Softline and DIY network of Castorama hypermarkets implemented the Russia's first SAP BPC project on the MCaaS model

Process of budgeting is one of key in the company, in many respects defining its activity the next 12 months. For this reason the company wanted to pass from model when the budget forms the management, to model when directors of shops make independent decisions within the powers for achievement of target indicators of sales and profit. It was required to develop a new planning and budgeting system based on modern industry solution for implementation of new process.

The specialists of Softline having experience in area of implementation of tools of SAP suggested to implement a system based on the solution on budgeting and financial planning of SAP BPC (Business Objects Planning and Consolidation) on the MCaaS cloud-model (Managed Cloud as a Service is managed "cloud" as service). The MCaaS Cloud-model allowed Castorama company to receive the business application of SAP in the form of service with the monthly rent, and thus, to transfer expenses from the investment budget to operating costs that in the best way answered the current financial strategy. Purchase of the server hardware, a hosting, acquisition of licenses softwares, service of systems it was completely provided to Softline on account of future lease payments.

Main objectives of an implementation project included the organization of planning process using the uniform tool; ensuring transparency of budget model and variability of planning (support of several versions of the budget and forecast); formalization of reconciliation procedures and improvement of discipline of budget process; planning process support by statistical data; providing opportunity plan fact of the analysis.

At the initial stage the joint project team consisting of the project manager and consultants from Softline, key business users and the project manager of IT from Castorama was created. The analysis of the existing business processes was carried out and the budget model of the company is described. On the next stage the detailed conceptual project plan then the command of Softline started its implementation was made. By this moment the business customer was already informed of the solution and well understood that he will receive as a result.

In a project deliverable based on SAP BPC the multilevel planning process and approvals including twelve business processes of preparation of the budget, ten the analyst, sixty five report forms, twenty versions of scenarios of the budget and the forecast was implemented. According to the results of the project the complete budget model of the company and all its divisions was created: process of preparation and approval of budgets of fixing of responsible persons, data exchange with external systems by means of SAP Data Services is automated, the detailed matrix of powers of users depending on their roles in budget process is developed. Besides, during the project the following solutions were implemented: the functionality of Data Services from the MS Excel interface is started and also the step-by-step procedure of alignment of sales budgets for categories and shops is configured.