Established in 1865, Siber Hegner has developed into a worldwide marketing organization covering the raw & industrial materials, technology and consumer goods. Today's top brands marketed by Siber Hegner include Ebel, Lindt, Ricola, Trumpf and Malvern Instruments. From its establishment, Siber Hegner has operated successfully in the Asia Pacific region.

Spearheading the market

To build on its unparalleled track record, especially in the Greater China region, senior management recognised the value of investing in integrated software providing market intelligence information for decision-making.

Prior to the adoption of SAP's R/3, Siber Hegner's information system environment was highly fragmented. The dissemination of financial information used for business analysis and query purposes was a constant headache for the company.

"To improve transparency within the company and to facilitate efficient order processing, it was clearly necessary to upgrade our software technology to create greater viewing flexibility and allow us to access the latest information such as inventory and delivery status of each product." said Mr.Thomas Lee, Chief Financial Officer of Siber Hegner Ltd

Business simplification with R/3

Having thoroughly evaluated a number of software systems, Siber Hegner regards R/3 as one of the most integrated business software packages in the market.

"The decision to go with SAP was easy, they have a worldwide reputation, innovative technology and, provide excellent support services. Our staff were concerned that they would not be able to use the package, but with comprehensive training provided by SAP, and easy-to-follow instructions on screen, the transition to R/3 became seamless and was quickly accepted by our staff. After all our goal is to provide total customer satisfaction, that is why we chose SAP's R/3"

Ease of implementation

It took only 6 months to complete the project and a small team of three managed the implementation to achieve quick business results. The software system was live in August 1996 for consumer goods with four modules adopted Financial (FI), Controlling (CO), Sales and Distribution (SD) and Materials Management (MM).

Return on investment

The adoption of SAP R/3 System has brought an impressive return on investment for Siber Hegner. The greatest benefit has been the reduction of the cash-receivable cycle by approximately 10 days.

"The technology has given us a real competitive advantage. We are achieving faster order processing, speedier delivery and quicker customer response. We are now meeting the 24-hour customer delivery target and can also access the latest inventory status in real time unlike the earlier system which only offered a batch process update."

The successful local and fast track implementation of R/3 has prompted Siber Hegner to consider extending it to the PRC, Taiwan and Singapore. It has set its sights on standardization of operations throughout Asia so that information can be shared - a strategic tool for business success!