Premier Foods’ SAP-Enabled New Data Platform Transformation
Solution
Streamlined data integration using Matillion’s SAP ODP connector to unify data from SAP, legacy, and SaaS systems into analytics-ready data lakes. Implemented Pyramid Analytics to operate alongside two independent warehouses, optimizing access to both transactional and large-scale analytical data.
Results
Achieved significant efficiency gains and cost savings, including saving approximately 100 days per month on market share reporting and over 500 hours of manual work per month across various departments. Optimized ESG reporting to process 25 million records overnight and has delivered 15 innovative solutions organization-wide, reducing manual errors and empowering staff to focus on data-driven insights.
The Challenge
Premier Foods needed a new data platform that would allow them to extract and unlock vital data from SAP. This modernisation was key for them to be able to establish data-driven practices across the organisation. Darren Sloan, IT Director at Premier Foods set out to achieve 3 goals. There was also an internal drive to enrich the ESG agenda; reduce plastic waste in products and energy consumption in factories that could only be enabled from rich data analytics.
The Solution
A source of complexity was unlocking SAP data and connecting it with data from other legacy and SaaS solutions across the business. Matillion provided the solution, with the SAP ODP connector designed to simplify the process of combining data from Premier Food’s systems to its two data lakes. We were able to connect different systems, capture large volumes of complex data, and transform it to become analytics-ready.
Pyramid Analytics was selected to meet Premier Food’s needs; to run alongside two independent data warehouses—one based on SAP BW where the company’s internal transactional data has always lived, and the other on Amazon Redshift.
The Results
Matillion technologies enabled simplicity; the drag-and-drop, code friendly interface made it easy for Premier Foods to democratise data access without the need for extensive expertise. This approach has given Premier Foods a real opportunity to scale its data capabilities.
Premier Foods’ IT department take a ‘pilot, prove, scale’ approach to adopting new solutions and in this instance the Matillion pilot targeted the company’s market share reports—something that previously took weeks to produce. Through the new approach, Premier Foods immediately saved around 100 (person) days a month and through this new solution they can work better, faster and more consistently as the risk of manual error is now mitigated. Being able to do things more accurately has fed into their culture, empowering people who were previously smothered by spreadsheets to spend less time organising data and more time putting it to use.
Following this initial POC, Premier Foods has used Matillion to leverage MAID (It’s Modern Analytics and Impactful Data Programme). This programme focuses on uncovering insight and driving new efficiencies with regular discover sessions to explore new use cases.
ESG reporting has been significantly optimised—previously taking considerable manual effort and could only be carried out at 6 monthly intervals, is now able to process 25 million records in a single night.
Premier Foods has delivered 15 different solutions across the organisation from customer service, manufacturing and sales reporting to procurement, product development, and beyond. Estimating that Premier Foods has already saved over 500 hours of manual work per month, and hundreds of thousands of pounds in cost savings through decommissioning data activities that are no longer required.
Premier Foods stands as one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers, boasting a rich heritage and a portfolio of iconic brands enjoyed in millions of British households. With thousands of employees and operations spanning multiple sites across the UK, Premier Foods supplies its products to all major retail supermarkets, ensuring national distribution and widespread presence on store shelves. Their extensive reach positions Premier Foods as a trusted partner for retailers, delivering quality food products to households throughout the country.
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