After evaluating several leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms and assessing the latest version of its existing solution, CSL Group chose to engage IBM Services to deploy Oracle HCM Cloud and Oracle ERP Cloud.
Karin Jonsson, Corporate Controller at CSL Group, recalls: “We ruled out the latest version of our legacy system early on, because it was not well-targeted to our industry, and did not feature in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. Experience had shown that the system is not widely used in the Montréal area, and we had historically encountered difficulties in finding local support.
“We evaluated three of the top ERP solutions on the market, looking at factors such as cost to implement, total cost of ownership, and breadth of functionality. We involved users from finance and procurement heavily in the selection process, inviting them to participate in vendor demonstrations, and requesting feedback afterwards.
“In the end, we decided that Oracle Cloud was the best fit for our business. We opted for a cloud deployment, because we see that cloud is where vendors are targeting their efforts and investments. Additionally, a cloud deployment would free up our IT team to focus on our core business as we transform our operations, rather than being tied up with keeping the lights on.
“We selected IBM Services to implement the Oracle solutions because we felt they were happy to work with us in partnership, rather than assume full control. We were keen to learn how to use and manage the Oracle solutions, to gain a stronger sense of ownership—and that’s exactly what IBM delivered.”
Working closely together, IBM and CSL Group deployed the Oracle solutions, including modules for general ledger, accounts payable, cash management, fixed assets, human capital management, and procurement. To complete the deployment, IBM adopted the IBM Oracle Cloud Agile Implementation Method, allowing for increased flexibility and efficiency while reducing risk. IBM delivered end-to-end application development and guided CSL Group through a successful migration to the cloud–prioritizing certain applications for cloud migration to suit business needs. By replacing the outdated legacy system with a state-of-the-art Oracle Cloud offering, IBM helped CSL Group to reduce the costs and resources involved in application management, and unlock value from the enterprise applications to drive better decision-making.
Accompanying the technological switch, IBM helped CSL Group transition away from manual working, and further automate processes in its finance and human resources departments.
Karin Jonsson remarks: “IBM was enormously helpful in scoping the project to fit our tight implementation deadline, maintaining a sharp focus on our core requirements and postponing release of some functionality until later phases. We got along well with the IBM team, and working with them was a pleasure.”
Jean Bernard Caisse, IBM National Leader – Oracle Cloud ERP solutions in Canada, comments: “Small and mid-sized organizations usually don’t expect big players like IBM to play in their field, but in reality we are moving more and more into this space. For example, we introduced CSL Group, a mid-sized organization, to our IBM Client Innovation Center in Montréal, enabling them to draw on advice and support from world-leading experts in Oracle Cloud ERP. Their contribution was instrumental in the overall success of the deployment at CSL Group.”
Alongside the Oracle deployment, CSL Group underwent an organizational shift. By running both changes in parallel, the company was able to align the Oracle applications to suit the new business structure, reducing the need for additional changes further down the line.