Abdul Latif Jameel Motors (ALJ Motors) has been awarded an international prize for a digital transformation program that has overhauled performance at one of Saudi Arabia’s leading automotive distributors, improving efficiency and customer service across the business.
The JSAP program, which went live in mid-2018, won the Gold Award for Business Transformation in the SAP Quality Awards, presented during a ceremony in Heidelberg, Germany. The initiative — one of the biggest SAP projects ever undertaken in the automotive distribution sector — outcompeted entries from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to become the first by a Saudi company to win the Gold Award in the category.
Implemented in partnership with SAP specialists Britehouse, the project included the intoduction of a new unified IT infrastructure to replace more than 30 legacy systems in five ALJ subsidiaries, leading to strategically integrated operations and management processes across more than 100 sites in Saudi Arabia.
Hassan Jameel, deputy president and vice chairman of ALJ, said: “We are constantly striving to improve the business and JSAP was a centerpiece of these efforts. It was an ambitious and challenging project and a real test of our ability to implement a complex and transformative initiative — one we’ve passed with flying colors. The award is a recognition of the tremendous effort, commitment and perseverance of all involved.”
He added: “We are already seeing a significant impact on our performance, management and efficiency and I’m sure we will continue to reap the benefits long into the future. At a time when Saudi Arabia is seeking to realize the potential of digital transformation through Vision 2030, we are very proud as a Saudi company to be winning a top international industry award.”
More than 300 staff were involved in the flagship initiative, which took more than 1.5 million working hours to complete over 22 months. Since its launch in mid-2018, the system has significantly improved performance and efficiency, and internal processes, including but not limited to reducing vehicle sales delivery lead time and customer order conversion time by more than 50 percent.
The panel of judges, made up of international industry experts, commended ALJ Motors for its management of the change process and the strong team and corporate culture developed around JSAP, which they said had helped overcome the many challenges of the complex project.
Launched in 2010, the SAP Quality Awards celebrate and recognize projects for exceptionally high-quality implementation, including effective planning, execution and management of the process, to achieve rapid, low-cost business process integration and deliver tangible benefits to organizations.