Frucor Suntory implements SAP's Business Technology Platform

SAP SE has announced Frucor Suntory, a beverage manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand, has implemented SAP's Business Technology Platform, boosting organisational productivity and driving an increase in sales revenue.

Frucor Suntory manufactures, markets and distributes iconic drinks including V Energy, Suntory BOSS Coffee, Ribena, Lucozade and Maximus and is a market leader in energy drinks in Australia and New Zealand currently producing more than 30 million cases of drinks per year.

Until recently, its 200+ field sales workforce was using a legacy on-premise system to manage its sales processes. This created a fragmented view of its sales data with information scattered across multiple tabs and locations, which meant staff couldn't access the right information at the right time to provide a seamless customer experience. Furthermore, the legacy system could not scale to meet the growing complexity of the business.

Following a successful transition to SAP S/4HANA, Frucor Suntory worked with SAP AppHaus Network partner Bourne Digital, part of Accenture, to implement a new iOS-based field sales tool called My Sales Hub (MySH) on SAP BTP. Designed and built over a two-year period, MySH brings together four sales tools into one mobile application, which has standardised the sales process, improved analytics and reporting and provided staff with real-time access to customer insights through integration with other applications.

Since going live with the platform at the end of 2022, the organisation has driven a 13 per cent increase in staff productivity measured by sales call time saved as a result of a more simplified and guided process. Furthermore, access to an intuitive recommendation engine means staff now receive sales suggestions for their customers, including for new products based on their preferences or alternatives if a product is out of stock, which has helped to grow its customers basket size and supported a 3 per cent increase in sales revenue.

"As an organisation we are always looking to simplify our digital processes and technology has improved since we first introduced some of our systems and processes," says Barbara Ciancio, Head of Digital IT Solutions, Frucor Suntory.

"We knew that we needed to create a superior customer experience but also streamline and update the sales process in the backend. We needed to continue to remove inefficiencies in how we operate and create a more intuitive application to support our customers," she says.

"Bourne Digitals' highly specialised skillset in SAP BTP allowed us to develop a flexible platform that has freed up our sales teams from time-consuming administration and enabled staff to have more meaningful conversations. Additionally, smart selling capabilities that can be accessed in real time have enabled staff to grow their sales by driving an increase in the number of incremental cases sold."

Damien Bueno, President and Managing Director, SAP Australia and New Zealand, says by implementing SAP BTP Frucor Suntorys staff now have access to a simpler and faster platform thats enabling them to improve the buying experience of their customers. 

"With information now available at their fingertips, staff employees can have more informed discussions with their customers, respond quicker and make recommendations based on their preferences and purchase history," Bueno says.

"The work done together with Frucor Suntory and our SAP AppHaus Network partner Bourne Digital demonstrates the power that next-generation technology has to drive significant business impacts for our customers."
 
Selim Ahmed, CEO & Founder, Bourne Digital adds, "Bourne Digital partnered with Frucor Suntory to provide the design-thinking and re-imagine the field sales journey. 

"We are delighted to partner with an innovative leader to transform how its staff engage with its customers through tailored product suggestions and promotions - while at the same time drive operational efficiencies and streamline legacy processes," he says.

Following the implementation of MySH on SAP BTP, Frucor Suntory is continuing to review ways to streamline its digital functionality including an elevated e-commerce experience and updated CRM platform. It is also extending the usage of SAP across the organisation within its new +$400M manufacturing facility located in Swanbank Queensland, which will include state-of-the-art technology and automation when it opens in mid-2024.