Evonik, a leading specialty chemicals company, is streamlining its material management with a fresh, data-driven ordering system. The upgrade, implemented in partnership with Cosmoshop, aims to replace a fragmented landscape of individual catalogs and shops with a centralized platform offering greater efficiency and transparency. This shift isn’t just about simplifying procurement; it’s about empowering employees with the right information at the right time, ultimately reducing complexity and costs across the organization. The core of the improvement lies in a system that delivers personalized views, showing users only the data relevant to their role, location, or specific material groups – a key element in modernizing data-based material management.
The new system’s impact extends beyond simply consolidating catalogs. It fundamentally changes how orders are processed. Users can now store and utilize frequently used accounting information, with the system proactively suggesting common combinations. Crucially, building and room details, along with delivery instructions, are seamlessly integrated into both Evonik’s internal SAP systems and the SAP instances used by its external partners. This integration promises more accurate material reservations and sales orders, minimizing errors and delays. The move reflects a broader trend toward tighter integration of supply chain data for improved operational performance.
The system’s search functionality mirrors the user experience of modern e-commerce platforms. Users can filter products by attributes, product groups, or delivery times, compare items, and create shopping and favorites lists. Order history provides a clear audit trail, simplifying repeat purchases. Shared shopping lists further enhance collaboration. However, the rollout isn’t complete. Evonik is currently focused on revising and standardizing the master data within its materials management system. Once This represents finished, the search function will encompass the company’s full catalog of approximately 250,000 articles. Effective user permissions are also critical to the success of the new system.
One of the most significant improvements is the enhanced visibility into inventory levels. The new system doesn’t just display prices and article information; it integrates real-time stock data, allowing users to quickly determine where an item is located, how many units are available, and the expected delivery time. This transparency streamlines planning and reduces the number of inquiries needed to confirm availability. This level of detail is particularly valuable in a complex organization like Evonik, with multiple production sites and a vast supply chain.
A Centralized Approach to Catalog Management
The system also offers structured maintenance processes for catalog management and enables centralized implementation of changes. The result is a scalable, end-to-end system, replacing numerous individual catalogs. “With this system, Evonik now has a solution that meets the high demands of an online article catalog with an ordering system for an international industrial company and is flexible enough to accommodate future developments,” said Robert Blazevic. The implementation highlights the growing importance of data-driven approaches to supply chain optimization and the benefits of consolidating disparate systems into a unified platform. The move towards a centralized system is a common theme in modern enterprise resource planning (ERP) and materials requirements planning (MRP) systems, as highlighted by industry experts.
The project underscores the importance of carefully planned user permissions within new systems. As noted in best practices for data permissions, a well-defined process for granting, modifying, and revoking access is crucial. The “necessitate-to-understand” principle – ensuring individuals only have access to the information required for their specific tasks – is a fundamental security concept that minimizes the risk of data breaches and maintains data integrity.
Looking ahead, Evonik will continue to refine the system as it integrates the remaining master data and expands its functionality. The company’s investment in this data-driven approach to material management signals a commitment to operational excellence and a more agile, responsive supply chain. The next step involves completing the data standardization process to unlock the full potential of the 250,000-article catalog.
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