Initial Situation

Röhm GmbH, based in Darmstadt, Germany, is one of the leading suppliers of methacrylate chemicals. As a global company with production sites on four continents, Röhm employs around 3,500 people and manufactures more than one million tons of products and intermediates every year. The product portfolio includes the world-famous PLEXIGLAS® brand and its most important raw material, methyl methacrylate. Röhm supplies numerous customers in the automotive, electronics and construction industries and generated sales of around 1.8 billion euros in 2022.

In 2019, Röhm GmbH emerged from Evonik Industries AG as an independent company. To create a globally standardized and harmonized process landscape, Röhm converted its SAP landscape to SAP S/4HANA as part of a project. To select a new Master Data Governance tool, a selection process was initiated in which the functions and processes of various vendors were evaluated in several workshops. In the end, Röhm chose the SAP Data Quality solution from ISO Professional Services GmbH.

Another advantage was the agility of a smaller company like ISO Professional Services (IPS) compared to SAP. In addition, the previous solution was an in-house program that had grown over the years with numerous individual customizations. Further customizations (CR) needed to be implemented in the new solution as quickly as possible, and the Marlin Suite for Data Quality from IPS made this possible. The numerous data quality tools can be seamlessly integrated into the data governance process of the SAP systems.

"The ISO Professional Services product appealed to us right from the start due to the "look and feel" of the SAP objects Business Partner and Material Master.

Silke Teuber, external consultant at Röhm GmbH

The Task

The key requirement for Röhm was that the provider must be able to map the data governance process for the SAP business partner and material master. The IPS governance process is integrated in the SAP standard, so that the user can find himself in familiar transactions such as Business Partner and MM01 (Material Master).

Röhm also places high demands on the complex set of rules within the creation and maintenance process for the material master and business partners. ISO Professionals Services provided a framework to implement the check and derivation rules, partly as BRF+ (Business Rule Framework) or ABAP functions, in the Marlin Suite.

The Project

The project includes the ISO products Marlin Master Data Governance for the business partner, VAT ID check, duplicate check and the data governance process for the material master. In three sub-projects, the SAP experts from ISO Professional Services implemented the data governance process for the material master and the business partner and created the framework for the implementation of the rules.

The IPS team extended the rule framework so that Röhm's rules could be implemented. A new tool called CP (rule-based mass change) was even implemented. However, the most important rules, such as derivation rules and short texts, were quickly set up. Other rules to improve data quality are already planned. For the use of the Marlin Duplicate Check tool, further settings have to be made, although the tool already works in principle.

The IPS team faced other challenges during the implementation. In addition to the new CP tool, the team also had to manage a simultaneous system migration, which was essential for the introduction of the new tools and processes. Parallel testing and data migration also increased the time pressure.

"We were won over by the numerous expansion options, the mapping of rules and regulations within the creation and maintenance process for the material master, and the integration of classification and variant configuration.

Gunther Seibert, IT Streamlead MDM at Röhm GmbH

The Results

The customer was very satisfied with the outcome of the project. According to Röhm GmbH, IPS fully met the most important requirements for the rule set. The new data quality solution had brought them much closer to the "Master Data Cockpit", Evonik's outstanding in-house development. The customer can work independently with the Marlin Suite and make settings independently of IPS. The user-friendly workflow control was also very well received by Röhm GmbH. After completion of the work, the customer expressly praised the agile project management and the pleasant cooperation with ISO Professional Services GmbH.

The Outlook

Further customer requirements are currently being planned and implemented. For example, the new CP solution is currently only used for the material master, but is also to be used in the data governance process. More complex rules for the process are being prepared. Röhm is also investigating whether other Marlin Suite products could be considered. However, a decision will not be made until the system change and full migration have been completed.