SAP implementation and EDI at GoodMills

Speed always matters

It is particularly important when a company wants to switch its ERP system and update its EDI processes at the very same time. This was successfully done at GoodMills Bulgaria, with hands-on support by EDITEL.

High-level expertise for all things flour“ is the guiding principle of the GoodMills Group, which provides top-quality foodstuffs to millions of people in central and eastern Europe on a daily basis. This company, which is owned by the Raiffeisen corporati­on, pairs the benefits of an internati­onal network with local expertise about specific European markets. This combination of expertise, expe­rience, and regional roots allows the GoodMills Group to leverage oppor­tunities on local markets.

EDI competencies for smooth data exchange

For instance, Bulgaria, which is home to one of the largest and sophi­sticated mills in the Balkans, is one of the company‘s major markets. Du­ring the company-wide SAP intro­duction, Bulgaria was also the first country that concurrently had to make major changes to the Electro­nic Data Interchange (EDI) system it uses to communicate with its busi­ness partners. The goal was to ensure the continued smooth exchange of orders, despatch advices, and in­voices with major retailers including Billa, Metro, and Kaufland after fi­nalizing the SAP implementation.

Due to the new centralized system environment, this project was not feasible with the previous local EDI provider, which is why EDITEL was selected as a partner for its experien­ce, expertise, and international pre­sence. Clearly focused on the goal and with a non-negotiable deadline for the go-live in mind, SAP was in­troduced during ongoing operations, interfaces were defined, and the cor­responding EDI mappings were pre­pared and tested together with the client.

Go-live with SAP and EDI

The system went live exactly as planned and did not have any negati­ve effect on ongoing operations. “We really appreciated EDITEL‘s top-notch problem-solving skills and fle­xibility, especially during the critical phase,” said Sharif Issa, the SAP project manager at GoodMills Group, praising the project imple­mentation:

“The EDI connection al­lows for prompt planning and helps us eliminate mistakes. Despatch ad­vices, invoices, and credits always go directly into the corresponding sys­tem and the process is fast and al­ways accurate. Finally, we are saving considerable amounts of paper, which is a plus for the environment,” Mr. Sharif added.

While this does not mean that everything happens faster at GoodMills Bulgaria than in other countries, a sophisticated system environment paired with a tried-and-trusted EDI service provider certainly prepare the ground for a successful and digitali­zed future while saving a lot of time. In addition, a solid basis for the in­troduction of EDI operations in other countries is now available.