Client
Sun Microsystems is a worldwide leader in providing enterprise-class
hardware and software.
In a maturing, highly competitive industry,
Sun needs internal operations that function at a world-class
level to compete. Recognizing this need, Sun’s Tax function launched
an initiative to identify and act on business process
improvement opportunities, many which leverage considerable
information and technology resources.
Business
Case
Sun Microsystems is committed to improving operational efficiency.
This efficiency unlocks opportunities for advanced
financial analysis and subsequent actions that can
result in multi-million dollar investment and tax
benefits. The efficiency also results in lowered operational
costs and improved timeliness.
Sun brought in Quovera to help them capitalize
on these opportunities within their Tax and Treasury
functions.
Specific objectives for the project were to:
•
Facilitate
process improvement by providing business and technology
specialists a forum and methodology for communicating
business processes and information flow.
•
Provide
an integrated macro-level view of the business processes
with a focus on the flow of information.
•
Create
a roadmap for prioritizing and implementing the opportunities
identified.
•
Analyze
and design technology solutions to meet the future
business processes.
•
Design
and build a ‘smart’ financial forecasting system that
pre-computes forecasts using historical data combined
with custom forecast algorithms.
Why Quovera?
Sun selected Quovera because
of Quovera’s expertise at executing projects that
involve difficult and changing business processes
and fitting technology solutions to them. Quovera provided Sun with experienced senior-level
consultants with a proven track record of delivering
quality and timely solutions.
The Quovera Solution
Quovera solution centered
on providing a platform for the communication of complex,
inter-dependent business processes between business
specialists and technology specialists.
The approach used ‘process workshops’ to brainstorm
and facilitate consensus building on process improvement
opportunities. The
solution was geared to have special focus on the creation
and consumption of information internally, across
departments and from third-parties.
After identifying key opportunities,
Quovera analyzed and designed solutions that best
fit the future state business processes.
The largest of these solutions was the re-engineering
of the process and technology for a worldwide financial
forecasting system.
Business Benefits
•
Integrated,
accurate and consistent view of the creation, consumption
and flow of information within the organization
•
Process
improvements resulting in business processes with
better accuracy, quality and timeliness
•
Improved
understanding and communication of the business processes
for both business specialists and technology specialists
•
A platform
for communicating planning future business process
changes
A streamlined and
more accurate worldwide financial forecasting process
and system that can adapt to changing business needs