Where Twence once started as a regional waste management company, it has grown into a modern producer of energy and valuable raw materials. Twence is fully committed to a circular future, with quality and continuity as top priorities. Testing plays a crucial role in this. In collaboration with PTWEE, part of the Sofius Group, Twence has increased test awareness and test maturity to ensure SAP and other business processes run flawlessly.
Sustainable projects with impact
Twence operates in a dynamic landscape of energy supply, emission reduction, market forces, regulations, and collaboration with municipalities. Their projects range from solar parks and district heating networks to recovery from biomass.
Herman Slaghuis, Manager Strategic Projects at Twence, explains:
“Our business is constantly changing, and we must respond to this intelligently and quickly. We are now delivering innovative projects that we would simply not have thought possible ten years ago. Our CO₂ capture installation is a good example of this and is leading in Europe. CO₂ is captured, liquefied, and supplied, for example, to bell pepper growers in greenhouse horticulture.”
SAP as the beating heart of the operation
SAP supports Twence’s operations in all areas: Finance, Plant Maintenance, Logistics, SD, MM, IS-U Energy & Waste, and IS-U EDM for real-time energy price processing. For site maintenance, Twence also regularly works with large numbers of external contractors—during peak periods this can be between 200 and 300 per day. In 2023, Twence chose an S/4 solution: a brownfield transition combined with a PaaS model.
Tom Hofstede, Information Manager at Twence, explains:
“SAP forms the beating heart of our operation. Government regulations require every kilogram of waste to be fully accounted for. Every day we process 300 to 500 trucks, with each kilogram of waste weighed and registered in accordance with strict laws and regulations. Drivers check in using a QR code, and only if all data is correct are they allowed to proceed. The waste is fed into the incinerator in layers, while we continuously take environmental rules and emission standards into account.”
Testing as a prerequisite for continuity
Nothing can go wrong in the production chain; a single disruption can cause extremely long queues of trucks. The key word for Twence is therefore: testing, testing, testing. They devote a relatively large amount of time to it. Testing is carried out in collaboration with PTWEE, part of the Sofius Group. As a specialized consultancy firm, PTWEE focuses among other things on SAP testing and improving test processes. By combining proven testing methodologies with in-depth knowledge of SAP and other applications, they offer a pragmatic and effective approach.
Roel van Bremen, Commercial Director at PTWEE, explains:
“Twence places great value on increasing test awareness and strengthening test maturity. To achieve this, we always look at three pillars: the expertise of the people involved (People), the way of working (Process), and the supporting tools (Technology). A careful analysis of these elements quickly leads to a clear roadmap toward the desired maturity level. At Twence, we provided training courses and workshops that were fully tailored to their specific situation, with the main strength being their practical applicability.”
Tom Hofstede adds:
“During the migration from ECC to HANA and S/4, PTWEE provided the necessary support in increasing test awareness and test maturity. They did this by delivering test-related workshops and training sessions. In addition, we successfully use Testersuite, a very user-friendly test management tool that provides us with structure and guidance. Test maturity is very important to us.”
Herman Slaghuis concludes:
“My biggest tip for other organizations? ‘Do it right the first time.’ Better to go live one month later than to make concessions, with all the consequences that entails.”
Achieving a shorter lead time
Are there still wishes in the area of testing? Absolutely. “We want to halve the testing period wherever possible, properly assess risks without compromising on quality, so that we have more time for projects. Think, for example, of automated regression testing.”
Are you, like Twence, looking for high-quality testing capacity? Sofius is the testing service provider that supplies the very best professionals in the field of software testing and quality improvement. Get in touch and discover what we can do for your organization.
SOURCE: Article by VNSG (Dutch-speaking SAP User Group): “S/4 at Twence: ‘doing it right the first time’”
Authors: Jan Steenbeek & Bas van der Poel – VNSG Editorial Board
