Baby product manufacturer Bambu International has been a dominant player in the industry for over 20 years with its high quality, unique, and niche product portfolio. The company has a strong footprint in both South Africa’s local market and internationally, predominantly in the USA, Europe, Australia, and Canada.
Baby product manufacturer Bambu International reinvests in SAP Business One through 4most, a leading supplier and implementer of SAP Business One and ERP software technology, to meet new requirements of its expanding business. The company’s existing SAP Business One infrastructure was set up in 2007.
Yolandè de Wet, Financial Manager of Bumbo International said that the company’s technology infrastructure consisted of multiple vendors resulted to lack of integration and problematic reporting then. These, among other concerns, triggered the company to realign its IT strategy with current business requirements and future growth plans.
The decision to choose SAP Business One from 4most as its platform and vendor of choice came from a strong industry recommendation and an awareness of the benefits of SAP. De Wet shared:
“We were of no doubt that it would be able to deliver our requirements from A to Z, thereby helping us take the next step as a business.”
De Wet has expressed that she saw the setbacks in the initial implementation as a learning opportunity for the business. It gave Bumbo International the chance to truly drill down into its processes. She said:
“Setting up an entirely new technology infrastructure demanded we have as deep an understanding as possible of every aspect of the business.”
Marius Fabian, CEO of 4most stated:
“SAP invests heavily in R&D.”
For SAP and 4most’s customers, the partnership gives them the advantage to remain at the forefront of technology, allowing their original investment to grow with them, meeting any new requirements as the business evolves. He added:
“In the case of Bumbo International, as its business has continued to expand since its original investment in SAP Business One, so too is the SAP technology able to continue to meet its new requirements.”
Growing Needs
As an increasingly evolving company, there is a need to ensure quick and efficient production turnaround times. Real-time and easy access to reliable information is essential for guaranteeing customer satisfaction. De Wet said:
“One of the biggest requirements has been the manufacturing floor.”
Today, Bambu International needs far greater insight with regards to what products need to be produced and every single component required to produce a finished item. This is a challenge for the company having multiple products.
The company’s range of products has expanded from predominantly only infant and toddler seating, to include bathroom options as well as a range of accessories. Along with this growth is the need to shift in operational requirements to accommodate an increase in the number of reports needed, easier access to information and a far deeper view of the business.
The Goal
The baby product manufacturer and 4most have been working closely to truly maximise all of SAP Business One’s potential and business benefits. De Wet expressed:
“The major objective has been to allow us to drill down even deeper into every aspect of the business, thereby taking our investment in SAP Business One, and our business, to the next level.”
With SAP Business one’s increased functionality, greater access to information, tighter controls, increased user-friendliness, and enhanced reporting has aided a smooth and seamless transition for both users and management.
“It is what we have had before, but on steroids,” De Wet stressed. “We have a team of very happy users.”
Bumbo International’s manufacturing sector has greatly benefited from this investment. The improvements include increased transparency, a much deeper and more holistic view of the business together with accurate forecasting and revenue projection, giving the company greater control over every aspect of its business.
The Financial Manager shared:
“We now know precisely what products need to be manufactured, together with exactly what has to be procured to enable this. It’s about the control! With greater controls, one is able to manage the business far more effectively.”
Trusted Partner
“The 4most team have walked every step of the road with us, from as far back as the original implementation in 2007 to the current increase in functionality and closer alignment of SAP Business One with our business today,” De Wet enthused.
De Wet is confident that the partnership with 4most will span many more years, especially that it already has readily available support to its value-added consulting and intricate understanding of the business.
In the same context, Fabian said:
“We believe in the sustainability of relationships and working closely together, ensuring a win for all. At 4most, we believe in true partnership. It is about walking alongside our customers every step of the way, gaining as deep an understanding of their business as possible in order to ensure we can deliver real value in our role as business partners and consultants rather than simply a supplier. At 4most, we take our customer’s success very personally!”
Bambu International’s finance executive extends its trust in SAP Business One saying:
“SAP Business One has proven itself as a future-proof, long-term investment and partnership. As we continue to grow and evolve in today’s ever-changing marketplace, we have no doubt SAP Business One will continue to meet current and future requirements.”
De Wet takes pride in sharing that, not known to many, Bambu International is another great South African success story manufacturing all products locally by Jonibach Manufacturing. For the South African market, the baby product manufacturer makes use of a local distributor while Bumbo International Trust manages the global market.
