insights

Feedback from an SAP and Hardis WMS project

This real-life report is based exclusively on interviews with Hardis consultants. It sheds light on the lesser-known aspects of an international project for a leading high-end retailer. Here, we look not only at issues around technical compatibility between SAP and Hardis WMS (which were handled to perfection), but also at the human and organizational side of the project.

Starting with a pilot site in Asia, our task was to deploy our WMS around the SAP ERP system. The aim was both to create a core model that could be replicated group-wide, and to address practical needs on the ground.

Below are our key takeaways from this WMS project, carried out in a multicultural environment spanning Europe and Asia.

Key project information

Overall structure: The pilot warehouse in Hong Kong was part of a three-tier logistics structure, with a central warehouse in Europe, regional hubs, and local warehouses that would be brought online over time. The project was organized in a way that involved real-time synchronization between teams located in Europe and Asia, with a highly structured remote management model.
Governance: SAP integrators, Hardis Supply Chain teams, local coordination, logistics providers, and internal B2B/B2C, IT, and supply chain business lines.
Functional priorities: Reduce lead times, manage seasonal peaks, optimize value-added services, integrate e-commerce flows, manage cross-docking and returns, and provide greater visibility over shared stock. The existing SAP platform also supported the integration of specific processes for long-tail management.

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Project progress and identified needs

The SAP side of the project launched six months before work on the other applications.

During this time, the ERP team developed a General Design, making assumptions about WMS flows without coordinating with Hardis directly.

When it came time for the Hardis consultants to join the project, nothing was set in stone as far as the WMS was concerned.

More specifically, Hardis came on board during the general design phase to co-construct a model aligned with existing SAP principles and guidelines, while also ensuring the necessary flexibility to address specific logistics requirements.

This initial foundation was then consolidated through 2 detailed Design Cycles:

Initial versions of the flow diagrams were delivered quickly in a workshop.
Refined versions of these diagrams were then shared with all stakeholders for feedback and validation.

The SAP contacts welcomed direct, two-way communication, so adjustments could be made seamlessly and effectively.

This collaborative relationship helped drive the design cycle to successful completion for each application, supporting informed decision-making throughout the process.

This methodical approach, coupled with a shared mindset across teams from different entities, helped ensure that the project followed the necessary phases, delivering solutions tailored to everyone’s needs.

The customer wanted a clean, coherent and replicable model—one designed and built from the ground up, without having to preserve any legacy assets.

The core model was designed to be versionable, so that specific local developments could be isolated while maintaining a stable, scalable common core.

Identifying and managing risks from the outset

A mixed information system on the SAP side

SAP had to interact with various other systems across different geographical areas, which implied structuring interfaces, managing APIs, and harmonizing repositories.

New logistics flows for the customer

Integrating B2C flows, e-commerce returns, cross-docking, and multichannel pick-pack-ship models involved extensive work on the business side—all to ensure that the customer’s processes aligned with the logistics best practices on which Hardis WMS is built.

Real human resource impacts

Developing an enduring core model meant bringing in experts, building skills, and putting together a system of local focal points.

Dependence on SAP milestones

The WMS schedule was aligned with the calendar for the SAP ERP system. Progress was monitored regularly to adjust to timing changes.

Cross-functional governance

A project committee, comprising representatives of all stakeholders (business lines, IT, integrators, logistics specialists, project owner), maintained a big-picture vision and supported key decisions.

5 lessons learned from this SAP–Hardis WMS project

1. Align the SAP and Hardis WMS design phases from the outset

Although the SAP side of the project started 6 months earlier, and some assumptions had already been made, seamless communication meant that adjustments were possible.

In an ideal world, the WMS team would have been involved right from the ERP design stage, which would have avoided operational delays.

2. Map application flows during the scoping phase

Because all flows were being redesigned from scratch (SAP, Hardis WMS, TMS, OMS, and equipment), it was possible to identify potential areas of friction early on and validate the general design with relative ease.

3. Define clear, interconnected project roles

The Hardis consultants (one lead and one supporting) used Jira and other project management tools to successfully plan and deliver the workshops and documentation, despite time-zone constraints.

4. Develop documentation in 2 iterations

The initial versions of the flow diagrams were delivered quickly, in a workshop. They were then refined during a second pass, incorporating partner feedback.

This kind of iterative approach secures stakeholder buy-in, and ensures milestones are met.

5. Design the core model with multi-site thinking in mind

Early on, distinguish between what’s standard and what’s specific. Having a core model that’s well-documented and versionable makes it easier to plan future deployments without having to start from scratch.