Retailer Co-op announced at SAP Sapphire Barcelona that it has made the plunge into SAP’s cloud solutions. Notably using SAP Predictive Replenishment and SAP Order and Delivery Scheduling, this strategic leap aims to supercharge customer satisfaction at Co-op’s distribution centers.
Previously running on SAP ECC, Co-op faces a ticking clock with the 2027 deadline looming. Ian Cox, director of technology for SAP & Colleague products and platforms at Co-op, confided to ERP Today: “We were very worried about the approaching maintenance deadline. That is the thing that is driving us to SAP S/4HANA.”
Cox also shared a peek behind the curtain about Co-op’s journey with RISE with SAP. To all the SAP users still on SAP ECC, sweating the migration deadlines, he offered some advice: “So we have only been live on RISE with SAP for a few months and the whole migration journey was pretty slick right? I don’t want to say it was straightforward because there was quite a lot involved, but it really was a lift and shift.”
“However, since being on RISE with SAP, the things that we have bumped into are related to operations. There was a period when we needed tweaking to be done, so we went back to SAP. I would really advise people to invest quite a lot of time in working out, once you’re live, what the operating model will look like. Because that’s what’s going to drive success as you move forward.”
Co-op’s enduring partnership with SAP has sparked several co-innovation projects, like rolling out SAP Replenishment Planning in stores. This solution, powered by machine learning for demand forecasting, has already boosted sales and slashed waste, in line with Co-op’s green goals. Shoppers can expect fresher products and a wider variety, all while Co-op keeps shrinking its environmental footprint.
In the realm of AI and security, Co-op has tackled a 44 percent spike in retail crime by deploying advanced AI-driven security measures. The retailer has introduced 200 secure till kiosks, locked cabinets for high-value items, and AI to monitor self-checkouts. Last year, undercover security detained 3,361 individuals for offenses like burglary and harassment, underscoring COOP’s dedication to a safe shopping environment with use of AI innovations.
And the journey doesn’t end there. Co-op plans to extend these innovative solutions to more product categories and synchronize store and distribution center replenishment. By leveraging aggregated store order forecasts, Co-op aims to roll out a supply chain planning system, further sweetening the collab.
Co-op is seeing success with its decision to move to SAP cloud solutions, but with some environments still on SAP ECC, the retailer is moving towards innovation – but at its own pace.
