In recognition of its mission of being the premier company driven by excellence, Oando PLC, has successfully implemented on a full scale the Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system through the strategic support of Oracle Corporation which serves as the executing engine for the organisation in deploying world class processes to support its world – class aspirations.
The company also engaged the services of Global Technology Services, a subsidiary of Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) in the actual software implementation by ensuring best practices and to optimize knowledge transfer from GTS to the Oando Implementation Team.
Oando PLC successful deployed the following Enterprise Resource Planning Modules: Oracle HR Module and Self Service, Oracle Payroll, Oracle Financials, Oracle Order Management, Oracle Supply Chain Management and Oracle Learning Management in order to achieve an end-to-end digital platform for efficient business processes as an integrated energy solutions provider in Africa.
With the successful implementation of the ERP system, all stakeholders that have business relationship with Oando PLC i.e. Customers, Employees, Vendors, Dealers etc. as well as regulatory authorities have experienced tremendous improvement in the company’s systematic approach in executing business operations and processes. Fundamental improvements are being made as all business practices associated with operations, production, supply chain distribution and manufacturing are been integrated and automated through the ERP systems. The system also ensures improved controls, accurate data and better reporting.
Some of the current benefits of the above mentioned modules are as follows:
Oracle HR Module and Learning Management: There has been an improvement in overall workforce performance management tools and standardized HR information sharing across the company. The concept and practice of employees self-service now provide employees seamless access to update their information. Manual practices such as application for loan and training classes has been eliminated and replaced with a seamless electronic process. The resulting benefits have been reduction in inaccurate employee data, elimination of redundant activities/costs, better tools for planning employee training and career, increased employee productivity and overall effective management of employee training and career planning.
Oracle Financials: There has been improved ability for us to have visibility and controls in our financial systems from General Ledger to Account Receivables to Account Payables to Fixed Assets. Additional benefit expected is that our reporting system across all business units becomes easier to integrate monthly, quarterly and yearly financial performance with complete, up-to-the-minute information and contributions by all business units.
Oracle Order Management: Well streamlined and automated sales and order management process, from order purchasing, to order capture to, transportation and shipment, invoicing and payment leveraging both standard Oracle and Oil Inventory Management System.
Oracle Supply Chain Management: The Oracle E-Business Suite Supply Chain Management integrates and automates all key supply chain processes, from design, planning and procurement to manufacturing providing a complete solution set to enable the company enjoy accurate information-driven value chain. This application is essential to the terminals and logistics operations business of the Oando Group.
Commenting on the success story, Mr. Abiola Lawal, Group Chief Strategy Officer, Oando Plc who led the implementation team states, “We are delighted to celebrate our success story today. Gartner study shows that the industry success rate for ERP implementation is 30 percent hence generally over 70 percent of ERP implementations often fail to reach their objectives due to ineffective change management, system implementation and infrastructure issues. But as a company with world class aspirations, we took steps in the right direction by concentrating on the critical success factors to ensure we record remarkable success”.
Mr. Lawal further stated that “ I can attribute our success for the Oracle implementation to a number of key items: Management support for this project was top class right from the Board to the GCEO and rest of management team; our implementation partner in GTS understands our business and have multiple implementation experience; our Hardware partnership with HP was critical in providing the infrastructure; and our change management and technical implementation teams were well trained and motivated to deliver results. We harnessed our reservoir of local talents with the expertise of our partners to ensure a successful implementation and an end-to–end deployment of this world class IT platform which becomes our execution engine for our growth strategies and enables our aspirations for world class processes.”
He concluded by saying that “for us at Oando, this is less about IT but more about the future of the business and growth aspirations. We aspire to be world class in our business functions across our value chain both customer facing and back-end functions and we needed world class processes, people and technology to power this vision to reality. The successful Oracle “Project Synergy” implementation enables this vision to becoming a reality and provides tremendous value to all our stakeholders; employees, suppliers, customers, shareholders etc.”
Commenting further, the Managing Director, Oracle Corporation (Africa Operations) Mr. Desi Lopez, states “We are proud to provide Oando with the state of the art software needed to actualise its corporate vision. We in Oracle Corporation have pledged our continued support in offering comprehensive maintenance and problem resolution offerings that suit the company’s business. The breadth of our knowledge and the scale of our support ensure Oando’s technology’s future. For Oando, it is a demonstration of superior product knowledge, appreciation for technical expertise, a commitment to improving business processes and a world class project that was well led and well executed to deliver value.
