In pursuit of heightened production efficiency, streamlined supply chain management, and overall operational excellence, this materials manufacturer was on a mission to modernize its business. Recognizing the need for a transformative approach, the company sought the guidance of Hitachi Solutions, a trusted partner with a proven Microsoft track record. Our advisory and technical expertise played a pivotal role in helping them develop a robust strategy and clear vision for digital transformation success.
Challenge
From raw material to finished product, this manufacturer strives to lead the market through sustainable value and customer excellence. But in such a highly competitive industry as steel manufacturing, they need to be agile, responsive, and cost-efficient to get and stay ahead.
That’s why the company was looking to harness the power of their data and modernize operations. But they didn’t only want to evolve their technology, they wanted a strategic roadmap to streamline, automate, and change the way they do business — so they could continue to be successful now and into the future.
However, like many manufacturers, they did not have the resources in-house to build the right strategy to embark on such a digital transformation journey. Further, like many IT organizations, they are organized according to product (ERP, CRM, etc.). Thus, they lack an “agnostic” team to evaluate business problems and provide recommendations on the modernization of processes and technology.
They needed outside help from an expert and called on Hitachi Solutions, their trusted partner of more than a decade. Over the years, the relationship has been elevated to a more strategic level, with the company now leveraging Hitachi Solutions’ Advisory Services to help guide and advise them around digital modernization planning as well as implementation.
Advisory Solutions
At Hitachi Solutions, we have a team of seasoned advisors who specifically work with organizations to navigate the complexities of digital transformation, identifying new approaches for value creation and sustainable change. The goal is to ensure people, processes, and technology are all aligned and moving forward together to unlock more value and drive more impactful outcomes well into the future.
As this manufacturer’s digital transformation advisor, we worked collaboratively with them on strategic discovery to understand their needs and identify and prioritize the best opportunities for process improvement, cost reduction, and increased efficiency. Through advisory engagements covering a wide range of workshops and activities — from planning, problem-framing, design thinking, envisioning, change management, prototyping, and testing — we helped them develop a robust roadmap to streamline, automate, and modernize their commercial strategy and solve their core business challenges.
One of the most notable examples of this is the Sales Hub project. This company’s product group decided to revamp its commercial strategy, emphasizing profitability, customer service, and the ability to fulfill orders across multiple mills. In the past, customers placed orders directly with specific mills, creating a bespoke commercial model. When leadership decided to consolidate and integrate this model, it required extensive effort in terms of envisioning and change management with Hitachi Solutions Advisory Services.
Key outcomes they were looking to achieve included enhancing order profitability, decreasing internal costs via team consolidation, and ensuring efficient mill load balancing. The advisory engagements played a vital role in aligning key roles and stakeholders — which were critical to the project’s success — and developing best practices to standardize the process.
This is just one example of how our advisory services have helped the company (and continue to help them) confidently drive process improvement and digital transformation within their organization. Other projects over the years included:
- A UI/UX envisioning workshop for the modernization of custom quoting applications. Our advisory team worked with internal and external (builder partner) stakeholders to develop a vision, requirements, and a prototype for a modernized application. This included a 3D interface to remain competitive in the marketplace. One goal and successful outcome of the advisory engagement was to garner interest and excitement across the organization to get project funding.
- A UI/UX envisioning workshop for modernizing their custom ERP system. Our advisory team worked with our custom development team to develop a vision, requirements, and a prototype for a modernized application. However, given that custom ERP is not a common approach, the advisory group worked with our sales, industry, and ERP subject matter experts to tactfully shift the approach to a commercial Microsoft Dynamics 365 off-the-shelf ERP solution. By “meeting the customer where they were,” and thoroughly evaluating a custom ERP build, we were able to earn their trust, recommend D365, and get their approval to move forward.
- A process definition engagement to provide detailed, current-state process documentation in preparation for a D365 Finance & Operations ERP implementation.
- An organizational change management assessment in preparation for ERP modernization.
Benefits
The company wanted a consulting partner who could guide them in strategizing rather than just executing defined projects. And Hitachi Solutions has done just that. Over the past couple of years, our advisory services have collaborated with the company on projects that have:
These business outcomes not only enhance overall operational efficiency but also ensure they are better equipped to adapt to a dynamic industry, are more responsive to their customer’s changing needs, and are able to achieve long-term growth and stay competitive in an ever-evolving landscape.
This manufacturer’s partnership with Hitachi Solutions showcases the power of strategic advisory services in guiding organizations through transformative journeys. It is not merely about projects and implementations but rather about shaping strategies, reimagining how they work, and envisioning a more prosperous future.
Future
And our strategic alliance continues to evolve and expand. Next up is a significant advisory and data analytics project focused on modernizing their overall enterprise data strategy.
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