Ciber Takes DS Smith Live On First Critical Phase of a Major SAP System Consolidation and Integration Programme

As part of a complex programme to integrate the major acquisition of SCA Packaging and drive £100 million of annual cost savings across the DS Smith Group, Ciber has hit the first, critical go-live milestone with the successful migration and consolidation of more than 20 existing SAP systems from SCA’s former parent company to a data centre in the U.K.

DS Smith Group’s systems also have been transitioned into a full managed services contract that will see Ciber take on the operational and functional application management for all of the Group’s SAP systems over the next five years.

DS Smith Plc acquired SCA Packaging in June 2012 to form one of the largest corrugated and recyclable packaging manufacturers in the world with combined revenues of nearly £4 billion. "The board targeted £100 million of annualised savings that could be realised through synergies and integration. The rapid consolidation and streamlining of the combined organisation’s business systems is critical to deliver this for shareholders," explained Nigel Blenkinsopp, Group CIO for DS Smith.

In an open tender, DS Smith chose to work with Ciber to rationalise and integrate its existing systems and to provide a high quality and responsive managed service that would facilitate the on-going performance of its systems. "We selected Ciber because they had the expertise to deliver a complex, global project such as ours, and they have not only demonstrated that but also an agile and flexible partnership approach. Their consultancy teams have been excellent and prepared to go the extra mile to make sure that we meet our deadlines on time and on budget," added Blenkinsopp.

The delivery of the programme involves a large international team comprising Ciber expertise and services from the UK, Netherlands, Germany and Poland. "We are delighted to be working with DS Smith on this exciting programme," commented Gary Springall, Managing Director of Ciber U.K. "It is a great example of how Ciber combines its global delivery capabilities with strong local account management. Our U.K. team has done a great job building a relationship with DS Smith, with excellent support from our consultancy teams in the Netherlands, our 24×7 global service desk operation based in Poland and our centre of excellence for SAP® Managed Services in Germany. We look forward to delivering the next phases of the programme and to helping DS Smith realise their business objectives."

The overall programme comprises a number of critical events over the next six months. In addition to transferring the former parent company’s data centre to the U.K., Ciber will also take responsibility for delivering the on-going support and maintenance of the production environment of the SAP systems; development and introduction of change to the production environment and provision of ad-hoc changes; the creation of a new finance and procurement shared service; the rollout into targeted parts of the Paper and Packaging Divisions; extension of the SAP template to encompass new modules and functionality, and provision of a five-year managed services contract.

The technical architecture of the SAP system comprises a complete range of components from SAP with Ciber providing expertise and consultancy for SAP ERP, SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization, SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (SAP NetWeaver PI), SAP Supplier Relationship Management (SAP SRM), SAP Enterprise Master Data Management, SAP NetWeaver® Business Warehouse, SAP NetWeaver Portal, SAP System Landscape Archiving and SAP Solution Manager.

About DS Smith Plc
With a turnover in 2012/13 of £3.7 billion and employing more than 20,000 people, DS Smith Plc is an international supplier of recycled packaging for consumer goods. The Group is now the second largest manufacturer of corrugated products in Europe, a leading worldwide supplier of bag-in-box packaging and a leading European supplier of plastic returnable transit packaging. DS Smith is a FTSE 250 company listed on the London Stock Exchange and headquartered in Maidenhead.

About Ciber, Inc.
Ciber is a global IT consulting company with 6,700 consultants in North America, Europe and Asia/Pacific, and approximately $1 billion in annual revenue. Client focused and results driven, Ciber partners with organisations to develop technology strategies and solutions that deliver tangible business value. Founded in 1974, the company trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CBR). For more information, visit ciber.com