CP Corporate Planning AG - Controlling, Controlling-Software, Konsolidierung, Risikomanagement

Orthomol GmbH

Orthomol GmbH counts on the integrated approach to financial and management accounting.

The Orthomol company has rapidly emerged as the leading specialist in diet-balancing supplements. With such resounding market success, the demands faced by the company's management and accounting have increased. The search got underway for a more professional solution for these areas as, up to that point, everything had been taken care of in Excel and the DATEV financial accounting system. "An enormous amount of data maintenance had to be done by hand – without a consistent financial and management accounting system, things just couldn't carry on", as Peter Bröcker, Management Accountant at Orthomol, remembers. "What's more, DATEV didn't have the multi-user system which had become necessary with the expansion of our financial and management accounting departments due to the growth of the company."

A one-stop shop – run by specialists

The ERP system in use at Orthomol, RICK, already had an integration interface to Varial products, so a presentation of the Varial software was arranged. Hetkamp GmbH, a distribution partner of Varial Software AG and of CP Corporate Planning AG, also demonstrated Corporate Planner and its smooth integration with the Varial product line. "The complete package from a one-stop shop run by specialists – that's what persuaded us!" Peter Bröcker says.

Low risk through transparency – the promise of success

The decision to implement Varial financial accounting, human resource management and cost accounting, together with a five-year version of Corporate Planner, was reached very quickly. The existing data in DATEV were transferred to the Varial software. Then, by reading the data to Corporate Planner, the tree structure was created automatically according to the specific company requirements. These days, quick and convenient analyses of all areas can be run by reading in the relevant accounting figures each day and updating by mouse-click. "The transparency for making safe, correct decisions is reflected in the success of our business."

Finances and costs are managed centrally for Orthomol and for Orthomed GmbH & Co. KG which is also part of the group. For efficient cost management, it must be possible to depict the cost unit accounting figures for both companies in an instant. "For the most part, we prepare product-related and therefore cost unit-based sales reports and production performance figures, plus a variety of contribution and profitability analyses. Due to the different ways in which the results can be shown, the reports are ideal for presentation purposes." In addition, routine check-ups of the business areas have been made possible by the recently acquired risk management system from the CP product range, Risk Manager. "A concrete definition of the various risks is essential for any company. With the self-defined risk diagram, we are hoping to put in place an extra safeguard for our management decision-making", Peter Bröcker explains.

Flexible and informative

The graphic displays are very highly rated by the staff at Orthomol. Variance analyses and key ratio reports are generated in a flash and, with features such as the traffic-light indicator system, provide a full picture. A further bonus is the extreme adaptability of the reports. The data can be adjusted and evaluated straight away according to the needs of the moment. "Each month we submit the derived key ratios to Management. The reports can even be presented "live" straight from the program – simply brilliant." In future, in order not to be limited to the mere provision of facts and figures, the Boss Box is going to play a more important role. "This will give our management permanent insight into all the relevant information, ad hoc and without losing any time."

"Constant expansion and improvement is what we are aiming for"

Now that the software package has been operating for almost five years, management accounting has improved significantly. Up-to-the-minute information can be supplied, and, by distributing values automatically within the smooth workflow sequence, budgets can be prepared and adjusted as necessary at very short notice. "In future, we will be extending the use of Corporate Planner and the Varial products even further – there's still a great deal of potential." For Orthomol GmbH, the XML integration of Varial and Corporate Planner is particularly attractive – the trust placed in Varial and CP for more efficient accounting is set to continue. "This integration add-on, especially the enhanced import from the costing system, is crucial for having the very latest data in our financial and cost management depicted conveniently", Peter Bröcker concludes.

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Company profile
The pharmaceutical distribution company "Orthomol pharmazeutische Vertriebs GmbH" was founded in 1991. In 1995, Orthomed GmbH & Co. KG came into existence. The group with headquarters in Langenfeld, near Düsseldorf, Germany, currently employs more than 240 staff at two locations and generates sales totalling around 40 million Euros. Orthomol is specialised in developing and marketing high-quality products for dietary supplementation. Its product portfolio ranges from vitamin preparations to foodstuffs for special diets and also to fortifying treatments only available on prescription. Cooperating with science and medical practice in the development of these products serves to ensure the high standard of quality which Orthomol sets for itself and its products.