Overview

Third-party funding management in SAP: TU Berlin modernizes administration

TU Berlin is fundamentally modernizing its administration: instead of paper chaos and isolated solutions, it is relying on digital project, contract and account management with top xRM – thus creating the basis for modern third-party funding management in SAP. The result: transparent processes, faster approvals and an administration system that fits in with cutting-edge research.

German universities deliver outstanding achievements in research and teaching. However, their administrations are often still considered tough and sluggish, or simply: unsexy – especially for top international academics and third-party funders.

TU Berlin is also familiar with this dilemma. With over 32,000 students and 7,400 employees, it is a real hotspot for top science in the STEM subjects. However, the administration has long been suffocated by fragmented processes. To counteract this, it is now consistently focusing on digitalization.

 

Modern third-party funding management in SAP for top international research

“We have been using a modern IT architecture for years. Nevertheless, many processes are still not fully digital,” reports Adina De Nobile, Project Manager for Digitalization in Administration at TUB. “This also affected our project and contract management – key administrative topics and therefore important success factors.”

Paper processes and isolated solutions previously made funding applications non-transparent, error-prone and time-consuming. They also made it difficult to establish a modern working environment with home office arrangements and flexible working hours. Adina De Nobile: “So there was a whole bunch of good arguments for finally taking action.”

 

A digital solution for project and contract management

To this end, managers and experts from the university sat down together to define clear requirements for the solution and find a suitable project partner. The result was four central selection criteria. According to these, the new solution should

1. enable standardized, electronic project management without media disruptions,
2. ensure modern contract management with end-to-end digitalization,
3. allow seamless integration into the existing system landscape and
4. be flexible enough to be able to map university-specific processes.

While searching for a suitable tool, the project team finally came across top flow – a company that the TU had already met at the HERUG conference in Berlin in 2019. Their tool, top xRM, is a flexible enterprise content management system that enables companies to easily digitize all important documents and processes in the SAP environment. The university was particularly impressed by the solution’s wide range of possible applications – and the option to tailor it to individual requirements if necessary.

 

A new playing field for top flow

Despite numerous top-xRM implementations in a wide range of industries, the collaboration with a university was something very special for top flow. “Companies usually use our tools,” reports Jürgen Zeifang, project manager at top flow. “top xRM is therefore primarily geared towards their needs. Project management at universities, on the other hand, obeys its own rules.”

In view of this special starting position, TU Berlin and top flow decided to prepare the introduction systematically and in a unified manner. To this end, the joint project team first analyzed the existing processes and the tools used to date with regard to future efficient third-party funding management in SAP. It then outlined the future processes in top xRM. This made it clear which requirements top xRM already covered in the standard version and where individual adjustments would be necessary.

“During the workshops, it quickly became clear that TU essentially needs three types of file – project files, contract files and external account files,” summarizes Jürgen Zeifang. “With the project file in particular, we also recognized the need to tailor it closely to the specific needs of the TU – not least the complex approval procedures.”

 

From concept to go-live: implementation in three steps

In order to implement the resulting concept step by step, the project team first implemented top xRM and connected it to the existing IT architecture. It then created the three new file types, which can be operated both via Fiori apps and the SAP GUI:

• The project file:

This file stored in top xRM is now used by all departments and institutes at the Technical University. It completely maps every project – from application to completion. This leads to end-to-end third-party funding management in SAP.

To make this possible, the project team modified the usual features and mandatory information of the original solution to include further elements, such as additional mandatory fields for funding bodies, approval notifications and reporting deadlines. This allows the system to remind researchers of upcoming interim reports at an early stage.

The new file also supports the university’s complex approval procedures with clear role assignments and automated workflows. It is now clear at all times whether all the necessary approvals have been obtained. It also helps with the export control of research results to third countries – an aspect that was previously difficult to map.

• The contract file:

TU Berlin has a large number of contracts in the research, facility and service sectors. Research projects also include research contracts. These govern, for example, the aim of the project, the rights and obligations of all participants and the handling of data, results and financial resources.

In order to manage these digitally as well, the project team introduced a digital contract file. It is closely linked to the project file and therefore gives those responsible quick access to the contractual agreements. The contract file also provides a single point of truth for the most important documents from third-party funders. This facilitates statistical evaluations and ensures access at any time and from any location with the appropriate authorization.

Just like the other file types, the contract file is also closely linked to the SAP system. As in the other files, the master data in SAP is used, for example, to map business partners.

• The external account file:

Visiting scientists, lecturers and other external persons who have an active employment relationship with TU Berlin often want to use the resources of TU Berlin for their collaboration. This is now done via a separate file type – the so-called “external account file”, stored in the TU portal. The university can use this file to record and manage the data of external employees in the various areas on a decentralized basis. The data approved there is then used in the downstream systems SAP HR, SAP FI, SAP IDM, among others. The computer center provides the external employees with accounts for this purpose, which they can activate with the help of a cover letter.

 

The result: increased efficiency and paperless processes

top xRM has been in live operation at TU Berlin for some time now. The intuitive user interface and the excellent support provided by top flow have been very well received by users.

No wonder, as the impact on administrative processes is impressive: the introduction of the new file types, for example, led to significantly more efficient and now largely paperless coordination between the individual project teams, the university administration and the HR department. At the same time, processing times and error rates due to incomplete applications have fallen – an important step towards modern, digital third-party funding management in SAP.

Adina De Nobile is equally satisfied:

“Thanks to the close cooperation with top flow, we have an electronic project file with information on funding that is available to all parties from the application to the completion of the project. Overall, the project has laid a reliable foundation for further digitalization steps. For example, we are already working on a digital work contract file based on top xRM, which standardizes and supports the conclusion and billing of these contracts.”

 

The highlights for TU Berlin

• Stable foundation for standardized, digital processes
• Automated workflows to support employees
• Shorter processing times and lower costs thanks to more efficient processes
• Mature basis for further digitization steps

 

“With top xRM, we have modern, highly integrated digital files that are adapted to our requirements. This also gives us a solid basis for future digitization steps.”

Adina De Nobile, Project Manager Digitization in Administration at Technische Universität Berlin

 

Berlin University of Technology

• Registered office: Berlin
• Portfolio: University research and teaching
• Focus: Natural science and technology departments (MINT)
• Budget volume: approx. 500 million euros
• Employees: around 7,400
• Students: around 32,500
• Internet: www.tu.berlin

SucSt_2025_06_TU-Berlin final_WEB



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Overview