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News

01.10.2009

Successful Integration of SAP Software Add-On target Idea Management with Premium Shop from IPO-PS

As of July 31, 2009, employees from K+S can search for premium awards for realized ideas with just one click in their enterprise portal. This technical realization is made possible through a collaboration with target software solution GmbH as the provider of idea management software, and IPO PrämienServices GmbH, a full-service premium award provider responsible for all related premium activities – from purchasing of items to shipping of premiums.

The K+S Group is one of the world's leading suppliers of specialty and standard fertilizers, pesticides and salt products. In their business segments – potash and magnesium products, COMPO, fertiva, salt products, waste management and recycling, as well as services and trade – the K+S Group employs approximately 12,000 people.

Idea management at K+S continues to lead statistics from the German Business Management Institute (Deutsches Institut für Betriebswirtschaft or dib), and the company remains one of the top ten in its industry. For many years, K+S has relied on the supervisory model and the continuous process improvement (CPI) teams in their idea management process.

Ulrich Pausch, head of Knowledge and Idea Management for the K+S Group, summarizes the reasons for its success in idea management: “The best consultants are our own employees. Many of our employee ideas, even small ones, together with our CPI teamwork related to idea management, have resulted in a healthy culture of communication in our company, in the self-realization and recognition of employees, as well as in greater efficiency of our processes. The points system is very well suited as a supplementary incentive to our employees. We are proud of the attractiveness of the premium shop and our efforts to provide another incentive for our employees, which positively influences both internal “soft” factors as well as our business!”

K+S has been using the target Idea Management TM add-on for SAP software for the mapping of idea management processes since 2004. In the second quarter of 2009, the software solution was enhanced with a connection to the premium awards shop from IPO-PS. In a nutshell: general points are awarded for realized ideas and these points can also be saved. Employees can check their points account at any time, and can determine which percentage of their points account they want to use for premium awards (including short trips and event vouchers) or a cash payout. Employees make this determination themselves in the enterprise portal through an online shop containing more than 2,000 premium awards the employee can exchange for their idea points. Through the intelligent and tight coupling of idea management software with the premium awards shop, everything runs safely and effectively. The entire administrative process – from the procurement of premium awards to the delivery to creation of invoices to the employer – is carried out by IPO-PS, so that a maximum of attractive premium awards is available to employers and employees, with the least amount of administrative effort. Employees also appreciate the cost savings, as IPO-PS products can be ordered for between 30% and 50% less than regular market prices.

Experience from the first few months after the implementation has been very positive. The option of redeeming idea points for premium awards is increasing in popularity. In 60% of cases, employees prefer premium awards over a cash payout for their idea points. Each month, employees triggered an average of 391 orders at IPO-PS.

Project lead Martin Koller, from K+S IT-Services GmbH, explains the technical architecture for the solution: “Access to the premium shop takes place through the enterprise portal of the K+S Group, which can be accessed through the public Internet. With their corresponding user accounts, employees can log into the K+S portal from their private computers at any time and access the premium awards shop. When the Web service is called in target Idea Management, the premium award shop retrieves the appropriate employee data and available points. The premium shop itself looks just like any page in the K+S intranet. After employees fill their shopping carts, they submit their orders. This step creates a prebooking in the system, which calls another Web service in the idea management software that deducts the points account accordingly, generating the required wage types for payroll; all shopping cart data is used for later invoice verification in the SAP system. After confirmation of a successful posting in the SAP system, the premium shop activates the order. Both systems are securely connected with each other at all times. In our opinion, we therefore have a comprehensive and successful solution that benefits our employees. We have a very successful partnership in the collaboration with target software solution and IPO-PS.”

About target software solution GmbH:
target software solution GmbH is an independent globally operating software house focused on the development and implementation of SAP solutions for human capital management (SAP ERP HCM). In addition to its own development of target Idea Management, the certified SAP Software Partner and its team of software developers and consultants works on the implementation of the SAP ERP HCM application for nonprofit organizations such as the World Food Programme and UNICEF, as well as the development of country versions.

target Idea Management is standardized software that supports all phases of the idea management process and is specially developed for use with SAP software. The application is certified by SAP AG as “SAP®-Certified – Powered by SAP NetWeaver”. The solution is currently in use to support the ideas of more than 600,000 employees worldwide, for the following companies:
Audi AG (Germany, Hungary)* Bayer Business Services GmbH (for approximately 30 companies inside and outside the Bayer Group) * B. Braun Melsungen AG * Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG * Deutsche Lufthansa AG * Die Schweizerische Post * Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG * K + S AG * Miele & Cie. KG * Plansee SE (Austria) * Rehau AG + Co * SAP AG * Siemens AG (Industry Sector) * Volkswagen Navarra, S. A. (Spain) * ZF Sachs AG

For more information, see www.target-soft.com.

About IPO PrämienServices GmbH:
IPO PrämienServices GmbH (IPO-PS) is a full-service provider of premium awards for idea management and incentive programs. Founded in 1981, the company has 25 years in the business and is currently in second-generation ownership. Full service to IPO-PS means premium purchasing and logistics, shipping, programming/hosting of innovative online premium shops (customer CI-compliant), and after-sales service (returns processing, call center). Daily updates result in an attractive assortment of 2,000 branded premium awards, vouchers, and special event options. More than 200 premium-shop customers trust in the experience of IPO-PS.

For more information, see www.ipo-ps.de.