BAE Systems Reaches New Heights with SSA Global ERP Upgrade
SSA Global solution delivers immediate returns
CHICAGO and LONDON – June 11, 2006 – SSA Global (NASDAQ: SSAG), a leading global provider of enterprise business software and services, today announced that BAE Systems has implemented the SSA Global enterprise resource planning (ERP) at two of its sites in Lancashire, North West England. The upgraded solution is already delivering value, with vastly improved processing times, as well as increased user performance and reliability.
BAE Systems develops, delivers and supports advanced defense and aerospace systems in the air, on land, at sea and in space. At its sites in Lancashire, the company works on the development, manufacture and delivery of military aircraft, such as the Typhoon, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Hawk advanced jet trainer and the Nimrod maritime reconnaissance aircraft. It is also engaged in manufacturing activity for Airbus Industries. All of these programs are heavily reliant on BAE Systems’ ERP capability.
BAE Systems determined that a comprehensive upgrade of its heavily customized ERP system and associated applications was required to improve efficiency.
Steve Heywood, head of business systems development Air Systems, for BAE Systems, said: “Over time significant levels of data corruption had become apparent, primarily because we were running with numerous customizations, which made it difficult to follow an upgrade path. This resulted in a situation where the integrity of the data produced by our systems could not be relied upon with certainty, forcing us to invest time and resources confirming data integrity.”
BAE Systems worked closely with SSA Global and integration partner CSC on the system upgrade. SSA Global carried out reengineering of software and conducted system testing at BAE’s site in Dudley. In addition, SSA Global provided software to manage the data migration process.
Commenting on the go-live phase, Steve Heywood said that the process was completed within 75 hours and that the benefits were immediately apparent. “Implementation started on a Friday and was completed in time for commencement of operations the following Monday. System users reported immediate benefit, with better response speed and significant improvements in batch suite production. In fact, the system is now running twice as fast as before and with far greater reliability.”
As part of the upgrade, BAE Systems chose to take advantage of the SSA OnePoint Application Management Services (SSA AMS). This will contribute significantly to the ongoing success of the project, Heywood continued. “SSA AMS has proven to be an outstanding support mechanism that has meant we’ve been able to get immediate action to resolve any faults or fixes, where required. Through SSA AMS, we will be able to take advantage of regular feature pack updates. It also allows us to keep to our maintenance schedule and migration path.”
Peter Prince, president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), SSA Global said: “We’re delighted that BAE Systems has chosen to upgrade its platform and that the benefits have been instantaneous. Since acquiring Baan, SSA Global has demonstrated its commitment to existing customers by offering clear upgrade routes and full product support. We look forward to working with BAE Systems to ensure they derive maximum benefit from their enhanced ERP system.”
Filed under: SSA Global
