Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

COMPANY

Mitsui & Co., Ltd. is one of the world's most diversified and comprehensive trading, investment, and service enterprises. Headquartered in Tokyo, Mitsui maintains a global network of 161 offices in 69 countries, and has 582 subsidiaries and associated companies worldwide.

CHALLENGE

Revise operational processes to integrate IT, logistics and finance; expand value chain; strengthen overall global capabilities; and move steadily toward ideal of being "the strongest all-round trading company."

WHY ABEAM?

Expertise in solution enhancements for major trading companies and support for management leadership, which aligned with Mitsui’s emphasis on “speed of management.”

SOLUTION

Revamped operations in company finance and markets for machinery and information, chemicals, energy, consumer goods, and distribution and finance:

• Defined 21 standard processes with 400 operational components, integrating 10,000 business patterns
• Created “Common Operational Processing Manual” based on operational components
• Developed work plan for 600 projects for processes controlling deal closings, deliveries and payments
• Served as PMO and “bridge builder,” deploying team members through organization and developing solutions
• Established Shared Service Center (SSC) for management visibility into overall operational processes

REAL BENEFITS

Solid infrastructure for Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) based on SAP R/3:

• Operational transparency and more effective internal control through SSC
• Integrated, end-to-end process management from close of a deal through payment
• Improved risk management
• Improved external accountability
• Improved financial reporting compliance, such as internal controls required by SOX
• Ongoing BPR and systems improvement as company moves through 21st century