environment, giving stakeholders centralised visibility into plant data.
• Reduced reliance on parallel systems - The adapted SAP setup provided a foundation for expanding SAP usage locally and gradually phasing out parallel systems.