Optimizing SAP Material Management for a Global Refractory Manufacturer with DataLark

Context 

The client is a leading global manufacturer specializing in glass, ceramics, and concrete. Founded in the USA over 60 years ago, the company has expanded its presence to more than 100 countries, serving various industries at every stage — from research and engineering to manufacturing and service.

To stay competitive and maintain its market leadership, the company sought to streamline its processes, particularly in Material Master creation and SAP data uploads. The goal was to reduce manual effort and automate key operations. During their search for an effective solution, the client discovered DataLark and decided to conduct a trial. Impressed by the results, they encouraged the new plant administration team to implement DataLark as their preferred solution.

Challenge

The client needed to automate the following key data management processes to reduce manual work and streamline their digital transformation:

• Bill of Materials (BOM) Management
  • Creation and update of single-level and multi-level BOMs
• Material Master Data Management
  • Creation and update of Material Masters
  • Extension of materials to new plants
  • Classification allocation
• Production & Quality Management
  • Creation of routings
  • Inspection plan creation

During the implementation of DataLark, we worked closely with the client to ensure a smooth integration with their SAP landscape, addressing key infrastructure and system compatibility considerations. Given the complexity of SAP environments, several adjustments were required to optimize deployment and align with existing processes:

• Infrastructure Alignment – Ensuring DataLark’s deployment met the client’s server and security requirements to optimize system performance.
• Seamless SAP Integration – Configuring DataLark to work with the client’s SAP setup and ensure compatibility with their existing workflows and data structures.
• Optimized Data Processing – Aligning material and BOM data handling within SAP to maintain consistency and accuracy across business operations.

Through proactive collaboration, the client’s team played a key role in ensuring a smooth adaptation process. Their strong SAP expertise helped accelerate onboarding and system alignment, allowing them to fully leverage DataLark and automate material and BOM management.

Solution

DataLark automated the client’s critical material and BOM management processes, reducing manual data entry errors and improving SAP data accuracy.

• Material Master Data Automation – Enabled automated creation, extension, and updates of materials across plants, reducing manual errors.
• BOM Automation – Streamlined multi-level BOM creation and updates to support engineering and production processes.
• Product Version Management – Automated creation and updates of product versions, ensuring accurate version control.
• SAP Workflow Integration – Seamlessly integrated with client-specific function modules, optimizing SAP process automation.

DataLark’s intuitive interface and advanced mapping functionality enabled swift and effective automation, ensuring seamless integration and setup, with minimal business disruptions. Additionally, its user-friendly design allowed end users to quickly and easily adapt to the new system.

DataLark also allowed the client to achieve flexibility in preparing load templates, which streamlined the template preparation process. Business users often forgot to fill in required values when extending materials, but Excel-based templates and formulas reduced the human error factor, significantly improving the efficiency of the whole process.

Technology Stack

The solution was deployed on-premise with minimal customization, ensuring seamless integration with the client’s existing SAP S/4HANA environment. The key technologies used in the project included:

• DataLark: A comprehensive automation solution with built-in SAP connectors leveraging RFC and BAPIs, flexible data processing capabilities, and an intuitive user interface.
• Data Handling: Structured Excel-based templates for accurate data preparation and validation before SAP uploads.
• Operating System: Windows.
• ERP System: SAP S/4HANA (on-premise).

Results

Active usage of DataLark on an ongoing basis led to great business improvements, such as:

Increased Efficiency & Automation

• The client successfully eliminated manual work related to Material Master creation and data upload into SAP.
• Automation via DataLark reduced the time spent on material management tasks, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities.

Improved Data Accuracy & Consistency

• Excel-based templates with formulas helped reduce human errors in data entry, ensuring required values were correctly filled before being processed.
• Standardized data inputs improved the quality and reliability of SAP records.

Faster Issue Resolution & Agile Customization

• Timely bug fixes and enhancements ensured minimal downtime for the client.
• The flexibility of DataLark allowed for quick customization to align with the client’s specific needs.

Seamless Integration with SAP

• DataLark integrated smoothly with SAP S/4HANA (RFC & BAPIs), enabling efficient material creation, BOM updates, and product version management.
• The on-premise installation ensured data security and compliance with internal IT policies.

Positive User Experience

• End users expressed satisfaction with the DataLark UI, intuitive mapping, and ease-of-use.
• The open communication and collaborative problem-solving between the client and DataLark Support Team resulted in a smooth and successful implementation.

Minimal Maintenance & Low Complexity

• DataLark required no significant maintenance efforts, making it easy to sustain within the client's existing infrastructure.
• The solution’s simplicity made it accessible for non-technical users managing SAP data workflows.