Mizuho OSI was founded in 1978 in the San Francisco Bay Area and was called Orthopedic Systems Inc. (OSI). When the company was acquired by the Japanese Mizuho Corporation in 1978, it was named Mizuho OSI. Since then, Mizuho OSI has developed into one of the leading manufacturers of operating tables. With its products, Mizuho OSI focuses on optimizing surgical results and is now known for state-of-the-art medical technology and specialty surgical instruments.

What applies to the company’s products also applies to Mizuho OSI’s internal processes. It was important to the company to increase operational efficiency and optimize processes. In order to take advantage of SAP’s low-code functions, Mizuho OSI collaborated with SAP AppHaus in 2024. Together they set out to explore the possibilities of improving process efficiency through process automation with SAP Build Process Automation and SAP Build Work Zone. During a first Workshops on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), Mizuho OSI’s IT and business teams took a closer look at the manual process for creating assets.

Use case: Approving and creating new assets

The workshop uncovered significant inefficiencies in the manual procurement process. These were mainly due to the email-driven workflow involving requesters, approvers and accounting. This approach not only resulted in a high risk of errors, but also significantly slowed down the process. When purchasing expensive capital goods, the purchasing process was very lengthy, mainly due to additional approval steps and the request for further information. This made it clear that a more efficient and automated solution was necessary.

Under the guidance of SAP experts, the joint project team designed a lean, automated process for approving and creating new assets. With the modules SAP Build Work Zone and SAP Build Process Automationbased on low-code techniques, Mizuho OSI’s internal IT team developed and deployed a solution. Using this technology accelerated implementation while reducing complexity.

“As we grow from a medium-sized to a large company, tools like SAP Build Process Automation are critical – not only to improve process efficiency, but also to expand the reach of our IT team,” said Lindsay Neill, Director of Enterprise Application at Mizuho OSI. “We are very grateful to the SAP AppHaus and the SAP product team for their expert guidance throughout the entire process – from identifying the right use case to providing technical support to feasibility testing. The new automated flow is a significant improvement over our previous manual approach. I am extremely pleased with the results!”

The results after the introduction: greater efficiency with SAP Build and SAP BTP

After testing and implementing the new solution, both users and the project team saw a reduction in manual effort and increased process efficiency. Here are a few examples:

• 40% greater process efficiency as reports are processed automatically and do not accumulate for days.
• 65% faster approval times as asset costs below a certain threshold can be automatically approved.
• 70% less manual effort because fewer errors occur, decisions can be made faster and human intervention is only required in exceptional cases.

“It was a true pleasure working with the Mizuho OSI team. Their forward-thinking mindset and willingness to challenge the status quo made this collaboration truly exceptional,” emphasized Tina Tuan, Senior Director at SAP AppHaus Palo Alto. “I am proud of what we have achieved together with the SAP BTP and SAP Build solutions, and I am very excited to see how this success will inspire and encourage you to tackle future projects with confidence and momentum.”

By working closely together on this project, SAP and Mizuho OSI have shown that obstacles can be overcome when the partnership is right. The team successfully implemented an innovative solution for capital asset approvals thanks to the use of SAP Build solutions and the SAP Business Technology Platform created a solid foundation for future initiatives. There is a promising next milestone on the horizon that has a slightly larger reach, such as material master automation.

One thing is certain: what drives the Mizuho OSI project team is the company’s strong success mentality: dare to push boundaries. Be prepared to do more.

Imke Vierjahn is Communications Lead at SAP AppHaus.