The Right Path to Transformation: apsolut

apsolut was the first IT service provider in Germany to specialize entirely in the implementation of SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM and SAP SLC) and SAP Ariba procurement solutions. It was the first IT provider in Germany to specialize in the use of the SAP procurement solution. apsolut was established in 2005 by ERP experts, Thomas Herbst and Tim Kollmeier, and has grown to a company of more than 120 employees within 10 years and operates from offices around the world in addition to its headquarters in Germany. Both founders brought with them extensive SAP SRM experience to the new company from their long careers as consultants for reputable IT providers.

More than 200 internationally renowned customers have already reaped the benefits of the support provided when optimizing their operative and strategic procurement processes with SAP SRM and the accompanying APPsolut Solution Add-ons. Due to its wealth of specialist skills and knowledge and the successful completion of countless joint customer projects, apsolut was included in the SAP SRM Special Expertise Programme (SEP) as a certified partner in 2010. SAP recognizes the exceptional experience and quality of partners for defined business areas with the SEP. apsolut was one of the first SAP Ariba Global Strategic Service Partners in Germany since 2013. Close partnerships have also been developed with Ernst & Young GmbH, informatica Corporation and Poet AG, amongst others.

Customer Management

Apsolut contributes its cross-departmental and cross-module best practice know-how to provide its customers with answers to company-specific requirements. Whether you want to connect your on-premise processes with the SAP Cloud or the Ariba Network or integrate third-party systems - apsolut will find a solution.The company supports you within the scope of an international 24/7 service in all phases of the lifecycle - from conception and implementation to productive implementation and rollout.

• Requirements management/ analysis- It carries out feasibility studies, process and performance analyses at eye level with its customers. It controls design-thinking processes, in which it incorporates its best practice experiences, and at the end of which it develops prototypes that meet individual company requirements.
• Technology decision- Which technology best meets your requirements? How should your system landscape be structured in the future? Would you like to choose a cloud, on-premise or hybrid solution? What about the usability of your system? How can you use Fiori apps? Which integrations, in the form of web services, APIs or cloud connections, eliminate media breaks in your process chains? Do you need printable or interactive forms? apsolut will be happy to advise you!
• Solution design- Every apsolut customer receives an individual solution. The core of this is a project-specific application and system design in which it contributes it best practice knowledge, user-friendly layouts and possible integration scenarios. This includes the integration of apsolut Solution Add-ons and Fiori apps.

apsolut analyzes how innovations can be optimally integrated into an existing solution as part of system screening and comprehensive infrastructure consulting.At the end of this phase, a detailed concept is drawn up as a blueprint for implementation.

• Implementation- The international apsolut development team carries out implementations worldwide - at the customer's site or remotely. You are kept up-to-date in every phase of the implementation. In this way, problems are identified and solved at an early stage.

If you have your own development team in your company, apsolutwill gladly support you with itsexpert knowledge. As part of its coaching approach, the company examines all individual tasks with your colleagues and creates comprehensive application knowledge.

• Quality assurance- apsolut also supports you with roll-outs and checkscountry-specific adaptations. The firm also offers performance analyses and screenings of entire systems for existing implementations. In this way, potentials are often uncovered that are particularly important for user satisfaction. In addition to the coaching approach during the implementation phase, there is the possibility of additional training. In these trainings, apsolut imparts the necessary know-how to your employees to take over the further system administration independently.

Support

IT Service Management – this means professional IT service management that apsolut offers to meet the customers’ requirements using a suitable combination of people, processes and information technology.

ITIL-certified & maximum flexibility - this applies to apsolut’s whole support team, internationally. For its customers, this means: proved and established procedures, solid project management and, above all, the best possible service. ITIL is a process-oriented collection of best practices that helps to optimize the efficiency and quality of its services.

• Transparency & time-based maintenance - Every support agreement includes a transparently defined set of base services. Its customers can rely on the apsolut Help Desk and short response times. All incidents will be handled according to a defined Incident Management Process to ensure service levels are met. apsolut provides ongoing incident analysis to identify recurring root causes. Through a defined change management process, the resolution of potential issues will be addressed.
• Shift resources from operations to innovation - Within its Solution Operation & Monitoring service, apsolut provides application administration, system health checks and monitoring. Required changes will be addressed through a defined change management process.
• A Single Point of Contact to ensure services meets expectations- apsolut’s Technical Account Management is your direct contact regarding governance, planning & resource coordination. It is your first point of contact for the monthly operational reporting and also in case of escalations.

Solution Management Services

At apsolut, service always means thinking a step ahead. That’s why it offers value-adding services. These flexible service blocks can be arranged according to the company’s needs.

