Herrenknecht

“The solution even exceeded our requirements. Many nice little things are included on top, e.g., job change history and comprehensive job reporting. Job operation runs so reliably that you can clear your head again for productive work.”

-Christian Berlage, Corporate IT-Services, Herrenknecht

Key Outcomes

• Centralized, cross-system control
• Full integration in SAP
• Easy to maintain and highly stable — a favorite among administrators
• Visualization and modeling thanks to a no-code platform
• Centralized monitoring and alerting
• Reliable consulting and support

Background

Herrenknecht AG is a global leader in mechanized tunneling for underground infrastructure. The company manufactures tunnel boring machines for all geologies, with diameters ranging from 0.10 meters for micro-tunneling to 19 meters for large-scale transportation tunnels, along with customized machines for traffic and utility tunnels, pipeline-laying technologies, and drilling rigs for shafts and deep drilling. 

An independent, family-owned company with around 5,000 employees and approximately 70 subsidiaries worldwide, Herrenknecht supports its global operations with tightly controlled IT systems that keep critical SAP-driven processes running reliably.

Challenges

Herrenknecht faced significant limitations using the SAP standard job scheduler (SM36, SM37) for background processing, especially when planning recurring tasks. For example, material and parts lists are generated in an external system, transferred to SAP, and then enriched through SAP background processing. The results need to be available in SAP as quickly as possible, but the jobs must not run in parallel, and any leftover objects must be reprocessed within 15 minutes. 

With the standard SAP scheduler, these requirements could only be met through workarounds and manual interventions, which repeatedly led to errors and gaps in visibility, such as missed system notifications.

The Search

The search for an efficient, flexible, and user-friendly SAP automation solution led Herrenknecht to the Stonebranch SAP job scheduling solution, a platform that stood out for its practical design and continuous development. 

The decisive advantage over alternative solutions was its user-friendliness, extensive evaluation options, and the fully SAP-integrated interface. Stonebranch readily met Herrenknecht’s requirements for centralized, cross-system control and beyond.

The Solution

The project started with a hands-on workshop to quickly and efficiently install the Stonebranch solution on Herrenknecht’s test system. During the session, the team also implemented the company’s operational requirements, allowing Herrenknecht to make further adjustments on its own. 

A key milestone was the successful migration of the initial jobs, which enabled Herrenknecht to transfer additional jobs independently. Technical support was available quickly and competently when needed, but was rarely necessary as the Stonebranch solution was stable and reliable.

The Results

The step-by-step migration and flexible mixed operation ensured a high level of system stability while optimizing process efficiency at the same time. Herrenknecht did not require a job migration project due to the low effort involved. 

The introduction of the Stonebranch solution enabled Herrenknecht to significantly optimize its IT processes, reduce manual effort, and achieve greater process reliability. This underlines Herrenknecht‘s commitment to continuously improve the efficiency of its operations using advanced technologies.