Americas’ SAP Users’ Group Announces Impact Award Winners

User Group Recognizes the Achievements of Its Members’ Implementation of SAP^® Solutions

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG), the world's largest customer-run community of SAP professionals, announced today the winners of its annual Impact Award, granted to ASUG Installation Members for significant business results due to an implementation of SAP^® solutions.

“In today’s economy it is more important than ever to improve productivity and drive bottom-line results. I am proud to say this year’s winners are great examples of how ASUG members leverage our community to increase their productivity and reach their implementation goals.”

“ASUG is proud to recognize each of these companies for their outstanding efforts related to implementation of SAP solutions,” said Mike O’Dell, chairperson, ASUG Board of Directors. “In today’s economy it is more important than ever to improve productivity and drive bottom-line results. I am proud to say this year’s winners are great examples of how ASUG members leverage our community to increase their productivity and reach their implementation goals.”

ASUG launched the Impact Award program in 1998 to acknowledge the efforts and achievements of its member companies that have driven significant business value through the implementation and effective usage of SAP solutions. Submissions are evaluated on demonstrated success in the following areas: Return on investment, strategic alignment, SAP product scope, best practices, improved service and innovation. This year’s awards were presented to three companies representing three member segments within ASUG – Large Enterprise, Small to Medium Enterprise and Public Sector.

The 2009 ASUG Impact Award Winners are:

• Large Enterprise - Hewlett-Packard
  
  Hewlett-Packard’s Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) encompasses printing and imaging product families. IPG launched a program targeted at designing, developing and implementing integrated planning processes and tools to accelerate supply and demand information visibility in order to drive better asset utilization and improve service levels for IPG products. Dubbed the Navigator program, its goal was to create an end-to-end, integrated planning platform that connects regional, factory and global planning organizations and systems, using a toolset based on the SAP Supply Chain Management (SAP SCM) application.
  
  Upon completion, the Navigator program will have globally rolled out at least 10 product lines and 600 product platforms using the new tools and processes, spanning Inkjet and LaserJet hardware and supplies businesses. The program also will have retired at least 13 legacy tools. Navigator has improved service levels and reduced inventory – primarily through more frequent planning cycles. Additionally, the program delivers the “operational planning backbone” for IPG for the foreseeable future.
  
  "Winning the 2009 ASUG Impact Award reinforces to HP that there is a great appreciation and acknowledgement toward adopting what could very well be the largest and most ambitious of SAP SCM-based rollouts, primarily due to the global nature, level of complexity and comprehensiveness of the program. Through great team efforts, we were able to create an end-to-end, integrated planning platform connecting regional, factory, and global planning organizations and systems,” said Lisa Olmstead, IPG Global Supply-Demand Planning Management of Change Lead, Hewlett-Packard.
• Small to Medium Enterprise - Newport Corporation
  
  Newport Corporation is a globally recognized leader in advanced technology products and solutions for fields such as Research, Life & Health Science, Aerospace & Defense, Industrial Manufacturing, Semiconductors, and Microelectronics. Newport’s acquisition of Spectra-Physics in 2004 created an opportunity to combine the discrete businesses of each company into a single market presence in the photonics industry.
  
  Newport needed to offer one-stop shopping to its customers but could not effectively process or fulfill orders based on its existing legacy ERP environment comprised of 11 disparate solutions. Newport’s global implementation of the SAP ERP application across 18 locations in Europe, Asia and North America was successfully executed, decommissioned the disparate ERP environments and provided a common toolset across the company.
  
  “Newport Corporation is very proud to receive the ASUG 2009 Impact Award in recognition of the dedication and hard work put forth by the team during our SAP solution-based initiative. The award highlights an incredible effort across our project team, our employees and our consulting partner HCL AXON,” said Greg Reischlein, CIO, Newport Corporation.
• Public Sector - U.S. Navy
  
  The Navy ERP Program, under the organizational auspices of the Navy’s Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems, is an acquisition, logistics and financial solution that provides integrated business support to U.S. Navy operations.
  
  The Navy identified four management capabilities required of Navy programs based on mission need, and in support of Department of Defense (DoD) and Navy objectives: Process Improvement, Financial Transparency and Total Asset Visibility, Decision Support, and Readiness. Navy ERP modernized and standardized Navy business operations, providing unprecedented management visibility across the enterprise and increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of Navy business operations.
  
  "Across the Department of the Navy, we are looking broadly to determine how to more effectively make a difference for the war fighter. The number one thing needed is transparency going down into the organization. The tool that’s going to get us there is Navy ERP,” said Dr. Delores Etter, Former Assistant Secretary of the Navy (RD&A)

The awards were presented last night during the keynote presentation of the 2009 ASUG Annual Conference and the SAPPHIRE^® 2009 Orlando conference. The ASUG Annual Conference, being held this week at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, is co-located with SAPPHIRE 2009 for the fourth consecutive year and has attracted 10,000 attendees. The ASUG Annual Conference and SAPPHIRE 2009 bring together SAP customers, product experts and SAP partners to deliver the technological vision, insights and actionable information customers need to drive profitability and growth and keep their organizations ahead of the competition.

The 2009 ASUG Annual Conference delivers real-world insights and opportunities for SAP customers and partners to share their collective knowledge and offers the best face-to-face opportunity in 2009 for SAP-related education. For more information, visit: http://www.asugannualconference.com.

About ASUG

The Americas' SAP Users' Group (ASUG(R)) is an independent, volunteer-run organization that facilitates connections among members of the SAP ecosystem. As the most valued voice for SAP customer influence, ASUG maintains its unique position by connecting SAP experts who share their knowledge back with the community – creating an ongoing cycle of shared experience that enables strong business results and real competitive advantage for the entire SAP ecosystem. (www.asug.com).

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