• Evolve solution to meet the business needs - The aim of Release Management is to consult its customers for new system features and ready-to-use functionalities. Besides, apsolut will provide support during regular solution updates, as well as minor and major system updates.
• Increase adoption, accelerate Time-to-Value- The company offers competency coaching on features & functions on process and technical levels. Furthermore, its training team offers enablement and system-training for new and existing users.
• Supplier Enablement - There is more than one way to how suppliers are on boarded. apsolut’s support team takes care of the whole supplier enablement and on-boarding process to make sure that the customer’s ecosystem is ready to match the business needs.
• Catalog Enablement & Maintenance - apsolut takes care of catalog enablement and regular catalog maintenance for your company to ensure that you always work with the latest catalog versions and current negotiated prices.

Innovation

apsolut has specialists not only in the familiar ABAP environment, but also for SAP PI/PO, SAP Ariba CIG and SAP CPI. The company dares to make one assertion: “we know solutions that you haven't even thought about yet. For example, the use of Adobe Interactive Forms or the interaction between the SAP Ariba Cloud and your SAP ERP system through the use of web services and APIs.”

• SAP Fiori - apsolut offers you the implementation and development of cloud and on-premise Fiori applications. In addition, it offers prototyping and a connection to the SAP Cloud Platform.
• SAP UI5 - Modern SAP UI5 interfaces can be used independently of the end device. Even inexperienced users quickly get used to the user-friendly system. In addition to the significantly improved usability of the individually customized interfaces, apsolut customers benefit in particular from our many years of experience in the development and performance optimization of UI5 applications.
• IoT- The Internet of Things is a very important trend topic without a doubt. apsolut develops solutions that create real added value in the procurement & ERP area, such as the apsolut Speed Shop Button.
• Integration - Its integration solutions ensure seamless processes in complex, often hybrid system landscapes.
• SAP S/4HANA Technologies - An SAP S/4HANA system expands the spectrum of possibilities with numerous programming models, tools and new technologies, such as SAP Core Data Services or IoT. It implements individual customer requirements optimally and tailor-made with methods such as Design Thinking or SAP Build.
• Next Step Technologies- Do you need a technological solution beyond our basic portfolio? apsolut is happy to advise you in areas such as SAP Leonardo, Machine Learning, Blockchain or CoPilot.
• Form design - apsolut offers support in working with SAPscript, SAP Smart Forms or interactively usable SAP Adobe Forms.
• Expert Coaching - apsolut offers a coaching approach in which your development staff work directly on smaller tasks and get to know the new technologies from the ground up.In this way, your development department always remains at eye level with digital change.
• System Screening - apsolut helps you with performance problems or disruptive failures.It can take a close look at your systems and help you find the right solution.

Testimonials of success

“Matthias Schneider's SLC project team supported us extraordinarily well both in the pre-project phase and in the implementation phase and helped to create this success!” - Andreas Klusacek, Global Process Head Source-to-Pay, Rehau AG & Co. KG

“Even though SAP Ariba Snap was new territory for everyone involved, I always had the feeling that the apsolut team would bring us safely into the cloud.” - Marcus Abel, Global Purchasing Manager NPM, Carcoustics Shared Services GmbH

“Thanks to apsolut's expertise, the SAP SRM upgrade and the UI5 implementation were completed on time and on budget. We are very satisfied with the cooperation with apsolut and with the flawless progress of the project.” - AnnabellTraub, Project Manager, ZOLLERN GmbH & Co. KG

“With the help of SAP SLC, we can now manage our suppliers more efficiently and in a more targeted manner, and information can be viewed more easily in the central supplier portfolio. apsolut, as an experienced consulting partner, was always at our side and was able to best implement our requirements.” - Bernd Schnittker, Internal Project Manager in purchasing, August Storck KG

“After an intensive selection of suppliers, it became clear during the course of the project and in the aftercare that we found the right partner in the team of apsolut GmbH. A high level of expertise and a very good understanding of processes as well as a pleasant working atmosphere made this project implementation by apsolut a real success.” - Thomas Menzel, Purchasing Manager, Kraftverkehr Nagel GmbH & Co. KG

Knowing the Leader behind the Success

Thomas Herbst, Managing Director & Founder

Thomas Herbst founded apsolut GmbH in spring 2005 together with Tim Kollmeier. Both knew each other from a previous employer and initially focused the company on the topic of eProcurement, based on SAP Supplier Relationship Management. With the expansion of the company and the opening of further national companies, the apsolut portfolio has expanded and since 2012 also includes cloud solutions from SAP subsidiary SAP Ariba and since 2017 the SAP S/4HANA Enterprise Management division.

Thomas Herbst holds a degree in industrial engineering and studied at the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. During his early career he concentrated as a consultant at Hewlett-Packard on the optimization of SAP-based procurement processes and later took over responsibility for the entire SAP SRM consulting division of Heiler Software AG.

“Openness, cohesion, cooperation and mutual understanding - these values have been valid since the foundation and are still in existence, today.”