Success Stories

DuPont: CSC Creates Single Backbone to Update, Integrate Global Systems

Client:

DuPont

Challenge:

DuPont wanted to migrate away from ineffective and costly legacy applications and consolidate its strategic business units around the world into a global SAP environment (DSAP).

Solution:

CSC provided guidance and expertise to create a single transactional backbone across DuPont’s European business units helping them to migrate more core applications to their global SAP environment.

Results:

Eliminating legacy applications and further integration with the global SAP environment has enabled DuPont to cut support costs, improve its collaboration and strengthen its position as an innovative and customer-focused company.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, DuPont is one of the world’s most innovative companies. Operating in 70 countries, with a workforce of more than 60,000 people, it offers a wide range of products and services in markets as diverse as agriculture, electronics, transportation and apparel.

DuPont’s global strategy was to move to a unified SAP environment (DSAP). In the past, the company had used CSC’s extensive enterprise resource planning (ERP) expertise, and specifically its SAP skills. However, as DSAP migration projects had been driven by business unit priorities rather than an overarching plan, some hadn’t migrated at all, and some were left with a mix of new and legacy applications.

Lighting the LAMP

Each strategic business unit at DuPont had its own IT operations and strategy, and many were relying on applications that were approaching obsolescence. Supporting these disparate systems was a costly and complex management headache for DuPont.

The DuPont management team initiated the Legacy Application Migration Programme (LAMP) to move more core applications onto DSAP. The goal of the LAMP project was to move DuPont’s European entities to an integrated SAP environment covering legal, corporate and business reporting, inter-company processes and transfer price management.

By using standard global processes, procedures, tools and methodologies, the new model enables CSC to seamlessly bring together the best resources from around the world to meet DuPont’s needs. In the case of LAMP, this strategy enabled CSC to take a 24/7 approach to problem-solving that enabled the project team to meet the challenging deadlines needed to keep the project on track.

On time, on budget

To deliver LAMP, CSC built a global team combining local, near-shore and offshore resources, including DuPont team members and stakeholders. It was critical for DuPont staff to understand the new environment and its benefits, and be ready to start using the new SAP system immediately.

Despite the scale and complexity of the project, with CSC’s help, LAMP was implemented quickly, efficiently, on time, and on budget. Moving from a myriad of siloed legacy applications to an integrated SAP system has transformed DuPont’s complex European ERP environment that has delivered:

Elimination of costly-to maintain legacy applications
A simpler infrastructure that is easier to manage
Increased flexibility and transparency
Improved productivity.

By leveraging CSC’s expertise in change management, DuPont was also able to prepare staff for the change as well as minimize downtime and disruption. In addition, the company is now able to more clearly define roles and proactively answer questions.

“The biggest benefit is that business units already in the strategic environment can leave the legacy environment completely, which saves time and costs,” says Rose Burkhardt, IT program manager, DuPont.

For more information

Download the entire case study (PDF).