LAS VEGAS -- Rimini Street, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMNI), a global provider of end-to-end enterprise software support, management and innovation solutions, and the leading third-party support provider for Oracle, SAP and VMware software, announced Idemitsu Kosan, Japanese petroleum manufacturer and retailer, has selected Rimini Street as its long-term, strategic ERP support and services partner, providing expertise and extended capabilities for its core SAP ECC 6.0 system. The initial engagement with Rimini Street began in 2013 when Idemitsu selected Rimini Support™ for its Oracle EBS system, during the phase in which they were transitioning to SAP ECC 6.0.

With vendor support scheduled to end in 2030 for SAP ECC 6.0, Idemitsu executives engaged an independent research firm to review the costs and impact to the business if a move to S/4HANA were to be made. Already determined by its executives that SAP ECC 6.0 is a stable, robust ERP that serves as a mission-critical system for the business, Idemitsu decided to forgo a move to S/4HANA and instead, maximize the potential and extend the life of its SAP ECC 6.0 investment with third-party support by Rimini Street.

“The flexible nature of SAP ECC 6.0 is why we made the switch from Oracle to SAP in the first place. To accelerate innovation within the organization and improve speed and quality to our processes, our strategy is to add capabilities to the core of the system, not replace it,” said Takayoshi Sawai, deputy general manager, digital and ICT promotion department of Idemitsu. “Rimini Street allows us to prioritize business needs over vendor demands, ensuring our technology roadmap is free and clear of obstacles. Rimini Street’s expertise makes vendor-imposed end-of-support deadlines no longer a problem, giving us the ability to take full control over how we want to design our systems to best fit our vision.”

Idemitsu Reimagines its SAP ECC 6.0 to Advance its DX Vision

With five main areas of the business: petroleum, basic chemicals, functional materials, power/renewable energy, and resources, Idemitsu is reorganizing into 3 business segments for the purpose of simplification and “business portfolio transformation.”

“A key component of our IT strategy is to transform from a siloed structure which was based on manufacturing standards, to a flexible one that covers retail and service industries. As part of our medium-term application strategy, we want to be in an advantageous position by adding needed functions without the time and cost required for version upgrades,” said Sawai.

One of projects that reflect Sawai and team’s commitment to a composable, fast-adapting ERP strategy is the recent restructuring of its accounting and reporting structure. Sawai commented on the initiative, “If you try to retrofit business needs into the capabilities of a software, you will end up with a design that is restrictive. It is with this philosophy that we undid the initial design of our distributor invoicing process which combined SCM and accounting into one instance, creating gaps and delayed reporting. Now we are reimagining and adding functions to our existing SAP ECC 6.0 release supported by Rimini Street, resulting in improved data quality control and more automation. The partnership with Rimini Street helps accelerate our digital transformation initiatives without the disruption.”

Rimini Street’s SAP Expertise Strengthen Idemitsu’s Technical Skills and Knowledge

Idemitsu’s plans to build a steady roadmap to the future includes extending the life of its highly customized SAP ECC 6.0 environment, ensuring it is well-maintained and kept compliant by Rimini Street and internal resources.

“Rimini Street’s technical expertise in all things SAP has been a great resource in expanding my team’s ability to navigate our system needs,” said Sawai. “Our plans include many more years in partnership with Rimini Street, ensuring our mission-critical system is always available, and to maximize our SAP investment as we plan out the future needs of the business.”

“Rimini Street Japan is deeply dedicated to the success of our regional clients, which surpass 400 to date. We believe in restoring choice and providing agnostic guidance to business leaders worldwide on where they want to go and what systems they want to use while getting there,” said Nobutake Godo, regional CTO of Rimini Street Japan. “As the preferred third-party SAP support partner to esteemed clients such as Idemitsu and many others around the world, we are proud to deliver tangible financial and productivity results for our clients that help accelerate innovation and competitive advantage.”