Modernizing Supply Chain Pricing Management for a Global Manufacturer
Protivix replaced an unsupported SAP module with a connected Microsoft solution that streamlined pricing workflows, improved reporting, and preserved five years of historical data.
Overview
A global manufacturer supplying residential and commercial air conditioning units worldwide relied on an unsupported SAP module to track pricing for the component parts used to build its units. Understanding price increases and savings was essential to helping supply chain and Finance teams assess the impact on manufacturing costs and profitability.
Protivix delivered a replacement using Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Teams. Development took one month, followed by one month of testing and deployment over a couple of days, demonstrating how a complex business application could be modernized on a short timeline.
The solution preserved existing capabilities while adding workflow automation, bulk pricing imports, improved reporting, and synchronization with SAP. A custom Microsoft Data Flow process migrated five years of historical data into the new application.
At a glance
- Client
- Global manufacturer supplying residential and commercial air conditioning units worldwide
- Business need
- Replace an unsupported SAP module and improve component pricing management
- Microsoft technology
- Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Teams, and a custom Microsoft Data Flow
- Integration
- SAP
- Historical data migrated
- Five years
- Protivix services
- Application assessment, requirements gathering, solution development, data migration, pilot testing, analytics review, training documentation support, and deployment
- Key capabilities
- Individual-part supplier pricing, bulk imports, pricing project tracking, automated workflows and reminders, SAP synchronization, and automated reporting
- Key benefits
- Improved data accuracy, faster reviews and approvals, less manual effort, and better insights for supplier conversations
The challenge
The manufacturer sourced component parts to produce air conditioning units for customers around the world. Changes in component pricing affected manufacturing costs and profitability, making timely visibility important to supply chain and Finance teams.
The SAP module used to track this information was no longer supported. Its replacement needed to maintain established capabilities, preserve historical information, and improve the surrounding business process.
A single pricing project could contain thousands of individual parts and corresponding supplier prices. Teams needed an efficient way to load and manage that volume of information.
Reporting required additional manual effort. Each month, staff exported and manipulated data to prepare reports in Power BI. They also had to coordinate pricing reviews, follow up on delayed activities, and track pending approvals.
The manufacturer needed a more automated process with easier access to accurate pricing data and clearer visibility into outstanding work.
The solution
Protivix developed a connected application using Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, and Teams, with integration to SAP.
Individual-part pricing and bulk imports
The solution tracked supplier pricing for individual component parts. Users could import thousands of parts and their corresponding prices into a project at one time, avoiding individual entry and making large pricing projects easier to manage.
Historical data migration
Protivix built a custom Microsoft Data Flow process to migrate five years of historical data. This preserved access to prior pricing records within the replacement solution.
Pricing workflows and approvals
Teams could track pricing projects through review and approval. Automated reminders highlighted activities taking too long or waiting for approval, helping staff identify pending actions and keep work moving.
SAP pricing synchronization
The solution synchronized current pricing with SAP, reducing manual handling and supporting consistent pricing information across the connected process.
Automated reporting and analytics
Automated Power BI reporting reduced the monthly effort of exporting and manipulating data. Supply chain and Finance teams gained better access to information about component savings, increases, and their impact on profitability.
The improved data foundation also prepared the organization for future AI-based analytics.
The Protivix approach
Assess the existing application
Protivix reviewed the existing module and worked with the client to document technical, functional, and reporting requirements. This established the capabilities to preserve and the opportunities to improve automation and data access.
Develop with ongoing staff input
Throughout development, Protivix held multiple reviews with client staff covering all parts of the application. These sessions gave users opportunities to evaluate functionality and provide feedback as the solution took shape.
Validate through a pilot
A multiweek pilot allowed staff to test the solution before replacing the existing module. Protivix also reviewed the analytics with sourcing leadership to assess how the reporting supported their needs.
Prepare users and deploy
Protivix helped client staff create training documents for user training and supported deployment following the testing period.
The business impact
More efficient pricing data management
Bulk imports reduced manual data entry for projects containing thousands of parts. Combined with SAP synchronization and a more consistent process, the solution improved data accuracy and made high-volume pricing work more manageable.
Faster reviews and approvals
Automated workflows and reminders reduced the time required for reviews and approvals, improving visibility into actions needing attention.
Less manual reporting effort
Automated reporting reduced recurring data preparation work and gave teams better access to information for evaluating cost savings, price increases, and profitability impacts.
More informed supplier conversations
Improved insights helped teams understand why component prices were changing and identify issues requiring discussion. This supported more proactive, informed conversations with suppliers.
Historical continuity and future readiness
Migrated records preserved access to prior pricing activity, while improved data accessibility established a foundation for future AI-based analytics.
A stronger foundation for pricing decisions
Protivix helped the manufacturer move from an unsupported application and manual processes to a connected pricing management solution.
By bringing together detailed component pricing, historical records, workflow automation, and reporting, the manufacturer gained a more efficient way to manage pricing projects and understand their business impact.
Contact Protivix to discuss how Microsoft technology can help modernize complex business applications and improve operational visibility.
