Philip Wahlberg, systems and sustainability manager at StepLock (left) and Fredrik Stendal, CEO at StepLock
When StepLock needed a new, robust and future-proof business system, they chose S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition. In a record time of 12 weeks, they got their new business system in place together with Implema.
StepLock runs their business from their headquarters and production facility in Västerås. They lead the market in electromechanical locks and access systems and employ about 100 people. In recent years, they have grown significantly and expanded abroad. They strive to continue growing and enter new international markets.
Need for a New Cloud-Based and Future-Proof Business System
During late summer 2022, StepLock found themselves in a situation that is not uncommon for growing companies. They had outgrown their business system. This in turn created barriers to further expansion. Management realized they would need a new, more robust, sustainable and flexible business system.
StepLock’s corporate culture is strongly characterized by decentralization, and employees often participate in various decisions – this time as well. In a joint process, management and employees determined what the company and each department needed to “future-proof” their business and work. They concluded that they needed a business system that was scalable and had “global availability”. Additionally, with increased efficiency and improved process support. They needed to quickly and easily create new processes when starting up new companies in other countries. They also needed to quickly adapt to increased pressure in existing processes when demand rises. After a procurement process, they chose the cloud-based business system SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition. Partly because of SAP’s strength in best practice processes and built-in support for the various legal requirements in most countries. But also because a cloud-based business system aligns with StepLock’s own offering of an access system built around cloud-based technology and they are well aware of its advantages.
Implema Was Trusted to Implement SAP S/4hana Cloud Public Edition in 12 Weeks with Implema Way
As always when Implema is involved, they worked according to Implema Way. Among other things, this means quickly, safely and efficiently creating a stable and powerful best practice platform and then developing step by step. This provides many advantages, not least that investment decisions are made only when the customer knows what they really need.
StepLock decided to implement Finance, Manufacturing, Sales, Sourcing & Procurement, Supply Chain and Warehouse Management. They also set up several integrations (automated invoice handling via EDI and Peppol, integration with bank. This provides support for reading and interpreting supplier invoices). They implemented this in two countries, Sweden and Norway.
StepLock began implementation during fall 2023 and went live with a completely new cloud-based business system on December 1, 2023 – after a record-fast 12 weeks! Now StepLock uses a flexible and scalable business system that they easily update with the latest versions and features. The system also offers a wide range of functions with the latest technology that enables new, smart ways of working.
With the new system in place, StepLock gets more support on all fronts and has already seen significant benefits.
– An important part for me is the reports we can now generate. Previously, I was limited to Excel or had to request reports from each person in the warehouse, production, etc. Now I can get an overview of the status of all information collected and in real time , says Fredrik Stendal, CEO at StepLock.
– Our new business system is also extremely valuable because it gives us several different solutions that we can use in our business development, says Philip Wahlberg, systems and sustainability manager at StepLock and project manager for the project from StepLock’s side.
Success Factors in the Project
Preparation and Readiness
An important reason why the project could be implemented so quickly and successfully was the preparations the team made before the start. Experience shows that the work you put in beforehand is at least as crucial as the implementation itself. Organizations often prepare inadequately for upcoming changes. They lack a clear picture of what preparations are required, which causes many IT projects to fail.
– By involving the organization early and defining needs in a joint process, the team at StepLock had already created both acceptance, “buy-in” and engagement, which was incredibly good for the project. This created high motivation and reduced fear of changed working methods, explains Anders Odhnoff, project manager and consulting manager at Implema and adds:
– Together we also conducted a Readiness phase, before the actual implementation project started, which meant that everyone was well prepared when we then got started. Overall, you can say that StepLock really entered the project with a “cloud mindset”. More about Readiness here: Project Readiness: The IT project is decided before it starts
Methodology and Implema Way
During the preparations and throughout the project, they followed the principles of Implema Way – Implema’s well-proven methods and the mindset required for successful projects. They also worked largely in accordance with SAP’s Activate methodology. This created conditions for a smooth and well-thought-out project process. More about Implema Way here: Implema Way
Mindset at StepLock
Another important reason for the success is the mindset that exists at StepLock. They showed in action that the project was highly prioritized, including by allocating resources that could work dedicated to the project. They showed great trust and took responsibility for necessary tasks. StepLock’s management gave the project group the mandate to manage the project and make decisions, which enabled quick decisions instead of the opposite, which often happens.
Strong Teamwork with Implema
The strong collaboration in the project team also determined the project’s success. The team showed great commitment, dedication and worked hard together to reach the common goal.
– The collaboration between StepLock and Implema worked really well. We worked hard and dedicated as a team with a common goal and a “success mindset” throughout the project, Anders explains.
Next Steps
The next step is already underway, which involves implementation of SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition for another one of StepLock’s companies. The plan is to go live in March this year. StepLock also sees that there are many more functions that they will benefit from in the long term, not least in the international expansion they are planning.
– SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition gives us much better opportunities to easily scale up when we expand to more countries. It feels good that we can get support and assistance regardless of which region we want to expand to , concludes CEO Fredrik Stendal.
