Norway's Orkla selects Accenture to implement SAP S/4HANA system

Orkla, a pan-European provider of brands and concept solutions to the grocery, large-scale household and bakery market, has selected Accenture to support the company with the build and roll-out of a new ERP system. Leveraging SAP S/4HANA, the Norway-headquartered company aims to improve how it capitalises on big data, both for customer experience and international operations. 

With revenues of NOK 39.6 billion and around 18,000 employees, Orkla is one of the larger suppliers of brands and concept solutions to the FMCG and food sectors in the Nordics, Baltics, Central Europe and India.

Commenting on the transition to SAP S/4HANA – SAP’s latest application that helps customers with creating insights from big data combined with analytics – Jens Bjørn Staff, Orkla’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), said, “We’re investing in a solution that will serve as the basis for a complete digital transformation, increasing collaboration between Orkla companies and propelling growth.” 

The new SAP S/4HANA platform will according to the Oslo exchange-listed and headquartered company improve the flexibility and agility of business processes, as well as supporting the company in deriving better insights from data for faster and smarter decision-making. “This will help Orkla meet the needs of its diverse, global consumer base, including enhanced customer support and getting new products to market faster,” explained Jens Bjørn Staff. 

Tonje Sandberg, country managing director for Accenture in Norway, said that by implementing SAP S/4HANA, Orkla is set to seize a competitive advantage in a competitive and rapidly changing marketplace. “The consumer goods industry is undergoing unprecedented disruption and change, and so companies, including Orkla, must constantly adapt and evolve. Innovative technologies are a key to seizing opportunities.”

The deal between Norway’s Orkla and Accenture comes one month after another major Norwegian stock-listed player, Statoil, selected one of Accenture main rivals, Capgemini, to support it with its own digital transformation roadmap. Asked about why Orkla picked Accenture, Jens Bjørn Staff pointed at the  long-standing successful relationship the two companies have. “They also have significant experience both in the consumer goods industry and with SAP S/4HANA,” he added.

Meanwhile in Norway’s consulting market, RSM recently acquired FSS Revisjon in a move that added 20 professionals to its on the ground team, while Axxsys Consulting, a financial services consultancy based in London, recently picked the city to house its first office in the Nordics.