Westernacher Consulting Shines in Sustainability and Supply Chain Transformation

Not many companies in SAP’s partner ecosystem can say they were founded before SAP itself. One of the SAP partners at the recent Mastering SAP Connect event in Gold Coast, Australia, Westernacher Consulting is one that can stake this claim, launching 55 years ago in Heidelberg, Germany, three years before SAP’s debut. Affectionately referred to by employees as SAP’s elder brother, Westernacher has built a strong position in supply chain planning and execution consulting over the years, with a sizeable presence in warehousing and transportation. They have a team of 1200 consultants, including 350 SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) consultants and 150 SAP Transportation Management (TM) consultants. In its market positioning, Westernacher emphasises its expertise in AI and sustainability, being carbon neutral itself since 2021.

Westernacher has had a strategic partnership with SAP for over 30 years, a recognized SAP Gold Partner for its customer service and expertise in implementations and customisation, as well as strong strategic alignment. The company delivered the first EWM implementation worldwide as a partner of SAP. It implemented the first SAP EWM on HANA, the first EWM with mobile robots and the first SAP S/4HANA EWM decentral. Westernacher completed the world’s first holistic SAP TM implementation with integrated processes for e-commerce, and it is among the first in SAP TM on HANA and TM cloud edition. And the company delivered the first SAP Yard Logistics implementation worldwide and is the leading Yard Logistics partner in the automotive, retail, agriculture and oil and gas industries.

“It can sometimes be quite difficult to find knowledgeable SI partners in the SAP ecosystem in the APAC region, and we stand out with our deep expertise in supply chain and product-centric organisations,” said Adem Adil, ANZ Sales Director at Westernacher and former head of SAP’s Digital Supply Chain business in the ANZ region.

Westernacher brings systems implementation, digital transformation, organisational change management and other services to such domains as Digital Supply Chain, SAP S/4HANA, spend management, and SAP BTP. In the APAC region, the company is focused primarily on India, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand as key growth.

“Our priority has been to build our supply chain planning and execution business in Australia, with potential future expansion into other areas,” said Amit Amin, Market Unit Lead, SEA, MEA, ANZ at Westernacher.

Leading the charge for Westernacher in the ANZ region is General Manager Volker Weber, a 30-year SAP veteran who joined the company just four months ago, bringing with him extensive experience in digital supply chain and warehouse and transportation management.

Weber’s team follows a unique consulting model – described internally as a diamond structure, in contrast to the typical pyramid structure of system integrators – emphasising efficiency and value delivered to customers. The diamond structure features a strong layer of senior architects and the ability to handle large, complex programs. This structure has served the company well, routinely exhibiting efficiency and cost-effectiveness in delivering SAP solutions.

What this means for Mastering SAP insiders

Take advantage of Westernacher’s longevity and supply chain pedigree to sharpen knowledge. The consultancy offers customised workshops designed to address specific supply chain challenges, such as the “Supply Chain Performance Assurance” workshop, which focuses on real-time monitoring using SAP Analytics Cloud. SAP customers should participate in these workshops and also invest in training sessions to ensure their teams are proficient in utilizing SAP tools effectively. And companies should investigate Westernacher’s Instant Innovation Tools, designed to expedite the deployment of SAP solutions, ensuring quicker time-to-value and adaptability to evolving business needs.

Learn from Westernacher’s clients. In business since 1969, Westernacher has quite a few referenceable clients across multiple industries that can offer candid perspectives about their own supply chain transformation journeys. One example is Celsa Group, a European steel producer, which faced challenges in optimising its supply chain operations across 120 sites with over 70,000 employees. To enhance efficiency and agility, Celsa UK collaborated with Westernacher to implement SAP Business Network for Logistics and SAP Transportation Management. Another example is Grundfos, a provider of advanced pump solutions, which sought to transition from SAP Warehouse Management (WM) to SAP EWM to enhance warehouse operations. With Westernacher’s support, Grundfos successfully implemented EWM using SAP Best Practice methodology. This transition provided a comprehensive overview of digital supply chain features on SAP S/4HANA.

Tap Westernacher’s first-hand experience with carbon neutrality to bolster your supply chain sustainability objectives. Carbon neutral itself since 2021, Westernacher advocates for proactive environmental stewardship, guiding clients in adopting practices that minimize ecological impact. The company educates clients on leveraging SAP Green Token, a blockchain-based solution that provides transactional-level proof of sustainable actions across the supply chain. This technology ensures transparency and traceability, enabling companies to verify and document sustainable practices from raw material sourcing to final delivery. Westernacher also guides clients in identifying emission sources, categorizing them into appropriate scopes, and calculating carbon footprints using the CO₂ Monitor. This approach enables organizations to simulate measures to reduce emissions with SAP Analytics Cloud. The company provides guidance on setting up a Corporate Carbon Footprint with SAP S/4HANA and SAP Analytics Cloud, integrating CO₂ reporting and planning into supply chain operations.