Rimini Street, Tidewater expand global ERP & tax pact

Rimini Street has expanded its work with Tidewater from a regional contract in Brazil into a global partnership covering the offshore vessel operator's core enterprise software and tax systems.

The move follows an initial project in Brazil that focused on support for Tidewater's Oracle PeopleSoft enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The success of that engagement led Tidewater to add further work with Rimini Street, including SAP support and a new tax software deployment.

Tidewater operates what it describes as the world's largest offshore service vessel fleet. The company uses major ERP platforms and specialist tax tools across its international operations.

Rimini Street supplies third-party support and managed services for enterprise applications and databases. The company also offers consulting and services linked to Agentic AI for ERP environments.

The expanded relationship now covers Tidewater's global operations. Rimini Street coordinated implementation work with Tidewater's internal team in multiple regions.

Lee Johnson is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Tidewater. He said the working relationship with Rimini Street had delivered both technical and financial gains.

"Rimini Street really impressed us with how well and often they communicated with us, keeping our system running smoothly and compliant," said Lee Johnson, executive vice president and CIO at Tidewater. "Our CFO is happy with the ongoing cost savings, my IT team is happy they no longer have system and security challenges, and I'm happy to have a constant, open line of communication with professionals who not only understand and appreciate our business needs but deliver results too."

The partnership began with Rimini Support for Oracle PeopleSoft in Brazil. Tidewater then opted to extend the scope to include SAP environments and tax software.

Rimini Street said it supplied technical expertise aimed at maintaining system stability and regulatory compliance. The company also said the engagement produced operational savings for Tidewater.

Wider service portfolio

Following the early phase of the relationship, Tidewater broadened its use of Rimini Street services. The shipping group now uses Rimini Support, Rimini Connect and Rimini Consult.

Rimini Connect for OS addresses software interoperability issues. Tidewater had faced challenges that affected the way it applied security patches to its systems. The Connect service sits between the operating system and application layers.

Rimini Consult provides professional services around enterprise software estates. Tidewater brought in that team during a major change to its core financial systems in Brazil.

The company decided to consolidate its Brazilian ERP environment into its global SAP platform. The aim was standardisation of core processes across regions. The project covered migration work and business process review.

Johnson said the scope of Rimini Street's work went beyond routine maintenance.

"Some companies know Rimini Street solely for their expert support capabilities, but they are so much more than that," explains Johnson. "The Rimini Street team brought deep understanding of both our Oracle and SAP systems to complete the complex migration along with delivering process improvements across business functions, comprehensive documentation for transparency and continuity and targeted user training in a compressed timeline."

The migration work spanned multiple business functions. The consultancy effort included documentation and user training for Tidewater staff.

Consolidation and automation

The extended partnership now covers support, security-related services and strategic consulting. Tidewater has consolidated its financial systems onto a global SAP base. The company has also automated parts of its tax reporting.

Rimini Street said the changes had unlocked operational efficiencies at scale inside Tidewater. The company said this had shifted internal resources away from maintenance tasks.

Tidewater is focusing those resources on what it defines as higher-value projects. These projects include work on innovation and growth initiatives.

Johnson said the relationship with Rimini Street forms part of his wider approach to technology investment.

"As a CIO, the most important thing I can do is create value for the business. Part of that is making sure you have the right partners and team members. Rimini Street has proven to be more than a trusted partner for our operations, and we continue to grow our footprint with them because we know it will translate to fast and lasting results for the business," said Johnson.

Coy Wright is Vice President of energy, utilities and mining industry solution at Rimini Street. He said the company is targeting clients that want cost savings alongside changes in how they run large-scale systems.

"Innovation can't wait, and neither should businesses. Rimini Street delivers measurable cost savings, stronger performance and breakthrough innovation that empower companies like Tidewater to scale faster and smarter," said Coy Wright, vice president of energy, utilities and mining industry solution at Rimini Street. "We're proud to serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to our clients, helping to resolve tough technical challenges while opening the road to what's next."

Rimini Street plans further work with Tidewater under the expanded engagement as the shipping group develops its global technology and finance platforms.