SAF AG
| SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting AG | |
|---|---|
| legal form | Corporation |
| ISIN | CH0024848738 |
| founding | 1996 |
| resolution | 2012 |
| Reason for dissolution | Takeover by SAP (Switzerland) AG |
| Seat | Tägerwilen , Switzerland |
| Branch | Enterprise software |
| Website | Center of Excellence F&R |
The SAF Simulation, Analysis and Forecasting AG was a software company based in Tägerwilen / Switzerland . The company developed, sold and implemented software for the forecast-based automation of the replenishment of goods from 1996 to 2009. By using the software, retailers can reduce the out-of-stock rate while reducing their inventory. SAF's systems can process orders fully automatically. In this way, the dispatchers are relieved of the time-consuming manual disposition and have more time for sales-promoting tasks.
SAF AG was founded in 1996 and was a stock corporation under Swiss law . From April 2006 the company was listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. In 2009 it was taken over by SAP AG .
history
The company was founded in 1996 by Andreas von Beringe and Gerhard Arminger. In the early 1990s, von Beringe recognized the economic benefit of software that precisely forecast sales.
The founding idea
Together with Gerhard Arminger, economic statistician at the Bergische Universität Wuppertal , von Beringe implemented the idea of using complex mathematical-statistical forecasting methods for goods planning . The SAF software is based on the demand chain management approach and controls the logistical processes consistently from the customer and his demand behavior - not as usual from the point of view of the producers. The historical sales data of each article form the basis for the forecast calculation of the SAF software. In addition, the software takes into account numerous influencing factors such as promotions, holidays, seasonality , order restrictions or public holidays and enables a fully automatic ordering process.
The customer
In the year of its foundation, SAF AG won the trading company dm-drogerie markt as its first major customer. Other well-known wholesalers and retailers were added worldwide, including METRO , Douglas and ROLLER in Germany, Rossmann and natura in Poland, Foodstuffs in New Zealand and Winn-Dixie in the USA as well as other trading companies worldwide. Today, SAF systems control replenishment for more than 100,000 branches and distribution centers around the world.
Merger with SAP AG
As a result of a public takeover offer, SAP AG had held the majority of shares in SAF AG since the beginning of September 2009. After SAP acquired additional shares, the general meeting of SAF AG in September 2011 decided to merge SAF Simulation, Analysis & Forecasting AG with SAP (Switzerland) AG. The former SAF Simulation, Analysis & Forecasting AG continues today as the Center of Excellence Forecasting and Replenishment within SAP.
Milestones
SAF AG was founded in 1996, the first customer and development partner was the drugstore chain dm-drogeriemarkt GmbH & Co. KG. In 1999 METRO was added as a second major customer. At the end of 1999, 15 employees worked in the software company, a year later 40 and by the end of 2010 there were already 96. In 2010 SAF, at that time already a subsidiary of SAP AG, generated sales of 15.58 million euros.
SAF currently sells its software licenses through SAF's own direct sales and through the OEM partnership with SAP that has existed since 2002 . The products SAF RetailSuiteStore and SAF RetailSuite Warehouse are currently running in 15 countries and three continents. In order to serve the very important market in the USA, the company, which has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2006, set up a branch in Grapevine / USA in 2005 . This moved to Irving / USA in 2010 . SAF has also had a development company in Bratislava / Slovakia since 2006. Eastern Europe is a rapidly growing market, in which the company acquired the two most important beauty chains in Poland - Rossmann and Drogerie Natura - as customers in 2008.
In 2009 SAP took over the majority of SAF shares. On January 1, 2012, SAF AG was legally incorporated into SAP (Switzerland) AG. The company was thus fully integrated into SAP.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ SAP AG / media release of September 4, 2009
- ↑ SAF AG, media release from September 27, 2011 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Website of the Center of Excellence Forecasting and Replenishment ( Memento from May 19, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
