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Neopost selects Chelford to implement SAP and Siebel

Europe’s leading mailroom equipment supplier is to use a SAP Business Suite from Chelford SAP Solutions to manage its £80m+ turnover UK business. Chelford has been awarded this two stage £2.3m contract as prime contractor for a comprehensive information system across seven sites, managing a turnkey integration with a Siebel Systems customer relationship management solution.

Neopost’s UK management decided last year to replace their old mainframe system because it was no longer flexible enough to meet the fast-changing information needs of the business. It was increasing system duplication and causing unnecessary operating and maintenance expense.

Quality is key

“Quality information is key in business today,” says Neopost Finance Director, David Riley. “Our decision making depends on a clear and transparent view of performance in every area of the company. Over time, we expect to get a strong return on capital invested in our new systems because they will play such a major role in shaping our future success.”

It was important to Neopost’s UK management, as part of a French headquartered and Bourse quoted Group, that the new system should be Euro compliant and able to meet international reporting standards and Sarbanes-Oxley requirements. Also, to encourage international information sharing, Neopost wanted a common information system platform across the Group. The SAP Business Suite combination with Siebel Systems met requirements.

Introduced by SAP

“Once we had chosen the systems, we went to SAP to get a recommendation for the best integrators,” says David Riley. “SAP introduced us to Chelford, who impressed us with their knowledge of our business, and had a lot of experience in the small and medium company market.”

“We were considering appointing them as suppliers of the SAP system and finding a different Siebel supplier ourselves. But Chelford took the initiative and went out and talked to a Siebel Systems sub-contractor. I’m very comfortable with Chelford as prime contractors for the whole implementation. They made a lot of investment in time to make sure their solution was right for us.”

Go-live

The new system will go live on a phased basis in mid to late 2006, providing a SAP and Siebel integrated system for over 300 Neopost users at the main Romford site and branch offices from Livingston to Bristol. The future plan is to link with suppliers in the UK and with Neopost’s manufacturing plants in France and Holland to achieve real information integration across the Group.

David Riley is realistic enough to know that this kind of major implementation will throw up problems along the way. “We’ve developed great confidence in Chelford. Part of the decision process was to have confidence that when things go wrong, we have the kind of partner to put them right.”

The Right Partner

Chelford Managing Director Trevor Lewis comments: “I am very proud that we have been able to demonstrate to Neopost that we are the right SAP partner for them, and that we have the skills and experience to prime contract and integrate with a Siebel Systems solution. I look forward to a successful relationship between our two companies.”

About Neopost

Neopost is the European leader of mailroom equipment and logistics solutions. Neopost offers the most advanced solutions for online or off-line postage, large volume mail insertions, occasional parcel delivery and logistics management and traceability.

Neopost has a direct presence in the world's top mailing and logistics markets, i.e. the US, France, the UK, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Norway and Spain. Neopost products are sold in 90 countries.

In 2004, Neopost posted sales of €756m and a net income of €109m. In 2002, Neopost acquired Ascom Hasler, the world number three supplier of mailing solutions, and Stielow, Germany's leading supplier of folder / inserters.