Photovoltaic Cell Manufacturing Rising Like the Sun - How to Sustain Strong Global Growth at Q-Cells: A Case Study

"Solar energy is probably the fastest growing energy technology today, and Q-Cells, a German photovoltaic cells manufacturer, is market leader worldwide, reporting 118.4% CAGR in sales growth from 2002 to 2007," said Pierfrancesco Manenti, EMEA research director at Manufacturing Insights, an IDC Company. "To sustain such strong growth, the company had to quickly undertake a massive change in its organization and related IT systems in order to remove stumbling blocks hindering the expansion of the business. The selection process was particularly accurate and ended up with SAP winning as ERP provider and Deloitte as project implementation partner for business consulting and ERP."

This Manufacturing Insights report examines:

• The business challenges driving the complete renewal of Q-Cells' processes and IT solution landscape.
• How the company selected and successfully implemented an ERP solution in record time.
• Why the centerpiece of the solution relates to solving manufacturing execution and supply chain issues.
• The business benefits achieved by Q-Cells.
• The lessons learned and what should have been done differently.

This study ends with recommendations for manufacturers and IT vendors going forward.