It’s all too common now. In this harshest economic environment, people are forced to be innovative. Folks on the street are cutting unnecessary expenses, corporate folks are finding ways to reduce businesses cost and at the end of the day, almost all are directly or indirectly being affected. The good thing is, when we overcome this situation, we are actually exhibiting innovative trait which is surprisingly hidden when not facing any hardships. After all, innovation is simply interpreted as any sort of improvements, let it be our spending nature, public transportation woes, business processes or model.
Talk about business model, I am very surprised and to some extent a bit annoyed with investment banker or they say it the golden boy of wall street, Goldman Sachs. Yes, they were brilliant back then. Perhaps, one of the pioneers in investment banking. And yes, they were innovative. Why not, their business model provides them with high margin profit much higher than conventional banking. Their brilliance were lauded, again Wall Street did it again. But they became greedier, introducing highly complex financial instruments all with non-backed physical but dubious assets. This simply translates to a very high risk game. Turns out, it crumbled with no mercy which almost wiping out the existence of investment banks including this golden boy of Wall Street. Well, perhaps it was too big to fail, again taxpayer money was the saviour. Why I’m annoyed by this, I don’t really care how they make money but their gamble did really affect all of us here, normal folks on the street. But surprise surprise, last week they announced billions of profit again and millions of bonus to be distributed to these high ‘gambler’ executives. Come on, we know the same old tricks were being used again. Taxpayers were in no mood to celebrate but rather asking, how in the hell we are still poor and getting poorer? A valid question indeed. Well, they should just concede their business model innovation are just not that innovative anymore but rather we have to anxiously wait the next incoming financial disaster..sigh..
- 21 stores nationwide
- almost 10,000 contract and part-timer staffs and over 5000 permanent staffs
- Some of compensations are based on incentives, thus generating lots of variables
- Salary is based on shift plan and clock in/out data (more than 10 mins late, deduct 1 day salary, etc).
Well previously, many of HR operations were done manually or with the help of many island of applications with no integration. It's creating unnecessary workload which can be optimized if catered by integrated system. However, due to complex business processes, this implementation proved to be pain in the neck. Implementing is one thing, educating the users proved to be the hardest part in the project. In addition to next phase implementation, IBM will also provide the support for the whole SAP operation of AEON. Finance (or FICO as known in SAP) on the other hand is much simpler, as it's very much standardized from one project to another. The only concern is whether the implementation conforms with Malaysian audit requirements. Interestingly, AEON might be one of the handfuls of companies in the world that utilizes SAP Fund Management.
In the future, AEON will integrate the Financial/Controlling (SAP FICO) with Material Management (SAP MM). Once completed, the whole AEON business processes will be integrated seamlessly. That's what I call innovation. My experience so far has been fulfilling. Previously, I was mainly involved on technical part of the implementation. For this project however, I need to understand all business processes involved. It's challenging though but experience wise, it might be worthwhile.
Before I finish off mumbling, just found out my previous bill design for RPU is posted on their website. As I remembered, this was one of the most challenging project for me. Trying to get the bill's amount right was one thing, trying to figure out the whole type of charges in the bill were another. But I'm glad it was successful at the end...
On a positive note, I'm a bit fortunate that still some companies are willing 
to spend on business process transformation or else, I'm out of work. Little bit history on current project, AEON (originally from Japan and affectionately known as Jusco right here) is one of top retailers in the world and has been expanding aggresively in Malaysia. To date, there are 21 shopping stores have been opened nationwide with the biggest shopping center located in Bukit Tinggi Klang. With billions of revenue and over 15,000 staffs in Malaysia alone, AEON is looking to transform their three core business processes, HR, Finance & Material Management. HR is very much complicated, some of the facts:
to spend on business process transformation or else, I'm out of work. Little bit history on current project, AEON (originally from Japan and affectionately known as Jusco right here) is one of top retailers in the world and has been expanding aggresively in Malaysia. To date, there are 21 shopping stores have been opened nationwide with the biggest shopping center located in Bukit Tinggi Klang. With billions of revenue and over 15,000 staffs in Malaysia alone, AEON is looking to transform their three core business processes, HR, Finance & Material Management. HR is very much complicated, some of the facts: - 21 stores nationwide
- almost 10,000 contract and part-timer staffs and over 5000 permanent staffs
- Some of compensations are based on incentives, thus generating lots of variables
- Salary is based on shift plan and clock in/out data (more than 10 mins late, deduct 1 day salary, etc).
Well previously, many of HR operations were done manually or with the help of many island of applications with no integration. It's creating unnecessary workload which can be optimized if catered by integrated system. However, due to complex business processes, this implementation proved to be pain in the neck. Implementing is one thing, educating the users proved to be the hardest part in the project. In addition to next phase implementation, IBM will also provide the support for the whole SAP operation of AEON. Finance (or FICO as known in SAP) on the other hand is much simpler, as it's very much standardized from one project to another. The only concern is whether the implementation conforms with Malaysian audit requirements. Interestingly, AEON might be one of the handfuls of companies in the world that utilizes SAP Fund Management.
In the future, AEON will integrate the Financial/Controlling (SAP FICO) with Material Management (SAP MM). Once completed, the whole AEON business processes will be integrated seamlessly. That's what I call innovation. My experience so far has been fulfilling. Previously, I was mainly involved on technical part of the implementation. For this project however, I need to understand all business processes involved. It's challenging though but experience wise, it might be worthwhile.
Before I finish off mumbling, just found out my previous bill design for RPU is posted on their website. As I remembered, this was one of the most challenging project for me. Trying to get the bill's amount right was one thing, trying to figure out the whole type of charges in the bill were another. But I'm glad it was successful at the end...
till next time, ciao for now ...
