Stiebel Eltron

“The Stonebranch SAP job scheduling solution provides a good and customizable overview and transparency in job scheduling within SAP and beyond with its managed file transfer add-on, even outside SAP (FTP, SFTP, running batch files, etc.).”

-Project Management Stiebel Eltron

Key Outcomes

• Direct integration with SAP, without additional connectors
• Broad, powerful functionality without unnecessary complexity
• Familiar SAP user interface reduces the learning curve for infrequent users
• Minimal training effort, rapid deployment, and fast time to value
• Flexible managed file transfers across SAP and non-SAP systems 

Background

Stiebel Eltron, founded in 1924, is a global leader in renewable energy and building technology solutions. With a strong focus on environmentally friendly innovation, the family-owned company delivers efficient systems for hot water, heating, ventilation, and cooling. 

Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, Stiebel Eltron operates production facilities across Europe and Asia and employs 5,000+ professionals worldwide. 

Driven by sustainability and efficiency, the company integrates advanced technologies across its manufacturing and IT operations to streamline processes and ensure consistent service quality. 

Challenges

As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Stiebel Eltron identified several limitations with its legacy job scheduling software:

• Limited visibility: Monitoring and managing workflows was cumbersome and inefficient
• Low usability: The platform was not intuitive for infrequent users.
• No self-service: Business teams lacked the ability to manage automation tasks independently.
• SAP integration gaps: The tool didn’t integrate seamlessly with Stiebel Eltron’s SAP environment.
• Unnecessary complexity: The organization required a simpler, centralized approach to workload automation. 

The Search

Stiebel Eltron was using job scheduling software that no longer met their evolving requirements. Employees struggled to maintain visibility and transparency across workflows, and the tool was not intuitive for end-users who rarely managed job scheduling software. 

Scalable SAP Automation

The SAP Basis team at Stiebel Eltron sought an alternative automation solution that would offer both simplicity and seamless integration into their existing SAP landscape. Stonebranch stood out early in their evaluation process. From the first review of suppliers, Stiebel Eltron was impressed with its SAP-native automation capabilities. More than just meeting current needs, the solution was a future-ready, comprehensive platform that offered long-term scalability.   

The Solution

Throughout implementation and configuration, the project consultants consistently provided prompt, knowledgeable support to the Stiebel Eltron team — ensuring a smooth transition. Since the job scheduler runs directly in the SAP interface, users already familiar with SAP were able to navigate the solution with ease.

For cross-system workflows, Stiebel Eltron also implemented the file transfer add-on. This enabled secure, automated FTP, SFTP, and batch file processes across servers — capabilities not natively available within SAP.   

The Results

By introducing the Stonebranch solution, Stiebel Eltron achieved significantly faster and more flexible background automation. The transition was fast and straightforward, instantly delivering the transparency and customization needed for effective job scheduling. 

The solution now automates critical business processes such as the SAP MRP run (material requirements planning) and SAP invoicing. Scheduled maintenance windows also enable Stiebel Eltron to pause all job processing during SAP downtimes and restart operations in a planned and controlled manner.  

All employees, even those who rarely manage workflows, benefit from the clear, intuitive interface — making the new scheduler far easier to use than the previous tool.