Rio Tinto: Global SAP Implementation

Rio Tinto, one of the world’s leading mining and exploration companies, was challenged by the multiple business systems and processes being used by its business units across the globe.

The mining company wanted to improve performance and enable global shared services by establishing common business processes, data and reporting. These were to be supported by a common set of systems, using a single SAP-based solution.

Accenture was engaged to play a leading role in the business improvement program, with primary responsibility for deploying the system and processes to each business unit as part of a complex global rollout spanning a number of years.

More than 29,000 users ranging from maintenance operators to senior executives are now using the business solution to share information, improve decision making and move Rio Tinto closer to its goal of achieving leading practices across all of its operations.

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With its business units scattered around the globe, Rio Tinto was hampered by unintegrated and disparate business systems. To improve efficiency and performance, the mining company wanted to standardize and streamline systems and align process with best practices across all units.

The ambitious global business improvement program required creating a common set of systems, using a single SAP-based solution to consolidate processes and reduce the company’s global shared service costs.

To ensure the success of the six-year implementation, Rio Tinto selected Accenture to help oversee the business improvement program. The company knew it could rely on Accenture’s deep knowledge of the mining industry and extensive experience developing SAP implementations that have allowed industry leaders to achieve their goals of high performance. Also important: Accenture’s alliance relationship with leading enterprise software maker, SAP.

Accenture collaborated closely with Rio Tinto and its contractors, helping to lead project management, technical architecture and data teams. The massive changeover involved transitioning supply chain, financials, human resources, production management and data warehousing to SAP solutions, as well as developing an enterprise portal, e-learning and e-recruiting capabilities.

Accenture had primary responsibility for the complex global rollout, which is being released in stages. To ensure a smooth transition, Accenture professionals have worked onsite to train business unit users on the state-of-the-art systems. In addition, Accenture has assisted with ongoing support through its application management processes.

With Accenture’s help, Rio Tinto has transitioned over half of its users to the fully integrated, centralized business program. The rollout is complete for the company’s 50,000 employees and contractors.

Already, the benefits are immediate and far-reaching. Managers in Australia, the United States, Africa and the United Kingdom can quickly share and retrieve up-to-the-minute information, improving their ability to make timely decisions, while at the same time reducing costs.

Accenture’s continuing research into high-performance businesses has found that they share certain traits. They include rationalizing, simplifying and standardizing IT systems to improve productivity and manage costs. By teaming with Accenture, Rio Tinto has transformed its business systems, giving it a competitive advantage, and moving the mining giant close to its goal of achieving high performance.

The following was delivered to Rio Tinto:

• More than 29,000 users have transitioned to the business solution.
  
  
• Managers are able to quickly share and retrieve up-to-date information within all areas of the business and operations.
  
  
• Improved decision making.
  
  
• An advanced SAP-based system provides sophisticated financial, production and operation planning tools that are able to scale and keep pace with the company’s changing needs.