Gulftainer marks major technology milestone as one of the UAE’s first companies to go live with SAP S/4HANA
Successful implementation of SAP Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system set to enhance Gulftainer’s operational excellence, human resource potential, and overall financial performance
Gulftainer, the world’s largest privately-owned, independent port operator based in the UAE, has announced the successful implementation of SAP’s new-generation S/4HANA business suite, marking a major step in the company’s information technology transformation strategy.
With the new system that brings key business processes into best practice operations, Gulftainer expects to achieve measurable and sustainable improvements in quality, operations, customer satisfaction, and profitability. This transformation was achieved through a technology-enabled process redesign that leveraged the Gulftainer team, and the implementation of SAP’s market-leading suite of enterprise management applications - Simple Finance, HR and Payroll, Travel Management, Employee Self Services, Enterprise Asset management, Materials Management and Sales and Distribution.
The SAP project implementation was initiated in the second quarter of 2015 in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a global IT services, consulting and business solution provider. The custom-designed global solution implemented for Gulftainer’s UAE operations shall be rolled out to other international locations in the company’s portfolio.
Commenting on the achievement, Flemming Dalgaard, CEO, Gulftainer, said: “SAP implementation is a key milestone for our firm as it enters its 40th year in the port operation business. This is a testament to our continued commitment to enhance our reputation and performance as the most productive port operator in the world. I would like to thank the TCS leadership for their commitment and support extended to this implementation. I look forward to witnessing how this IT upgrade will advance Gulftainer to its next generation of port management success.”
Ramesh Shivakumaran, Gulftainer Group Business Services Director, added: “We are proud to count ourselves among the first organizations to adopt the SAP S/4HANA business suite in this region. In partnership with TCS and SAP we have embarked on a transformational journey - an important milestone demonstrating our willingness and capability to achieve higher goals and deliver the best services to our stakeholders. With this implementation Gulftainer now has a stable and highly scalable technology platform to adopt industry best practices meeting the business aspirations of the organisation.”
For his part, Ajay Singh, UAE Country Head, TCS, said: "With a proven track record on both SAP platform and port operations, TCS is excited to partner with Gulftainer in its journey to leadership and towards gaining a competitive advantage globally. TCS leveraged its strong domain expertise and thought leadership on Transportation, Logistics, Ports and Shipping management to deliver this critical project. We are committed to the UAE region by bringing its global expertise and best practices to help local organizations enjoy better customer experience and technological edge."
Congratulating Gulftainer for successfully implementing SAP across its facilities, Tayfun Topkoc, Managing Director, SAP United Arab Emirates, said: “As one of the first S/4HANA customers of SAP in the region, Gulftainer’s efficiency and team work was remarkable. We look forward to continuing our partnership to further support their digital transformation and innovation journey.”