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The Swatch Group, a $3 billion company which owns watch brands including Swatch, Omega and Rado, is a global enterprise based in Switzerland. To streamline forecasting and other key strategic operations, Swatch headquarters executives wanted to implement one highly capable information system for all their worldwide divisions. Every system was required to feed into SAP, one of the world’s most advanced information management systems.
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Challenge
Although Swatch had been a KWI client for the past decade, this was KWI’s first interface into such a complex program. SAP is a very high end, multi million dollar program that is one of the world’s most sophisticated supply chain management programs.
In order to effectively interface Swatch USA with the global SAP system, a vast amount of customization had to take place. The formatting for SAP access was quite complex – and done from scratch. The customization was extremely detail intensive, down to minutiae. If one small thing was improperly coded, the whole interface would be compromised. The project required extensive testing at every phase of development.
Adding to the challenge was the global environment of different time zones for key interface team members.
Solution
KWI assigned a dedicated team of its retail IS specialists to the project, starting with a project manager who met with the Swatch and SAP teams. Together, they assessed overall needs, determined specifications and mapped out an action plan and timetable.
Then KWI began the massive task of programming. Speed and accuracy were attained through daily testing as the interface was built. The project was managed globally through virtual meetings and electronic communications. Upon completion, the client tested KWI’s solution within a closed system and approved it; then the interface was made live.
Results
While SAP represents best in its class of technology, because of its complexity, implementation of system integration can take up to two years. Swatch hoped that KWI, a trusted vendor, could provide more timely results. And we did, completing the project in just three months.
The interface has been working flawlessly since implementation. Swatch global headquarters has been able to receive all the sales and inventory data they required on a daily basis from its US division. The client was so pleased that when KWI updated to JAVA and Coalition PO, they upgraded as well, committing to the relationship.
KWI continues to provide clients with interfaces for websites, wholesale systems and financial systems of all types. Simpler interfaces are provided at no charge; complex ones at nominal rates that make KWI, as always, an attractively priced solution.
