ERP Modernisation Background

Detmold Group (Detmold) is a global innovator in sustainable paper and board packaging solutions. Established in 1948 and headquartered in Adelaide, the Australian family-owned business supplies some of the world’s largest food and retail brands through Detpak, PaperPak, Detmold Medical and Cup and Carry. Detmold manufactures in Australia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and India, and sells across Asia, Africa, Europe and the US.

Business Challenge

Detmold had used QAD as its primary ERP and WMS solution for over 20 years. Over that time, the landscape had grown to include many bolt-on applications, custom code and integrations supporting more than 550 users across 25 operating entities.

With the business planning to double its annual turnover over the next decade, Detmold faced a key strategic decision: upgrade QAD, or replace it with an alternative ERP solution.

Detmold needed a robust and flexible platform that would reduce modifications, manual and paper-based processes and double handling. It also had to support global requirements such as lot traceability, bonded warehousing and food safety accreditations.

Results

  • Detmold engaged CMC for an independent and auditable ERP Systems Review to set out clear decision points on the way forward.
  • CMC ran two parallel workstreams:
    • QA Review of the QAD upgrade proposal, with a short, pragmatic RFP focused on Detmold’s pain points, costs and the partner’s long-term capability.
    • Market Assessment using an EOI to pre-qualify alternative Manufacturing ERP & WMS vendors, with ball-park costs and a 10-year TCO model.
  • CMC’s Final Report gave the Executive Team what they needed to make an informed decision.
  • Detmold chose to move away from QAD. With CMC as client-side Program Manager, it completed a detailed Vendor Assessment and selected Epicor Kinetic, a modern cloud-based solution.
  • In the Scoping and Design Phase, CMC set up governance, RAID registers, status reporting, a Communications Plan, Project Guiding Principles and the Organisational Change Management Plan.
  • CMC is Program Manager for the Build and Implementation Phase, which is rolling out across six waves of countries.
  • Wave 1 has gone live, and CMC continues to provide Strategic Support and Client-Side Program Management for the remaining waves.

”If you want or need to be guided in the best possible interests of the outcomes you are looking to achieve, without bias, without losing sight of your objectives or indeed losing your way, then I cannot recommend CMC highly enough. The professionalism and integrity of the CMC team was paramount to us over the course of the ERP Evaluation, helping us to keep momentum, keep challenging what we were actually looking to achieve and helping to find the right balance between necessity, desire, practicality, and long term objectives

Mark Render - General Manager TechnologyDetmold Group