Back online!
After being offline for a while, the website is back online. Since our previous post, a pandemic has passed and is luckily behind us. Byte Works has been supporting several smaller projects in the mean time.
SAP Solution Architect for global AP Rollout
Part of the preparations for a global rollout of an AP automation solution was the design of all data exchanges to and from SAP. Activities included:
- Analyse AP process flows on TradeShift side
- Manage meetings with all stakeholders to design data all exchanges
- Make technical interface designs for ABAP development
- Manage ABAP developers, test and delivery
Interim Head of Global Accounting Systems
While Schenker was recruiting a new head of Global Accounting Systems, René Coppens was asked to occupy that position on an interim basis during Q4-2019. Both the in-house consultants as well as the offshore team in India were managed during that period, in which two month-end closing, and one year-end closing cycles took place.
SAFAgoesCloud project replaces OnPrem data centre
Schenker requested to take-over the project management for the so-called “SAFAgoesCloud” project. This project is part of a more comprehensive program whereby the entire data centre of DB will be moved to the Amazon cloud. René Coppens’ role will be to manage the move of all SAFA related infra-structure whereby one of the main challenges is to ensure that all connections to/from SAP can be re-established after the move. A number of servers are in scope of this project whereby the main focus will be on the three servers that run SAP ERP. The move of those servers is planned towards the end of the project, being in September 2019.
The Great Bubble Barrier – For clean rivers and oceans
René Coppens got involved with The Great Bubble Barrier, a social enterprise that invented a smart solution for extracting plastics from rivers and canals. They do so with help of a Bubble Curtain. Byte Works supports this start-up with their communication and crowdfunding.
HALF WAY WITH GLOBAL MOVE IN DB SCHENKER’S SHARED SERVICE CENTRE
Still going full steam ahead, DB Schenker is about half way with moving all approximately 65 countries into its Shared Service Centres (SSC). The SSC’s are located in Bucharest (RO) and Manilla (PH) and continue to expand in order to accommodate the staff that provides accounting services to the countries they are responsible for.
Front desk of SSC in Bucharest (RO)
New responsive website live!
Our website has been re-built in WordPress and is now fully responsive, so also better visible on mobile devices. All past blog posts have been copied into the new website. Enjoy!
One-third of all global transitions completed for Schenker
At this moment, approximately one third of all Schenker countries have moved into one of the two SSCs, either in Bucharest or Manilla. No major show-stoppers were found so far and moving countries into the SSC has become a routine process. All country specific processes are documented in detail, ensuring accurate execution in the respective SSC.
Schenker starts with Shared Service Centre preparations
Practically all Schenker offices world-wide are using SAP ERP, enabling the option to further standardise accounting processes. The decision was made to establish Shared Service Centres (SSCs) in which all global accounting operations will transition.
Transition teams will visit all country organisations to prepare the move into the SSC, whereby René Coppens is global accounting contact for all related SAP matters, as well as change request management to standardise the local SAP implementations as needed.
The Ocean Cleanup – Ridding the oceans of plastic
As a sailor, René Coppens has seen many cruising waters polluted by plastics. As such, there is a great interest in any initiative that helps to solve this global challenge. In the early days of The Ocean Cleanup, René Coppens volunteered and got involved in supporting their communications, as well as managing the publication of a new website.
