Increasing competition, more demanding customers, performance shortfalls, increasing market velocity, and globalization - these are some of the drivers forcing organizations to reexamine and revamp operations.

Watch the Webcast

In this Webcast, you'll discover how the SAP solutions can help transform operations into a competitive differentiator. Watch this Webcast to learn:

• How the SAP solutions can help empower organizations to meet and exceed customer expectations by consistently delivering quality products and services at the right cost, in the right quantity, at the right time and location
• Why operational excellence is critical to an organization’s profitability, competitiveness, stakeholder value, and growth
• From a leading analyst, an SAP expert, and an SAP customer whose company exemplifies operational excellence, how to achieve operational excellence and how to maintain superior performance through continuous improvement and innovations in operations

Topics

Operational Excellence: A Critical Business Strategy

What is operational excellence? Why is it now considered a critical business strategy? How can IT help pursue this strategy?

Senior Vice President, AMR Research

Jim Shepherd brings more than 30 years of manufacturing, operations, and software industry experience to his role as senior vice president of research for AMR Research. His coverage area includes ERP systems, supply chain management, and the governance of global IT operations. Jim also leads AMR Research’s team of analysts covering enterprise applications.

Jim helped to develop AMR Research’s coverage of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and led the company’s effort to establish the Supply Chain Council and define the SCOR Model. He was also the first analyst named as an AMR Research Fellow.

Prior to joining AMR Research, Jim served as vice president of manufacturing at Conrac Corporation and director of materials at ACMI. He also held senior management positions in several software companies including: Avalon Software, Carp Systems, and ASK Computer Systems.


Jim is frequently quoted in leading business publications, including BusinessWeek, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared on CNBC and has been interviewed on National Public Radio. He speaks frequently at industry trade conferences, user group meetings, and executive conferences.

Jim graduated with a BA from Wesleyan University. Jim Shepherd, Sr VP, AMR Research, answers these questions and discusses market trends fueling today's urgency for operational excellence.

Operational Excellence at Braskem


CIO, Braskem

Mr. Lepecki has been Braskem’s CIO since 2006. He is a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management. He has been working in the petrochemical industry for 17 years in different areas including: Engineering, Industrial Automation, Planning, Finance and more recently in Information Technology. He led Braskem’s Formula project, including the SAP deployment; one of the most important industrial companies in Latin America. Stefan Lanna Lepecki, CIO, Braskem SA, describes his company’s commitment to operational excellence through its Formula Braskem program. Since the program's inception, the company has enhanced its competitiveness and reduced its operating costs by more than $7 million . Brazil-based Braskem was founded in 2002. Within just three years, it ranked among the top ten petrochemical companies in the world. The company recognizes the Formula Braskem program it created and implemented with SAP as an unqualified success.

Achieve Operational Excellence with SAP


Global Marketing Director, SAP

Simo has responsibility for the Operational Excellence Theme within the Global Marketing Team. In his position, Simo drives the marketing initiative – from strategy to execution – demonstrating the unique value of SAP to help manufacturing and services companies translate operational excellence into a strategic competitive advantage. Simo works closely with customers, analysts and partners.

Simo has been with SAP for 7 years, focusing on SCM, PLM, SRM, Discrete Industries, Mid-Market and last but not least ERP Upgrades. Prior to joining SAP, Simo was an analyst in a leading IT advisory firm providing research, advice and consulting, with a strong focus on ERP, SCM, SRM and technologies like marketplaces.

Simo holds an MSc in Business from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (European Business School). Si-Mohamed Said, Global Marketing Director, SAP, explains the SAP strategy to help best-run businesses transform operations into strategic advantage. SAP provides end-to-end solutions to unify operations and achieve operational excellence. With unified operations, companies can attain complete, real-time visibility into operations; execute with high efficiency across all units and geographies; and ensure continuous improvement, over time. The benefits include increased customer service levels, decreased costs, predictable compliance, and superior overall operational performance.