Improving enterprise system utilisation and operational performance
Sojitz Blue engaged Solution Minds Consulting (SMC) to assess how effectively its ERP platform was supporting day-to-day operational, financial and reporting needs. While core systems were in place, outcomes were falling short and leadership lacked clear visibility of where performance was being constrained.
Although originally delivered under SMC’s former Review & Strategise and Analyse & Blueprint terminology, this engagement aligns to SMC’s Review and Optimise delivery model. The focus was on improving performance and extracting more value from existing technology, data and ways of working, without committing to unnecessary system replacement.
Key outcomes
- 20+ system, process and data gaps identified across finance, procurement, warehousing and reporting
- Medium–high ERP utilisation confirmed, highlighting optimisation opportunities rather than replacement
- A comprehensive, prioritised improvement roadmap delivered
About Sojitz Blue
Sojitz Blue is an Australian mining operator and a subsidiary of Japan-based Sojitz Corporation. Originally established as a minority joint-venture participant, the organisation has since expanded its footprint and now manages end-to-end mining operations in Central Queensland.
The business operates Pronto Xi as its core ERP platform, supported by Cognos for business intelligence. As operations scaled, Sojitz required greater confidence that finance, procurement, asset management, payroll and reporting processes were aligned, integrated and delivering the intended value.
When enterprise systems exist, but outcomes fall short
Despite broad functional coverage, several issues were limiting ERP performance:
- Configuration gaps across finance, procurement, inventory and warehousing created unnecessary manual effort
- Training limitations meant teams used basic functionality but underutilised advanced capabilities
- Cognos reporting constraints reduced access to consolidated insights and dashboards
- Data consistency issues affected integrity and downstream processes
- Master data, budgeting, forecasting and payroll processes required targeted optimisation
These issues increased operational risk, reduced visibility and constrained timely, data-driven decision-making.
SMC Solution
SMC delivered an independent Review and Optimise engagement focused on understanding how the ERP was configured and used in practice across all in-scope functions.
Rather than defaulting to replacement or large-scale transformation, the engagement was designed to provide clear evidence of where performance was being constrained and what could be improved using existing capability.
Capabilities applied:
- Business Process Review & Optimise
- ERP Review & Optimise
- AI Capability Assessment & Awareness Uplift
The outcome was clear visibility of improvement priorities and confidence in a pragmatic path forward.
Review and Optimise approach
SMC applied a structured Review and Optimise method across six dimensions: people, process, technology, data, AI and transformation leadership.
Process overview:
- Reviewed current-state processes across finance, procurement, warehousing, payroll, budgeting and forecasting
- Assessed ERP configuration, customisations, integrations and out-of-the-box fit against future needs
- Evaluated reporting, analytics and data management practices
- Identified performance constraints, risks and optimisation opportunities
- Developed a prioritised roadmap aligned to business value, effort and risk
This approach ensured recommendations were evidence-based, practical and achievable.
Results
The engagement provided Sojitz with a clear, independent view of how its ERP environment was performing and where optimisation was required.
Key outcomes:
- Clear visibility of system, process and data gaps impacting performance
- Improved governance and training clarity across finance and procurement functions
- Increased confidence in existing ERP capability, supporting optimisation before major upgrades
- Defined pathway to uplift reporting and analytics, including BI and data warehouse options
- A practical roadmap to improve performance without unnecessary cost or disruption
This positioned Sojitz to strengthen operational efficiency and support future growth using systems already in place.
The Future
Sojitz now has a structured plan to optimise its ERP environment and progressively uplift capability across finance, procurement, reporting and data management.
The roadmap supports immediate optimisation while preserving optionality for longer-term initiatives, including AP automation, advanced analytics and future ERP version upgrades. SMC continues to provide independent guidance as Sojitz matures its operational and digital capability.
Frequently Asked Questions
ERP systems often fall short due to configuration gaps, inconsistent processes, poor data quality, and underutilised functionality. In this case, these issues limited reporting visibility and operational efficiency despite the system being in place.
If your ERP has reasonable utilisation but isn’t delivering expected outcomes, optimisation is usually the smarter first step. SMC’s independent, vendor-neutral approach helps organisations extract value from existing systems before committing to large-scale replacement.
SMC applies a structured Review and Optimise approach across people, process, technology, data, AI, and governance. This provides a clear, evidence-based view of performance gaps and prioritised opportunities for improvement.
Common indicators include manual workarounds, inconsistent or unreliable data, limited reporting capability, underused system features, and misalignment between business processes and system configuration.
Organisations typically gain improved operational efficiency, stronger governance, better reporting capability, and a clear roadmap for improvement. In this engagement, over 20 system, process, and data gaps were identified and addressed.
A health check is recommended when performance is unclear, reporting is unreliable, or before making decisions about upgrades, AI initiatives, or system replacement. It provides clarity, reduces risk, and supports more confident decision-making.
“For Sojitz, the real breakthrough came from seeing all the functional, system and data insights in one place. The gap analysis helped us join the dots between what people were experiencing daytoday and what the ERP was actually capable of. Once that picture was clear, the improvement pathway practically wrote itself, grounded, achievable and aligned to how the business really operates.”
Filip Dimkovski, QLD Regional Director, and Client Success Lead
Ready to streamline your workforce processes and reduce compliance risk?
About the Author
Filip Dimkovski is the Queensland Regional Director at Solution Minds Consulting, leading regional operations, client success, and growth. He brings over 13 years of experience in enterprise systems, including senior roles across consulting, solution architecture, and service delivery within the mining and ERP sectors. Filip is known for his practical, delivery-focused approach, combining technical expertise with strong commercial and client engagement capability.