Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior project manager for a subsidiary of a global IT services and solutions company. We sell services related to SAP, hosting, licenses, consulting, and application management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

We typically hire local consultants to help us understand the rules, regulations, and expectations in different regions of Europe. They were subcontracted as our local consultants in Poland.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Due to non-disclosure agreements, I can’t speak much to the specifics of the project itself. I can say that they provide us with IT and consulting services on an SAP-related project.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three people.

How did you come to work with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

I had previous experience working with them on a project in Russia and was happy with the experience. Additionally, their company and my company are both focused on consulting and have a strong relationship with each other.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since July 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We’ve tracked project metrics on a high-level, but not specifically for their work in Poland. Still, we’ve been satisfied with the services provided.

How did Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

I can’t say much about specific deadlines or project milestones, but they’ve been reliable throughout our time working together.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do exactly what we ask of them and have remained flexible with project constraints. They’re reliable, provide a good service, and are knowledgeable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

In consulting, every project is different, so it’s hard to give specific advice. However, our model of handing work off to them to handle in a supporting role works well for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of HR in Poland for Mahle, a worldwide automotive company. We have four locations, five production plants, an R&D center, supply chain management, a warranty center, and shared services. We produce mobility cars, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and large machine components like ships, production machines, and some industrial components for industrial machines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

There were some projects where there was a need for external consultants to do some service additionally for some solutions in terms of connection between our own internal HR system and some data we required to transfer to the production system. There was a need to have someone who was able to do it for us. 

At that time, we were quite independent in making such options for our local Polish needs. We needed someone who would know exactly what systems are allowed, what our company requirements are from headquarters, and they also need to match it with our internal, local solutions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They cooperate with our accountant partner. We use their support in the HR field. They do all SAP related topics from the HR side and other systems that we’re connected with on our production side. 

We had a very old SAP system and we wanted to update it. We also did standardization in the system. It was an extremely tough project from because of our company requirements and Polish labor law specifications. They led us through this project because they knew exactly what kind of patterns in the system need to be allocated, how, when, and where. 

They’re currently working on a payroll and HR project for us. Some data needs to be transferred from one site to another and they are doing this for us. 

What is the team composition? 

We only have  a few main contact people. There’s a project lead for our direct communication and cooperation. There was one person for admin, another person for time management, another person from payroll, and another person from transfer. I’m sure they have internal teams that are working on our account behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

I wasn’t involved in the hiring process, so I don’t know how we found them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’re very trustworthy, and we can count on them. We have no doubts about how they work and what their work can bring for us which is why we still work with them. We’re very happy with their service and communication. 

They standardized our systems nationally. We can work now on standardized documents. Each location has the same solution and our work is much easier due to this automation. 

How did Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

I feel extremely comfortable with them. They lead projects without necessity to control it. They show a sense of ownership over their work, and they’re proactive in communicating their progress. They organize and mediate calls. They ask us good questions to make sure they deliver solutions we want. They immediately inform us of any issues or if any deadlines can’t be met. There were no troubles with them. It was a really great partnership.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re professional in their work. They care about having a good collaboration. They’re always able to judge their capacity in terms of what they know, what they need to do, and what they’re able to introduce. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on ways to reduce employee turnover. Although it’s more common with younger employees to move from job to job, it’s comforting to the customer to work with the same people over time. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I strongly recommend them. TThey work within very tight time limits, and they’re always able to adapt to such requirements and bring satisfaction to their clients. They’re very hardworking.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am SAP Specialist Coordinator for CANPACK S.A. We produce metal packaging for the food and chemical industry. We also produce easy openers, bottle closers, glass, and plastic packaging. In addition, we also offer services related to the production of packaging. We have been in the market for over 30 years so we have a long history.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. Z o.o.?

We were implementing an SAP system, including all the modules, and we chose Plaut to do the whole implementation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Because we are in the production company, they give us a lot of advice and work with us to try to adjust what is possible to do in the system and what can be customized.

What is the team composition?

At the time of the implementation, there were a lot of people; they worked with all the modules. At the moment, we are still cooperating with them—from time-to-time with the production side but we are constantly working with the HR environment and development.

How did you come to work with Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. Z o.o.?

That was a really long time ago, and there weren’t a lot of companies in the Polish market that could develop an SAP system. As far as I know, Plaut was one of the companies that could implement this system.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Plaut since August 2000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They implemented all the modules many years ago, and they’re still working very well. They are supporting us with the systems, as well as doing lots of other things.

How did Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. Z o.o. perform from a project management standpoint?

They are doing very well, as they are calm and experienced. They share their huge knowledge with us. Most of the people that are still working on our SAP system have gained a lot of experience and information from Plaut. One of their consultants is a very helpful person. We are always able to get in contact with him. He takes part in the emails so they are not waiting on us to manage everything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take the initiative and take responsibility as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have a greater number of available consultants because they can be very busy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them. There are specialists and experts on the team, so it depends on the things someone will be doing with the company and what they will need. All Plaut’s consultants work together, so if one person has any issues, they can discuss it among them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of the technology team (CIO) in a publishing company operating within the international media group.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

We cooperate with Plaut in the area of ERP/SAP system maintenance and development. Recently, we have completed many projects related to adjusting the systems to the current business and legal conditions, including the upgrade of SAP systems to the latest, valid versions.

What were your goals for this project?

SAP upgrade

SOLUTION

How did you select Plaut Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o.?

We have been cooperating with Plaut for many years. Among the submitted offers, the offer of Plaut was the most complex and attractive.

Describe the project in detail.

The project consisted of several basic phases: analysis, establishment of the project tech. environment, technical upgrade of SAP components, adjustment of configuration and own reports, tests, go-live.

What was the team composition?

Business Team, External Tech. Team., Plaut Tech. Team, Plaut App. Team., Plaut PM., Joint Steering Committee supervising the progress of work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

During the 3-4 months, the project was carried out without any disturbance to the continuity of the operation of the system.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their effective collaboration on the ground of working teams and project management was impressive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Effectiveness, predictability.

Are there any areas for improvement?

no