Global standards optimize processes and increase data quality across the TÜV Rheinland world

28 Apr 2022 –

The introduction of the data governance process, combined with the Marlin Suite of data quality tools from ISO Professional Services at TÜV Rheinland, is another prime example of the holistic standardization and optimization of heterogeneous processes and master data used worldwide.

Initial situation

TÜV Rheinland is one of the world’s leading testing service providers with more than 150 years of history, more than 21,000 employees, subsidiaries on all continents, a worldwide network of testing and laboratory centers, activities in five different business areas, and one goal: global standards for safety and quality of people, technology, and the environment.

The company, founded in 1872 as an association, has its headquarters in Cologne. Its activities are divided into the following five business areas:

1. Industrial Services & Cybersecurity
2. Mobility
3. Products
4. Academy & Life Care
5. Systems

To prepare for the future, TÜV Rheinland is taking on exciting challenges. These include:

Importance of data privacy and information security in the digitally networked world
Establishment of global standards for new technologies
Minimizing risks in the use of innovative processes and products

Task

A major challenge for the corporation was to also introduce global standards internally for optimized processes for data quality improvement, which would work for all employees and every subsidiary worldwide. The tools had to be scalable to achieve these goals.

After the evaluation phase for the S/4HANA system, the project managers knew that the requirements for global master data management were obvious. At this point, TÜV Rheinland was already a long-standing customer of the ISO Professional Services GmbH, whose team and products had undergone extreme development over the last ten years. Since the migration of many larger companies, demand for the Marlin Product Suite data governance process, in particular, has increased. Thanks to the trustful relationship since 2011 and a convincing presentation of the Marlin Product Suite, TÜV Rheinland decided to also use the ISO solution in this case.

The requirements were explicitly defined by TÜV Rheinland’s project manager, Ashish Ranga, and his team. Apart from intercompany transactions, the goal was to optimize the creation and maintenance of millions of business partners in the S/4HANA system in all areas, at all locations, and by all employees. The scalability of the solutions was the deciding factor here. Among other things, this required a transactional process for the regulated creation of master data as well as its expansion and modification. Complete integration in SAP and suitable interfaces to the new web mask, the implementation of which would make it easier to enter new master data requests, were indispensable for this process.

Learn more

Project

In a pilot phase, the customer initially tested the governance process of ISO Professional Services. However, it quickly became clear that the project could start early. The implementation of the Marlin Data Governance Business Partner solution and other data quality tools from the Marlin Product Suite began. The project started at the end of February 2020 after careful discussions about the requirements and target processes. The implementation of the Marlin Data Governance products and the data quality tools Duplicate Check (MDC), Address Validation (MAV), Screening Check (MCC), Data Enhancement (MCT), and VAT-ID Check (MUP) followed a best practice approach. This means that the basic settings (customizing processes) were delivered by ISO. In customer workshops with TÜV Rheinland, ISO adapted the settings to individual needs.

This approach meant that the project team had a prototype of the products and processes available on the test system around four weeks after the start of the project. The next step was general functional testing of the processes and tools. After the key user training, the customer was also ready to perform the first tests on the test system. The main processes were thus able to go live as early as April 2020.

In the second phase, the ISO team led by Senior Consultant SAP Mario Kalschne implemented additional functions, including the query of business rules, on the one hand, and the experts from TÜV Rheinland implemented the web mask to enter new master data requests, on the other. The team expanded the mask and provided the necessary interfaces.

"The cooperation with the colleagues from ISO Professional Services was very pleasant. They left a very competent impression and always had an open ear for feedback."
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

A rather unexpected requirement for the implementation of the project was the Corona pandemic, which started shortly after the project order was received.

"The art is to master difficult situations - that's what Mr. Kalschne and his colleagues did."
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

The ISO project manager was also very satisfied with the mainly remote collaboration.

"We would like to explicitly thank TÜV Rheinland for the excellent cooperation during the implementation under these special circumstances," explains Mario Kalschne, Senior Consultant SAP at ISO Professional Services.

Result

The various tools for optimizing master data quality and processes are now used worldwide by the entire corporation with great success.

"ISO Professional Services solutions are so scalable that we can serve the entire TÜV Rheinland world with them."
Ashish Ranga, Head of Global Master Data Governance, TÜV Rheinland Service GmbH

The data governance process offers traceable recording and maintenance processes in accordance with the dual control principle. The integrated data quality tools lead to improved and more effective data creation and maintenance.

The duplicate check (MDC) helps the user avoid and clean up duplicate master data. Address Validation (MAV) corrects, checks, and enriches address data using data from our partners' Deutsche Telekom and Informatica Addresses.

TÜV Rheinland now uses Marlin Content (MCT) to enrich and regularly update B2B master data. The VAT-ID check (MUP) and Sanctions List Screening (MCS) help the company comply with legal requirements, check the VAT of each business partner, and ensures that individuals and companies are matched against sanctions lists of all kinds - whether boycott, fraud, terrorist, or PEP lists (politically exposed persons).

"This is an overall result that is definitely very satisfying. We look forward to continuing to accompany and support TÜV Rheinland."
Mario Kalschne, Senior Consultant SAP at ISO Professional Services

Further projects are planned for the future. Like the well-known industrial manager Rudolf von Bennigsen-Foerder put it so well, "Standing still is taking a step backward." TÜV Rheinland is striving to automate its processes even further. The ISO TÜV Rheinland team is also on hand to assist with these plans.