Success Stories
Talan and OVHcloud outsmart the pandemic and succeed SAP S/4HANA’s Go-Live
Is organizing the launch of an ERP solution within a large international company in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic a stretch? Talan and OVHcloud took on this challenge, and succeeded. Learn how the leading European cloud computing company turned health constraints into opportunities, and how our team successfully assisted its partner in the rollout of SAP S/4HANA.
OVHcloud: a thriving company
OVHcloud has flourished since its inception in 1999. From a small startup launched by a student in the north of France, today the company is Europe's leading provider of cloud solutions - both public and private. With a portfolio of 1.6 million customers, OVHcloud deploys its cloud and web hosting services in 140 countries through a solid network of 34 data centres and multiple points of presence.
With nearly 25 years of successful growth, the company has decided, in 2019, to pursue an initial public offering plan in the fall of 2021.
A project impacted by Covid-19
To meet the growth objectives needed to achieve such a milestone, OVHcloud initiated the implementation of the SAP S/4HANA solution internally to enable greater efficiency at several levels of its organization.
This large-scale project collided with the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, when the French team in charge of the project had to move to the pilot site located in Beauharnois, Quebec.
The inability to travel prompted OVHcloud to be creative... and to ask for our help. In order to maintain its objectives, the cloud leader was looking for a partner that could relay the project team on the ground.
Why OVHcloud chose Talan
Our client selected us on the basis of several criteria:
- A full-service team: OVHcloud was searching for a SAP partner that could provide a fully operational project team. This enabled a quick and efficient launch of the mission to deploy the core model.
- Individual and group competencies: our team of consultants is characterized by its leadership qualities and expertise. This has enabled us to easily understand the client's expectations and problems, and to address them in a pragmatic manner. Consequently, a relationship based on trust was quickly developed.
- An instructive and dedicated approach: users' technical knowledge level was very heterogeneous. Our team showed its ability to adapt to each user, guiding them as best as possible in the use of the SAP S/4HANA ERP system.
Taking over an ongoing project: a considerable challenge
Our team of consultants stepped in to support the deployment of SAP S/4HANA in the operational areas of logistics, manufacturing and financial management. We accompanied OVHcloud in the implementation of the SAP software for component purchasing, data and warehouse management, planning, production and financial control.
Our teams had to integrate an ongoing project. This required an intervention which took into account three fundamental realities:
#1. Deploying an existing solution
When Talan was brought on board, the planning and implementation preparation phases had been fulfilled. SAP S/4HANA was fully configured based on OVHcloud's general and specific needs, and the final enhancements were nearing completion. It was time for the business team to run tests and train the employees.
Talan, which usually plays the integrator's role, had to accompany OVHcloud to the Go-Live, based on an already designed solution. The team had to be willing to deploy the solution as designed, configured and integrated, to avoid disrupting the project's progress. We focused on assisting with the deployment, in unison with the client and our team members, as well as with the existing integrator.
#2. Teams located in two time zones
The geolocation of the main project team and the local project team influenced the ability for both to collaborate, as their time zones were 6 hours apart, and available time slots were limited. This required us to be highly self-reliant locally without a constant liaison with the main project team.
#3. Teams with different cultures
Our consultants also acted as cultural facilitators between the French and Quebec teams. Being familiar with both work environments, they were able to bridge the cultural differences, establish points of convergence between the teams and ensure a seamless rollout.
" The sanitary restrictions provided us with a real opportunity to opt for a local team, which was not envisaged in the initial project plan. We saw just how much of an impact the local presence had ".
Stephanie Logerot, Strategic Program Director, OVHcloud.
As a matter of fact, even if the main project team had been able to travel, it would not have been able to maintain a permanent presence with the local teams to assist them during the post go-live period, as we were positioned to do.
Satisfactory results
One year after our contribution and the Go-live of SAP S/4HANA's integrated system, the project is in its stabilization phase. Beyond the efficiency gains inherent to the integration of this Enterprise resource planning, OVHcloud derives several more benefits from our collaboration:
- The support of a team dedicated to the deployment of the ERP
- The efficiency of a multidisciplinary team of consultants that is readily operational
- Personalized assistance tailored to the maturity of the business teams
- A trusted local contact to ensure the continuity of the main project team/business collaboration
- A facilitator in the appropriation of the tool by the business team
Through the integration of SAP S/4HANA, OVHcloud was also able to reap the following benefits:
- Real-time management of its end-to-end operations
- Streamlining and decommissioning of several in-house tools
- A single, shared and reliable database
- Integrated standard business processes
- Better scalability to support OVHcloud's growth
- A successful IPO in October 2021!
We are delighted to have been able to help OVHcloud achieve its objectives and to enable it to continue developing its growth ambitions efficiently and with confidence.