OREANDA-NEWS. On 23 July 2009 was announced, that United Metallurgical Company (OMK) will support a project for mastering by students of the State Technological University "Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys" (MISIS) of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) technologies based on the solutions developed by SAP AG. Last week, OMK President Vladimir Markin, SAP CIS Executive Director Boris Volpe, and Head of the MISIS Research Division Sergei Salikhov signed the "Memorandum of understanding among SAP, MISIS, and OMK with regard to the joint initiative to support the teaching of SAP-developed state-of-the-art information technologies at MISIS for the purpose of assisting the University in mastering SAP technologies." The signing ceremony was attended by Chairman of the OMK Board of Directors Anatoly Sedykh, SAP AG CEO Lйo Apotheker, and the MISIS leaders.

In addition, within the scope of their negotiations, Anatoly Sedykh and Lйo Apotheker signed memoranda on the extension of bilateral cooperation between OMK and SAP AG.

The OMK management places special emphasis on its partnership with MISIS, caring about the training of young highly qualified personnel for its entities. Next year, with the assistance from OMK, senior MISIS students and OMK specialists will be taught management technologies based on the SAP solutions. Last year, OMK and MISIS launched a joint project for reorganization of the MISIS Vyksa Branch. The project will make it possible to create a modern educational infrastructure, fit the higher education institution with state-of-the-art training and laboratory equipment, and make a maximum adjustment of the education technologies to the employer's needs.

" MISIS is a real source of metallurgists. It has made an invaluable contribution to the development of Russia's metallurgical sector and the education and training of skilled specialists," said Anatoly Sedykh at the signing ceremony. "It is a satisfaction to know that at present about 300 MISIS graduates successfully work for United Metallurgical Company. Our Company intends to further develop various types of cooperation with MISIS."

" We are proud of our cooperation with United Metallurgical Company and MISIS," said Lйo Apotheker. "I am positive that this cooperation will help to form a new generation of leaders for the sector. Empowered with the knowledge gained under the SAP University Alliances program, MISIS graduates enter the labor market with truly valuable skills that is in demand with potential employers."

" We had a good reason to select SAP AG as a supplier of automated ERP systems," said MISIS Rector Dmitry Livanov. "SAP AG has implemented the world's best practices in the international metallurgy, while its systems have been recognized as standard ones for the metallurgical and pipe sectors."

" United Metallurgical Company is one of the leaders in Russia's metallurgical industry and our long-standing partner," said Head of the MISIS Research Division Sergei Salikhov. It is crucial to us that MISIS should train specialists meeting high business standards. Graduates trained under the joint program will have unique knowledge and understanding of the sector's specific features, which is among University's traditional strengths. Owing to the partnership with SAP AG, they will conversant with SAP's ERP systems, which have already come to serve as standards for metallurgists worldwide. This project is the beginning of our cooperation under the SAP University Alliances program. We are particularly pleased with the fact that we became part of the program on the initiative of United Metallurgical Company."

" At the Casting and Rolling Complex, we have recently implemented a pilot project based on SAP ERP systems, and we are completely satisfied with the results," emphasized Chairman of the OMK Board of Directors Anatoly Sedykh, speaking at the signing ceremony. We've implemented SAP-developed systems designed for enterprise resource planning, reference data management, HR management, and those related to distance education and analytical accounting. Our procurement optimization project is under implementation. The next step is to develop and replicate the systems for Vyksa Steel Works and the OMK Moscow Office.