Forest products company upgrades outdated ERP system and implements multi-year change management plan with SSNW partner at the helm

Introduction

Founded in 1936 with 25 employees, Roseburg is a vertically integrated forest products manufacturer currently employing over 4,000 people across the United States. Headquartered in Springfield, Oregon, their manufacturing facilities are concentrated in the Northwest and Southeast areas of the US. They are also responsible for managing 800,000 acres of land in California and Oregon. Distributed across North America, Roseburg’s products include engineered wood, lumber, softwood plywood, composite and hardwood panels, decorative laminate, wood pellet fuel, and other value-added panel products.

In 2004, Roseburg realized the need for a stable, scalable IT infrastructure. After an initial assessment, SSNW built and integrated hundreds of corporate and mill applications, developing a capable IT organization. We upgraded Roseburg's existing ERP system and designed and implemented IT standards that spanned across the company. Post-implementation, SSNW partner Todd Rask took on the role of acting CIO of Roseburg, going on to serve in that capacity for over three years to ensure smooth transition and growth.

History

Roseburg wanted grow. They were planning acquisitions and expansions, but their systems hadn’t matured from a structural and organizational perspective. Their software systems weren’t set up to support rapid integrations, and they were running an older version of JD Edwards on a coexistent IBM platform, increasing IT organization issues and slowing down necessary upgrades. Their IT setup was almost impossible to scale due to a lack of discipline in IT governance: a lot of unnecessary apps had been brought in, there was a custom sales system written in-house, and their IT staffing needed to be restructured.

Challenges

Consolidate Roseburg’s entire application portfolio with a view toward scalability
Establish a steering committee for IT, establish a new governance process
Restructure and reprioritize IT department
Establish better channels of communication and infrastructure between IT and mill operators
Perform changes while maintaining current operations

Solutions

Upgrade and re-implementation of JD Edwards EnterpriseOne ERP system on the Microsoft SQL server
Design and implementation of improved IT standards
Transition strategy and support

Results

Reduced IT staff while hiring new people for better outlined positions.
Post-implementation, Roseburg made a large acquisition, buying 6 manufacturing facilities from Georgia Pacific that comprised an entire composite panels business.
SSNW partner Todd Rask joined Roseburg as CIO for 3 years, guiding implementation and company culture. Post-implementation, SSNW was hired to integrate the Georgia Pacific facilities into Roseburg’s portfolio, and managed to do so within 6 months. This would not have been possible without our earlier effort.
Implementation of mobile scanning solution resulted in Roseburg’s claims for mis-shipped products dropping to zero. Due to this massive reduction in claims, this solution paid itself off within the year.

Software Plan

Primary

JD Edwards ERP upgrade on the Microsoft SQL server

New platform for document distribution
New platform for mobile applications
Standardized processes for planning, how demand is managed

Process and workflow improvements

Designed and implemented new IT standards

We established new IT governance laws as well as a steering committee, ensuring that all new software received careful analysis from employees hired for the task. In the long run, this kept Roseburg’s IT costs to a minimum while maintaining scalability and full use of the core software’s flexibility.

Transition strategy and support

Beyond our post go-live technical support, SSNW partner Todd Rask joined Roseburg as CIO for three years. His stewardship of Roseburg’s IT department ensured that all major implementations produced the results promised, and guided Roseburg’s IT department through its first major acquisition soon after we implemented the new consolidated platforms.

Game Plan

Our implementation of an upgraded JD Edwards ERP on the Microsoft SQL server system took a total of 15 months. We migrated hundreds of customizations and business-specific workflows, re-engineering where possible to reduce complexity and allow for scalability when required. Our new IT governance rules, combined with a steering committee and continued high-level support from our partner allowed Roseburg to make full use of its new software capabilities.

Strategic Solutions NW

Strategic Solutions NW is a tight-knit tech and management company headquartered in Beaverton, OR with clients around the world. A Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we specialize in integrated software implementation and recovery, approaching every solution with a business-wide approach. Our repertoire includes creating and managing accounts software for 500 million dollar manufacturers, specialized forest product experience, and longstanding partnerships with a swathe of major software vendors. Led by three partners with decades of experience in software and business solutions, we approach each client with a long-term relationship in mind, providing continued support and communication beyond project timelines.