Transitioning to SAP Ariba with apsolut: Eckes-Granini harmonises its procurement throughout Europe

Europe knows the taste of Eckes-Granini: granini, hohes C, Pago, God Morgon, Rynkeby, Síó, Brämhults, YO – evocative names that are more synonymous with juice, fruit juice beverages, fruit syrups and smoothies than almost any other brand. But any company operating in multiple markets will also have to manage multiple challenges. Eckes-Granini has been successful throughout Europe for many years, but its procurement processes have always been handled at a national level. “Every country had its own procurement processes – they weren’t standardised, and there were no commodity structures in place,” recalls Jens Scholl, