Freudenberg SE breaks new ground in digital procurement of construction services

The Weinheim-based technology company Freudenberg SE has opted for FUTURA^® to control and manage its construction services procurement more efficiently. The decisive factors were the seamless networking of all procurement participants and the deep SAP S/4 HANA integration of the cloud solution. FUTURA^® will initially be introduced at the subsidiary Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH, which is responsible for all Freudenberg SE real estate matters worldwide.

The desire for more transparency in the form of end-to-end procurement controlling across system boundaries and relief for the purchasing department, for example in invoice verification, was the main driver for the comprehensive digitalization project. A total of six use cases were defined, with the focus on the classic AVA case and value contract call-offs for standard construction works.

"These requirements in combination with a deep SAP integration quickly led us to Futura Solutions," says Marco Thaller, project manager at Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH, about the initial situation. " Futura Solutions is certainly one of the leading software companies with regard to the development of SAP interfaces or SAP integration. But beyond the technological aspects, we were even more impressed by the way Futura Solutions approached the objective and the manner in which we were guided through the process in close cooperation. This helped us enormously to organize the project."

Solid approach in consulting

"We think in terms of processes. Particularly when it comes to defining the requirements and the approaches to process optimization, we advise and support our customers intensively. In addition to our expertise in the field, it is mainly this proven approach model that ensures a high level of practical orientation during the introduction of the cloud solution," adds Hartmut Schwadtke, Managing Director at Futura Solutions. "As a rule, we encounter situations with customers in which planning, purchasing and processing of services are rooted in various, isolated applications. Not only must the cross-functional processes be put to the test, but it is also important to show what SAP can actually do as the Digital Core of the company and what is required to create end-to-end transparency."

FUTURA^® is now being successively rolled out in the various use cases at Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH. In addition to the standard functional scope, customer-specific requirements are also being implemented. It is conceivable that the cloud solution will also be rolled out in other companies of the Freudenberg Group at a later date and that 10,000 to 15,000 procurement transactions per year will be mapped with the support of the system.

About Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH

Acquiring and developing land, buying or selling, renting, leasing and managing production buildings, warehouses or office premises are just as much part of the range of their services as are consulting and engineering services in real estate matters. Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH also develops complete business premises and new utilization concepts, for example for the Weinheim Technology Park or other vacant industrial sites. Freudenberg Real Estate GmbH is part of the Freudenberg Group with some 50,000 employees in 60 countries and sales of more than 9.3 billion euros in 2017.