Back to standard – Why Volkswagen Immobilien relies on a ready-to-use SAP^® system

The starting point

VWI’s legacy system was characterized by a high degree of customization. With SAP^® ECC 6.0 approaching end-of-maintenance, the company faced the necessity of migrating to SAP S/4HANA^®. Internally, the desire to revert the highly specialized system back toward standard functionality had been growing for some time. The migration project now set the ball rolling. Larsen Bernhardt, project lead and IT project manager at VWI, explains the background to this decision:
"Although we had developed a tailor-made SAP^® system, it was relatively prone to irregularities. Any individual error had to be solved individually. Further customizations were becoming increasingly difficult. We wanted to return to standard processes wherever possible – also to improve maintainability. We already had a strong relationship with PROMOS and trusted the Berlin-based consultancy to help us pursue our overriding goal with great care: as much standardization as possible, as much customization as necessary.” At that time, PROMOS was on the verge of launching a ready-to-use template system, designed to enable real estate companies to rapidly implement SAP S/4HANA^®, equipped with a comprehensive set of industry-specific solutions. As a result, Volkswagen Immobilien GmbH became one of the first companies to pioneer the implementation of the preconfigured ERP system from PROMOS. Today, it is known as PROMOS.GT ready2.

An iterative project approach

With the goal clearly defined, the project moved into execution. In a preliminary phase, PROMOS specialists analyzed VWI’s legacy system: where did differences from the SAP^® standard exist, and which of these required adaptation? Special attention was given to corporate group requirements from the Volkswagen parent company, particularly regarding asset accounting.

At the start of the project, PROMOS consultants engaged directly with VWI’s business units. In the first step, a broad circle of key users – primarily decision-makers from the respective departments – were given access to the standard version of PROMOS.GT ready2. Bernhardt describes the first testing phase: "During this time, we were able to gain a hands-on impression of the solution’s scope. Our key users could click through the applications, create master data and contracts, and test processes live in the system whenever questions arose. This allowed us to discuss customization needs in very concrete terms and closely involve the business units right from the start.”

This test phase was repeated twice, with change requests systematically recorded and evaluated. Each request was critically reviewed: was deviation from the standard really necessary, or could the objective be achieved by other means? After all, the guiding principle was to introduce as few special customizations as possible. Final adjustments were then implemented, followed by a final user acceptance test. This iterative approach was only possible because the project was based on a fully preconfigured and immediately deployable template system: PROMOS.GT ready2.

The final stage included implementation, integration tests, and the migration of test and live data. On January 1, 2024, VWI’s new SAP S/4HANA^® system went live. A three-month hypercare phase followed to support the transition to the new environment. As is often the case, not everything went according to plan. However, thanks to the close collaboration between both partners, initial challenges were successfully resolved – an experience that strengthened the partnership even further.

Larsen Bernhardt, Project Lead and IT Project Manager at VWI

A complete solution for VWI

When selecting its implementation partner, VWI placed particular importance on sourcing a complete solution from a single provider. PROMOS’s willingness to constructively and critically challenge customization requests in favor of greater standardization was equally decisive.

Previously, VWI had already relied on easysquare’s quality management and safety inspection solutions and its mobile tenant turnover solution – ensuring full digital integration of mobile processes into SAP^®. This project expanded the solution portfolio to include the easysquare Tradesman Portal for contractor integration, the CRM ticketing system, and the invoice workflow system based on easysquare workflow. Bernhardt elaborates: "It was important for us to cover a broad range of processes with PROMOS solutions. We are convinced of the high quality of the PROMOS portfolio and had already experienced the strong expertise of their specialists in the past.” A major milestone in the project was the launch of the easysquare tenant app in November 2024, which marked a significant step forward in digitalizing tenant communication. Bernhardt comments: "Today, we are used to handling everything on our phones – anytime, anywhere. With the tenant app, we are now meeting this expectation. And we as VWI also benefit from the digital integration of tenant communication. We save time and effort."

Conclusion

The iterative project approach – based on the gradual adaptation of PROMOS’s ready-to-use template system – enabled VWI to stay as close as possible to the SAP^® standard while meeting client requirements, non-negotiable corporate group ones in particular. Bernhardt concludes: "It was a long road to go-live, marked by many intense discussions. But this was exactly the kind of critical analysis and constructive collaboration we had hoped for. We trust PROMOS as a competent partner and are very satisfied with our new system, where all solutions interlock to form a powerful complete package. We are already benefiting from many process improvements. Early, intensive involvement of the business units also made the final go-live easier, as employees were already familiar with the new solution and had been able to help shape its final design.” Both PROMOS and VWI look forward to future projects with optimism.

redaktion@openpromos.de