Efficient product data management with SAP ECTR

Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG is an engineering and construction company based in Kamen, Germany. The company specializes in the development and production of innovative power and data transmission systems. With around 800 employees, Vahle combines technical expertise with a strong focus on efficiency, reliability, and innovation in industrial energy and data transfer solutions.

Over more than 100 years, the VAHLE Group, founded in 1912 by Paul Vahle, the inventor of the first conductor rail, has developed into a world-leading system provider for mobile industrial applications. Its cross-industry portfolio includes intelligent solutions for flexible power and data transmission, positioning, and control. With production sites in Kamen and Dortmund, VAHLE supplies high-quality products “made in Germany.” To anchor the cornerstones of quality and dynamics in its PLM processes for the future, VAHLE undertook a quick conversion from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA with SAP ECTR upgrades.

Comprehensive PLM strategy – future-proof digitalization through efficient PLM management

The pivotal point of the migration to SAP S/4HANA was and remains the successful continuation of the company’s integrative Product Lifecycle Management (PLM). Back in 2017, a strategic PLM roadmap was developed in conjunction with NTT DATA Business Solutions, and the SAP Engineering Control Center (ECTR) was integrated into the existing SAP ERP infrastructure. This included the process-based conversion of 3D models and drawings as well as the application of approval rules in the design process, thereby ensuring a transparent flow of information across all departments. This was supported by SAP PLM consulting, individual programming as well as the use of SAP BPML (Business Process Master List) and SAP ECTR (Engineering Control Center). The conversion itself was very results-oriented: An experienced in-house SAP team enabled VAHLE to take on a large proportion of the tasks independently, thus significantly optimizing the implementation process.

Minimally invasive SAP S/4HANA conversion – the smart path to a future-proof system landscape

As part of the introduction of SAP S/4HANA, VAHLE opted for a purely technical conversion of the existing system (brownfield approach) to enable the continued use of the IT processes that had been validated and established within the organization over a number of years. In a single step, the changeover comprised the release upgrade, the database switch from SAP MaxDB to SAP HANA, and the migration of the system to the SAP RISE Cloud. Technically, this was realized by means of the SAP Data Migration Option (DMO) with System Move. It was important to VAHLE that the project was as “minimally invasive” as possible. Therefore, only necessary changes were made, such as the introduction of helpful SAP Fiori apps, the changeover to the business partner concept through customer-vendor integration (CVI), and innovations in credit management. The switch to the HANA database and the migration to the SAP S/4HANA public cloud represented key steps on the path to a modern system landscape.