• Volumetric Building Companies cuts operational cycle times by 50% with SAP Cloud ERP
• Second Nature Brands extends and strengthens their common enterprise platform following its Voortman acquisition
• Modernized ERP foundation positions clients to scale operations and support AI-readiness

ARMONK, N.Y., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced IBM Ready for SAP Solutions to help midsize and fast-growing organizations accelerate cloud ERP modernization, unify enterprise data, and establish an AI-ready digital core. Volumetric Building Companies and Second Nature Brands are among the clients using the solution to support growth and future AI initiatives.

Volumetric Building Companies (VBC), a global modular construction company, reduced operational cycle times by 50% across purchasing, manufacturing, and inventory processes following a three-month SAP Cloud ERP transformation with IBM. Second Nature Brands, a portfolio company and creator of premium snacks and treats, recently completed an SAP Cloud ERP transformation with IBM that integrated its acquired Voortman Bakery business and established a common enterprise platform for its operations.

The two transformations demonstrate how IBM Ready for SAP Solutions can support different business needs, from improving operational efficiency to integrating acquired businesses onto a common enterprise platform. 

"As our business continues to grow, we needed technology that could scale with us and give our teams a more connected way of operating," said Chris Macies, COO, Volumetric Building Companies. "By modernizing our ERP environment with IBM, we now have unified visibility across our supply chain and operations, helping our teams move faster and make more informed decisions with greater visibility throughout the manufacturing process. Just as importantly, we've established a scalable digital foundation that positions VBC to support future automation and AI initiatives as we continue to grow."

"Successfully integrating an acquisition is about more than combining operations. It's about quickly implementing and expanding a unified foundation built for future growth," said Jeff O'Gradney, VP IT, Second Nature Brands. "Working with IBM, we successfully integrated the Voortman Bakery business and expanded our common enterprise platform that positions Second Nature Brands to scale more efficiently as one organization."

Bringing together IBM's industry expertise, fit-to-standard delivery, and IBM Consulting Advantage, the company's AI-powered consulting delivery platform, IBM Ready for SAP Solutions is designed to help organizations accelerate transformation at scale.

"Businesses are under increasing pressure to operate with greater speed, efficiency and predictability, and many are implementing AI to improve," said Dr. Tom Janoshalmi, Global Managing Partner, IBM Consulting. "But scaling AI requires a connected and modern enterprise foundation. VBC and Second Nature Brands started from different places, and now both run on a modern SAP platform built for what comes next."

Volumetric Building Companies and Second Nature Brands' transformations reflect a broader shift as companies focus on modernizing ERP systems to improve operational efficiency and prepare for AI. According to research from the IBM Institute for Business Value, 68% of enterprises say accelerating ERP modernization is important to improving operational efficiency and maintaining competitiveness.

"Businesses can unlock the greatest enterprise-wide value from AI when they connect intelligent technologies with rich data semantics, end-to-end business processes, industry expertise, and strong governance," said Santina Franchi, SAP Corporate Segment and GROW. "VBC and Second Nature Brands recognize this opportunity and are building a modern digital core with SAP and IBM Ready for SAP Solutions as the foundation for scaling their AI ambitions with confidence, speed, and reliability. Through this partnership, we are extending our GROW Fast methodology to help customers accelerate their journey to SAP Cloud ERP, enabling go-lives in weeks and creating a strong platform to expand across the SAP Autonomous Enterprise."

IBM Ready for SAP Solutions is currently available in limited countries and for specific industries. IBM plans to continue expanding availability of the solution globally across additional industries and markets. To learn more, visit ibm.com/consulting/sap-ibm-ready.

About IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.

Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media contact:

Kristen Shah

IBM

KRISTEN.SHAH@ibm.com 

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Die Berliner Linken-Politikerin Elif Eralp geht juristisch gegen Bundesinnenminister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) vor. Eralp und ihr Berliner Landesverband haben nach Angaben ihres Rechtsbeistands Strafanzeige beziehungsweise Strafantrag gegen den Minister gestellt. Hintergrund ist eine Passage in der ZDF-Talkshow „Maybrit Illner“, in der sich die Moderatorin versprochen und Eralp in einem Satz fälschlich als Antisemitin bezeichnet hatte, bevor sie sich sofort korrigierte. Dobrindt kommentierte diese Szene mit den Worten „Na doch“.

Aus Sicht des von Eralp mandatierten Anwalts Jasper Prigge macht sich der Minister damit den Versprecher der Moderatorin zu eigen. In einem Schriftsatz, der mehreren Medien vorliegt, heißt es, Dobrindt stelle durch seine Einlassung eine Tatsachenbehauptung auf, die den Tatbestand der üblen Nachrede erfülle. Zudem liege eine Beleidigung vor, weil die Bezeichnung als Antisemitin „in erheblichem Maße ehrabträglich“ sei. Eralp habe sich nach Darstellung ihres Anwalts selbst nie in einer Weise geäußert, die als antisemitisch zu bezeichnen wäre, vielmehr trete sie öffentlich für den Schutz jüdischen Lebens ein.

Der Anwalt spricht von einer „Falschbehauptung des Innenministers“. Die Äußerung im Fernsehen sei geeignet, das öffentliche Wirken der Berliner Spitzenpolitikerin erheblich zu erschweren. In dem Schriftsatz wird darauf verwiesen, dass die Verbreitung des Eindrucks, Eralp würde selbst sagen, sie sei Antisemitin, ihre Integrität als politische Amtsträgerin infrage stellen und damit auch Auswirkungen auf politische Prozesse in Berlin haben könne. Eralp ist Spitzenkandidatin der Linken für das Rote Rathaus.

Die Auseinandersetzung hatte sich in der ZDF-Sendung an einem Schlagabtausch zwischen Dobrindt und der Linken-Bundestagsfraktionschefin Heidi Reichinnek entzündet. Während der Debatte unterlief Moderatorin Maybrit Illner der Versprecher, sie korrigierte sich jedoch unmittelbar mit dem Hinweis, Eralp sei „keine Antisemitin“. Dobrindts anschließender Kommentar bildet nun den Kern des juristischen Streits. Zu möglichen weiteren Schritten der Strafverfolgungsbehörden und einer Reaktion des Bundesinnenministers lagen zunächst keine näheren Angaben vor.