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Integration and Harmonization of Danone’s Business Processes

By striving to become One Danone, the project aimed to achieve synergies, minimize manual work and enhance access to information through streamlined processes and systems.

Implementation

About the Project

This case study delves into the successful implementation of the 2021 BENL IS LF THEMIS BE project at Danone, a prominent global food company. The project’s primary focus was to integrate and harmonize different business functions in order to establish a cohesive and efficient organization. By striving to become One Danone, the project aimed to achieve synergies, minimize manual work and enhance access to information through streamlined processes and systems.

Through aligning codes, systems and master data, the project aimed to present a unified identity while supporting business growth and continuity. This case study sheds light on the objectives, accomplishments, business benefits and transformational journey that unfolded over an 11-month period. With careful planning and collaborative efforts, Danone successfully fulfilled its mission of creating a more agile, responsive and united organization.

Business Objectives and Challenges

The primary objective of this undertaking was to fully integrate and harmonize business processes within Danone – a leading global food company. The specific goals were as follows:

Achieving Synergies and Establishing One Danone Organization.

Bring together different business functions such as HR, D2D, Finance, Sales, IBS, Marketing and GS in order to work as a cohesive unit.

Reduce manual work by implementing streamlined processes and systems. This would not only enhance operational efficiency but also minimize the need for manual efforts.

Another objective was to make it easier for employees to access information. By simplifying reporting and improving data access, the project aimed to reduce complexity and empower better decision making.

Creating a sense of unity and shared corporate identity across Danone was also a key focus. This would help strengthen talent development, career progression opportunities and employee mobility.

The project also sought to align codes, systems and master data throughout the organization. This alignment aimed at ensuring consistency and accuracy across all departments.

Achievements

By harmonizing processes and adopting a single system for all businesses involved, the project aimed to enable employees to dedicate more time towards value-adding work such as core tasks and content creation. Lastly, by presenting a unified presence to customers and leveraging the market power of a single legal entity with a comprehensive product portfolio, the project aimed at supporting business growth and ensuring continuity. The project consisted of four phases that played a crucial role in successfully integrating and harmonizing the different components:

Discovery Phase

During this phase, the team worked on defining process maps, creating future application maps and establishing the organizational structure. They also evaluated the potential impact of these changes.

Exploration Phase

In this stage, the identified future processes were validated and approved. The application maps were confirmed and a thorough assessment was conducted to understand how these changes would affect various aspects. The team also created a backlog for post project improvements and collected data for building and testing purposes.

Implementation Phase

This phase involved carrying out the actual implementation by setting up target systems, migrating data, providing user training and executing change impacts. Additionally, comprehensive solution testing including IT unitary and integration testing as well as User Acceptance Testing (UAT) were performed.

Deployment Phase

The final phase encompassed activities such as cutover, data conversion from old systems to new ones, hypercare support during the initial stages of operation and finally handing over all responsibilities to the operational teams.

Effects and Benefits

The project delivered significant business benefits which included:

Legal Integration of Different Entities

The merger of various entities. EDP, SN, Waters and Alpro, resulted in a cohesive legal structure that streamlined operations within the company.

Cost Reduction

By aligning processes and standardizing systems, we were able to optimize costs through enhanced operational efficiency.

Best Practice Implementation

Best practices from various sources were incorporated to ensure consistent and top-notch operations across the entire organization.

Applications

The project took a total of 11 months, from start to finish, to complete the entire project successfully.

To sum up, the integration and harmonization initiative at Danone aimed to bring together different entities, streamline processes and create a cohesive organizational identity. Through careful planning and execution, the goals were achieved effectively, resulting in significant business advantages and a more streamlined and united Danone organization