Company Profile

In 2019, CH Media, a leading Swiss media company founded in 2018 as a joint venture between the NZZ Media Group and AZ Medien, initiated a significant project to optimize its operational systems. CH Media, which consolidates the regional media of both groups in print, online, television, and radio, and holds a 19% market share in the German-speaking Swiss press market, is one of the largest media companies in the region. The project aimed to separate its master and transaction data from the NZZ system and manage it in a new, dedicated client within the existing SAP system. This move was intended to enhance efficiency and data integrity within the company. Conactive GmbH was engaged for the technical execution and organizational support of this critical transition.

Problem Statement

The main objective of the project was to enable a clear separation of systems within CH Media while simultaneously increasing efficiency and data integrity. This required the establishment of a new client within the existing SAP system to ensure specific and independent management of business data.

Solution

To ensure a seamless transition and continuous business processes, specific ALE (Application Link Enabling) connections were established between clients 200 and 300. This enabled efficient distribution of master and transaction data from the IS-M module towards the Finance and Controlling modules, which is crucial for financial transparency and control.

Message Types and Filters:

The segregation of data from the former AZ Medien was achieved by defining specific message types and filters for customer accounts, general ledger accounts, and FI and CO documents. This technical specification ensured the accuracy and relevance of data transfer and processing.

Documentation and Testing:

The transition was accompanied by extensive documentation of all newly established processes and comprehensive testing phases to ensure that all systems were functional and stable.

Project Timeline:

• Realization Phase: The technical implementation took place between October and December 2019.
• Go-Live: The new systems went live in January 2020, marking the completion of the technical transition.

Added Customer Value

In the transition of CH Media from the NZZ systems, a key aspect of the decision was to use Application Link Enabling (ALE) scenarios. This approach was chosen to leverage SAP's standard functionality as much as possible, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution. ALE minimized the complexity of data integration while maximizing system stability and maintainability.

By using ALE, specific data flows between the new and existing clients could be managed seamlessly without the need for extensive, custom developments. This allowed CH Media to quickly respond to changing business requirements and ensure compatibility with existing SAP systems. Additionally, the use of standard functionalities ensures easy scalability and future adaptability, which is crucial for the dynamically growing media company.

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