The introduction of the data governance process, combined with several data quality tools from the Marlin Suite of ISO Professional Services (IPS) at TÜV Rheinland, is another prime example of the holistic standardization and optimization of heterogeneous processes and globally used master data.
 

Initial situation

TÜV Rheinland is one of the world's leading testing service providers with over 150 years of history, more than 21,000 employees, subsidiaries on all continents, a worldwide network of testing and laboratory centers, active in five different business areas and one goal: global standards for the safety and quality of people, technology and the environment.

Founded in 1872 as an association, the company is headquartered in Cologne. Its activities are divided into the following five business areas:

1. Industry Service & Cyber Security
2. Mobility
3. Products & Services
4. Academy & Life Care
5. Systems

TÜV Rheinland is facing up to exciting challenges to prepare itself for the future. These include:

• The importance of data protection and information security in the digitally networked world
• Establishing global standards for new technologies
• Minimizing risks when using innovative processes and products
   

Task

A major challenge for the Group was to introduce global standards internally for optimized processes to improve data quality that would work for all employees and every subsidiary worldwide. To achieve these goals, the tools had to be scalable.

After the evaluation phase for the S/4HANA system, the project managers were clear about the requirements for global master data management. At this point, TÜV Rheinland was already a long-standing customer of ISO Professional Services GmbH, whose team and products had evolved significantly over the last ten years. Since the migration of many larger companies, the demand for the Marlin Product Suite's data governance process in particular has increased. Thanks to the trusting relationship since 2011 and a convincing presentation of the Marlin Product Suite, TÜV Rheinland also opted for the ISO solution in this case.

The requirements were explicitly defined by the project manager of TÜV Rheinland, Ashish Ranga, and his team. Apart from inter-company transactions, the aim was to optimize the creation and maintenance of millions of business partners in the S/4HANA system in all areas, at all locations and by all employees. The scalability of the solutions was the decisive factor here. Among other things, this required a transactional process for the controlled creation of master data as well as its expansion and modification. Complete integration into SAP and suitable interfaces to the new web mask, the implementation of which was to make it easier to enter new master data requests, were essential for this process.
 

Project

In a pilot phase, the customer initially tested the governance process of ISO Professional Services. However, it quickly became clear that the project could start at an early stage. The introduction of the Marlin Data Governance Business Partner solution and other data quality tools from the Marlin Product Suite began.

The project began at the end of February 2020 after careful consultation on the requirements and target processes. The implementation of the Marlin Data Governance products and the data quality tools Duplicate Check (MDC), Address Validation (MAV), Compliance Check (MCC), Data Enrichment (MCT) and VAT ID Check (MUP) was carried out using a best practice approach. This means that the basic settings (customizing processes) were delivered by ISO. In the customer workshops with TÜV Rheinland, ISO adapted the settings to the individual requirements.

This approach meant that a prototype of the products and processes was available to the project team on the test system around four weeks after the start of the project. The next step was general functional testing of the processes and tools. After the key user training, the customer was also ready to carry out the first tests on the test system. The main processes were thus able to go live in April 2020.

In the second phase, the ISO team, led by Senior Consultant SAP Mario Kalschne, implemented additional functions, including querying business rules, while the experts from TÜV Rheinland implemented the web mask for entering new master data requests. The team expanded the mask and provided the necessary interfaces.

“Working with the colleagues at ISO Professional Services was very pleasant. They left a very competent impression and always had an open ear for feedback.”
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

One rather unexpected challenge to the implementation of the project was the coronavirus pandemic, which began shortly after the project order was received.

“The art is to master difficult situations - that's what Mr. Kalschne and his colleagues did.”
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

The project manager on the ISO side was also very satisfied with the collaboration, which was mainly remote.

„We would like to explicitly thank TÜV Rheinland for the excellent cooperation during the implementation under these special circumstances.“
Mario Kalschne, Senior Consultant SAP at ISO Professional Services
 

Result

The entire Group now uses the various tools for optimizing master data quality and processes worldwide with great success.

„The solutions from ISO Professional Services are so scalable that we can serve the entire TÜV Rheinland world with them.“
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

The data governance process offers traceable recording and maintenance processes in accordance with the dual control principle. The integrated data quality tools lead to improved and more effective data creation and maintenance. The duplicate check (MDC) helps the user to avoid and clean up duplicate master data. Address validation (MAV) corrects, checks and enriches address data with the help of data from our partners Deutsche Telekom and Informatica.

TÜV Rheinland now uses Marlin Content (MCT) to enrich and regularly update B2B master data. The VAT ID check (MUP) and sanctions list screening (MCS) support the company in complying with the legal requirements to check the VAT of each business partner. To this end, the software compares individuals and companies with sanctions lists of all kinds - whether boycott, fraud, terrorists or PEP lists (politically exposed persons).

„This is an overall result with which we can definitely be very satisfied. We look forward to continuing to accompany and support TÜV Rheinland.“
Mario Kalschne, Senior Consultant SAP at ISO Professional Services

Further projects are planned for the future, for example the switch from Marlin Compliance Check (MCC) to Marlin Compliance Screening (MCS).  As the well-known industry manager Rudolf von Bennigsen-Foerder put it so well: “Standing still is a step backwards.” TÜV Rheinland is striving to further automate its processes. The ISO team also supports its customer TÜV Rheinland in these projects.
 

Key Data

TÜV Rheinland
www.tuv.com

Sectors in which the customer is active

1. Industry Service & Cybersecurity
2. Mobility
3. Products & Services
4. Academy & Life Care
5. Systems

Geography

Head office in Cologne + subsidiaries worldwide

Implementation environment

S/4HANA

ISO solutions used

Marlin Data Governance Business Partner

Marlin Duplicate Check

Marlin Address Validation

Marlin UST-ID Check

Marlin Compliance Check

Marlin Content

Advantages for the customer

• SAP-integrated and scalable solutions
• Available for SAP ERP and S/4HANA
• Mature product suite
• Clear architecture of the Marlin product world
• Short implementation time for add-ons
• Efficient and effective business processes
• Through better data quality
• Increased data security