An international group of companies in the clothing industry with subsidiaries all over the world had decided to introduce the cloud-based software "Infor Nexus" for supply chain management throughout the group. As the subsidiaries did not have a standardized ERP system, there was a very high coordination effort. The project manager of the German subsidiary dropped out at short notice even before the initial coordination phase. As a result, the interim manager with experience in textile purchasing and an affinity for digitalization stepped in and coordinated the IT project with the American project manager. Other tasks included adapting the SCM software to the special challenges of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act in the EU and meeting the requirements of the EU Whistleblower Directive.
System tests, training and onboarding for Infor Nexus coordinated
As part of the introduction of Infor Nexus, the interim manager represented the interests of the German subsidiary in group-wide online meetings with the companies from Italy, France, Israel and the USA. With her digital expertise, she was able to make a significant contribution to the stakeholders agreeing on a uniform adaptation of the system. The interim manager then provided intensive support for the system tests, training and onboarding of international suppliers and internal users. As a result, the cloud-based SCM system went live on the agreed date.
Requirements from the Supply Chain Management Act fulfilled
With the international launch, the specific European requirements for the SCM system were not yet fully met. This primarily concerned the obligations under the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LKSG), which came into force in Germany in 2023. The company headquarters decided to have the LKSG application for supplier management programmed as a pilot project for Infor Nexus. The interim manager played a key role in this development by contributing her expertise in processes and usability (UX design). At the same time, the interim manager supported the legal department of the German subsidiary in adapting the purchasing framework agreements to the LKSG requirements.
Whistleblower: Data protection-compliant solution found and introduced
In another sub-project, the interim manager supported the parent company in identifying and introducing a standardized whistleblower channel for the international production sites with more than 20,000 employees. Special requirements arose from the German Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG) and the EU Whistleblower Directive. Together with the German legal department and the data protection officers, the interim manager searched for software that met the strict European and German data protection requirements. In the end, together with the German company, she was able to convince the parent company to introduce the German whistleblower software EQS.
Mandate successfully completed within nine months
After nine months, the mandate to introduce the cloud-based SCM software was successfully completed. The extension to meet the requirements of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Act was implemented. The standardized whistleblower channel guarantees that compliance violations in the supply chain can be reported anonymously and securely.
