Maxeda DIY group renews its digital core with SAP S/4HANA

Capgemini successfully delivers a strong foundation for Maxeda’s omnichannel environment based on SAP S/4HANA

Client Challenge: Maxeda DIY Group wanted to implement a new SAP S/4HANA platform to renew its core system and create the flexibility necessary to respond to rapidly changing customer and market demand

Solution: With Capgemini as its partner, Maxeda implemented the SAP S/4 HANA platform based on the principles of simplification, standardization and single view to create a foundation for its digital transformation journey

Benefits:

• Supports an omnichannel market approach
• Enables real-time analytics
• Provides a single view of product and customer data
• Connects offline and online retail operations in an agile manner
• Helps Maxeda DIY Group to act more rapidly on changing customer and market demands

Building a leading customer experience

People all over the world have long agreed that there is no place like a home. When millions of homeowners in the Benelux region seek to fulfill their domestic visions, many of them turn to Maxeda DIY Group for the tools, construction materials and expert advice they need to improve their homes. With 374 stores spread throughout the region to serve around 1.5 million visitors daily, Maxeda is the market leading ’Do-It-Yourself’ (DIY) retailer in the Benelux. However, the organization understands that it must continuously adapt to changing customer expectations.

As part of this effort, Maxeda decided to upgrade its ERP to a simplified core platform with the potential to add applications in an agile way. Maxeda wanted to ensure access to user-friendly data analysis functions to guide daily decision-making, improve efficiency, and reduce maintenance costs.

This is the first step of the transformation journey. Following the installation of SAP S/4HANA as the digital core, Capgemini will continue to partner with Maxeda as its main provider of end-to-end consulting and technology services on SAP solutions, including the agile delivery of new SAP functionalities and changes.

To realize this vision of a more digital future, Maxeda selected Capgemini as its implementation partner because of its substantial expertise with ERP platforms and extensive history of delivering similar projects successfully. SAP S/4HANA was selected as the most viable and futureproof solution.

Expanding digital capabilities to better support the customer experience

In order to effectively execute the transition to the new ERP platform without disrupting business operations at Maxeda, the partners agreed upon a completely unique three-step delivery plan. This began by transitioning the existing legacy suite onto the SAP S/4HANA platform, which provided simplified ERP tools for a variety of functions such as finance, logistics, warehouse management, and sales and distribution. Following the initial migration, Capgemini worked with Maxeda to convert its ERP Central Component (ECC). By doing so, the business’ employees could leverage SAP S/4HANA’s in-memory capabilities and design principles. Finally, Capgemini and Maxeda implemented a set of new finance processes designed to more effectively support the new platform.

Once all three steps were accomplished, the partners set up a decentralized electronic warehouse for Maxeda’s e-commerce distribution center. As a result, the SAP platform began to gather and provide real-time data from its various ERP applications to deliver greater insights that could then lead to better business decisions.

Real-time insights

The successful migration to SAP S/4HANA provided Maxeda with a single view of the customer and valuable real-time analytics of product and customer data. This enables key decision makers to visualize a wide range of insights. The new processes implemented to support the platform ensured that employees could rapidly adjust to the new technology while the lower maintenance costs associated with the core SAP platform have resulted in enhanced efficiency.

This successful digital transformation has led to a continuing, productive relationship between Capgemini and Maxeda. New retail processes are introduced using agile methodology. Maxeda has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting its customers through digital innovation and will strive to continue to be the preferred option for homeowners in the Benelux region.