Cole Haan completes global SAP S/4HANA transformation in 18 months
Fashion brand Cole Haan has completed a global SAP S/4HANA transformation across North America, Europe and Asia, with support from Applexus Technologies.
Cole Haan has completed a global SAP S/4HANA transformation programme across North America, Europe and Asia in 18 months, working with SAP consulting firm Applexus Technologies.
The project integrated business processes across planning, buying, supply chain, wholesale, retail, direct-to-consumer and finance through a single global cutover. It also replaced a 20-year-old SAP Apparel and Footwear Solution (AFS) environment and a separate retail merchandising system.
According to Applexus, the transformation was delivered without disruption to wholesale shipments or store operations. The programme also included the creation of a cloud-based enterprise data platform and AI foundation to support future business operations.
At the centre of the migration was Applexus' selective migration platform, CeleRITE, which was used to analyse legacy code, interfaces, data, configurations and access controls to help determine which systems and processes should be retained, modernised or retired.
Chris Couch, GM of SAP Solutions at Applexus Technologies, said: “Applexus has challenged the traditional approach to SAP transformation. Cole Haan demonstrates what is possible when deep industry expertise and AI-powered delivery come together. We were able to deliver a complex global transformation in just 18 months, creating a faster, lower-risk path to S/4HANA and a compelling business case for modernization.”
Tom Linko, CFO and Executive Vice President, Global Operations at Cole Haan, added: “Replacing a 20-year-old system across three regions in a single cutover was one of the biggest projects in Cole Haan’s history, and our teams in every region delivered it without disrupting our business or our customers. We now have one global system supporting our wholesale, retail, and digital operations, giving us a simpler, more scalable way to support our growth and a foundation to put data and AI to work across the business. Applexus has been a valuable partner in helping us achieve this transformation.”