Corporate solution rollout for the rail vehicle manufacturer

Stadler, a global leader in railway rolling stock manufacturing, decided to expand its corporate solution based on SAP PEO to its branch in Kazakhstan. Originally developed by Innflow, Switzerland, for the Berlin unit, the system needed to be adapted to local requirements – without compromising on performance.

To make it happen, Innflow, Stadler’s trusted SAP implementation partner, joined forces with ACBaltica. The ACBaltica team successfully led the rollout and implemented SAP EWM for Stadler’s warehouses in the region – boosting efficiency and setting the stage for scalable growth.

Customer

Stadler is a leading international manufacturer of railway rolling stock, known for its high-quality, innovative trains and transport solutions. With operations across Europe and beyond, Stadler continually invests in modernizing its production and business systems to support growth and operational excellence. Stadler decided to roll out the corporate SAP solution at the company’s branch in Kazakhstan. However, the solution should first be aligned with local regulatory and operational needs. 

Challenge

The Berlin-based corporate solution couldn’t be directly applied in Kazakhstan due to significant differences in regulation, including taxation, import/export, customs legislation,  and financial reporting. Local accounting had to continue in 1C, which meant building a custom integration between SAP S/4HANA and 1C.

Additional challenges included: 

• A need for a robust warehouse management system

• Coordination across multiple teams in various time zones:

• Customer HQ and Innflow in Switzerland

• The Berlin branch (original solution)

• The Kazakh unit (target rollout)

• Stadler SAP Competence Center in Spain

• Other scattered contributors in different locations in Europe

Innflow needed a partner who could enforce the existing in-house implementation team, understood the local market, could work flexibly with remote teams, and provide on-site support when needed. That’s where ACBaltica stepped in.

Solution

• Industry: Railway rolling stock manufacturing
• Scope of service: Rollout of the corporate business solution
• Location: Kazakhstan
• Project  duration: 1,5 years
• Project team: 14 consultants, 5 developers
• System: SAP S/4HANA

The rollout of the SAP PEO-based solution included the following modules:

• CMP – Commercial Project Management
• PLM Integration – Integration with Siemens Teamcenter
• PS – Project System
• PEO – Production Engineering and Operations
• MM – Materials Management
• SD – Sales and Distribution
• EWM – Extended Warehouse Management
• CO – Controlling
• FI – Financial Accounting
• QM – Quality Management

The original German solution was highly innovative – so that it became part of SAP’s global PLM integration focus group on the development and implementation of a PLM System Integration (together with SAP and Siemens Teamcenter). Therefore, it continues to evolve in response to the needs of users and the industry.
The ACBaltica team had to:

• Conduct fit-gap analysis despite incomplete solution documentation
• Localize a solution, initially developed for the branch in Berlin, reflecting the differences in business environments in Germany and Kazakhstan

The initial requirements list had 257 items. Through deep collaboration and expert analysis, the team narrowed it down to 29 final requirements to meet all project constraints – each essential for a successful rollout in Kazakhstan.

Objectives

• Review and present the Berlin-based solution to Stadler Kazakhstan
• Define business requirements and solution design
• Adapt the corporate solution to local needs
• Implement a fully localized solution in Kazakhstan

Project scope

• SAP S/4HANA
• SAP PEO and supporting modules[P3] [IS4] 
• Local organizational structure configuration
• Tailored SAP EWM solution for warehouse processes

Project results

Timing:

Customer Benefits·      

• Alignment with Stadler’s global SAP Solution
• Improved warehouse efficiency through SAP EWM
• Compliance with local financial regulations via integration with 1C
• Streamlined and standardized business processes
• Scalable ERP platform ready to support future growth
• Localized user roles and access control tailored to business needs
• Reduced manual work and data duplication through system integration

Why ACBaltica

Choosing ACBaltica was key to the success of the Stadler Kazakhstan rollout. Here's why:

• Flexibility and adaptability. Our team seamlessly adjusted to evolving project requirements, shifting priorities, and an incomplete base solution.
• Strong, diverse team. With a wide pool of consultants and developers, we could easily bring in additional experts – such as in SAP SuccessFactors – even when those areas weren’t part of the original scope.
• Effective cross-team collaboration with the customer. We worked closely with stakeholders across multiple time zones and countries, ensuring smooth communication and coordinated delivery.
• Proven regional experience. Our background in working with clients across Central Asia gave us an edge in understanding local regulatory, cultural, and operational specifics.
• On-site and remote support. Our consultants were available both remotely and on-site, providing hands-on assistance whenever needed.
• Deep SAP expertise. With over 20 years of experience, we brought the technical know-how needed to localize and optimize a complex ERP Solution.
• Trusted long-term partner. As a reliable partner to Innflow, we were quickly integrated into the project, ready to take ownership and deliver results.

With ACBaltica, Stadler Kazakhstan had a partner that could scale with the project, solve problems in real time, and deliver results that met both global expectations and local needs.