Swissport UK orders Chelford SAP solution to support rapid business growth

  • UK's leading airport ground handling company to implement ERP & financial forecasting package
  • Supports Swissport UK’s growing service contracts with top airlines, including Ryanair, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic

LONDON - 19 June, 2007 - Chelford SAP Solutions, a Chelford Group company and provider of specialist ERP and supply chain management solutions for regulated industries, has announced a major order from the UK's leading airport ground handling company - Swissport UK. The new ERP solution will provide the company with state-of-the-art reporting technology, as well as specialist financial management modules, giving staff at its Newcastle head office complete visibility and tighter control of its ground handling operations at seven major British airports. Swissport UK has experienced massive growth in recent years, and the Chelford SAP solution will play a major part in the company's plans to expand the business further.

Chelford SAP will link directly into the flight information systems at each airport to give Swissport UK instant passenger, aircraft and baggage information, as it continues to fulfil ground handling contracts with some of the world's leading airlines, including Ryanair, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. As part of the implementation, the package will include the SAP Business Information Warehouse, which will link up real-time operational data with forecast models and allow Swissport UK to create accurate business plans throughout the enterprise.

"We have been growing our business steadily over the last five years which we are looking to continue," commented Frank Barr, Financial Director at Swissport UK. "Implementing the new Chelford SAP solution will play a large part in this growth process, and will ensure we can lay down a secure information base for the future. We chose Chelford SAP because it had an excellent understanding of what our business required from an ERP system, and it was able to provide us with precisely the right functionality for our operations."

The package includes full implementation and support services from Chelford SAP, and will replace an existing ERP system that Swissport UK had been using since the business was founded. "Our previous system suited our business at the time, but the company has now outgrown that technology and our information needs are now more demanding," Frank Barr continued. "Chelford SAP will link directly into the flight information systems at the five airports - providing instant passenger, aircraft and baggage information - and give us a much better understanding of our core revenue streams."

Chelford SAP will provide Swissport UK with the unique combination of software, technology, experience, services and future-proofing that will help ensure a seamless transition to greater and enhanced automation of enterprise and supply chain management. The platform gives each user easy access to the organisation's information in a controlled manner - reports can be rapidly produced, trends can be analysed, and comprehensive information can be obtained to support decision making at all points in the supply chain.

"When a company experiences rapid expansion over a period of time, it will often outgrow the ERP software it has been using," added Neville Merritt, Group Marketing Director, Chelford Group. "Unless a system upgrade is undertaken, the business’s ability to continue growing becomes inhibited. Installing a Chelford SAP solution gives a company like Swissport UK the platform it needs to take its business to the next level. It will significantly enhance the reporting process through the company’s operations - which, when combined with the latest forecasting technology, will give its management team greater control and the ability to implement more effective business processes."

About Swissport UK
Swissport UK is one of the largest providers of airport ground handling services in the UK. Swissport UK employs over 2,500 staff who form part of a total Swissport workforce of over 20,000 personnel world wide. Swissport International provides ground handling services for over 70 million passengers and 3 million tonnes of cargo on behalf of 600 client companies at 163 airports in 33 countries across five continents.

Swissport UK's operations span five major airports: London Gatwick, London Stansted, Newcastle, Manchester and Birmingham. In 2005 Swissport was voted ‘Best worldwide ground handler’ for the fifth consecutive year and in June 2007 was named as the Best Global Airport Service Company 2006 by the ITM London.

For more information, please visit www.swissportuk.com

About Chelford SAP Solutions
Chelford SAP Solutions specialises in delivering SAP solutions to the Logistics Services, Consumer Packaged Goods, Wholesale & Distribution and Apparel & Footwear industries. We provide complete life-cycle management of SAP business solutions for our customers. This includes strategy and planning services, implementation and support services, ranging from a help desk and straightforward maintenance to managed services.

Chelford has developed a suite of certified mySAP All-in-One solutions for the Wholesale & Distribution and Food industries called Smartstart. The solutions are developed from SAP’s Business Suite of software, but tailored for these industry companies.

About The Chelford Group
Chelford provides solutions in supply chain, ERP, manufacturing, warehousing & distribution, automated data capture and Microsoft technology based applications. Chelford solutions are supported with services in systems strategy, project management, business process change management, systems integration, managed services and facilities management. Chelford Group companies include: Strategic Systems International Limited (SSI) www.ssi-world.com;.Chelford SAP Solutions Limited www.chelfordsolutions.com; Agility Systems Limited www.agilitysystems.co.uk; Chelford Solutions For Microsoft Limited www.chelford-sfm.com and RFID Solutions Centre Limited www.rfidsc.co.uk. Chelford Group has offices in Basingstoke, Darlington and Glasgow.

Neville Merritt
Sales and Marketing Director
The Chelford Group
01256 685296
Neville.Merritt@chelfordgroup.com

Duncan Burford
The Press Office, PR for SSI
Tel: 01780 721433
dburford@pressoffice.targetwire.com


Issuers of news releases, not Targetwire, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.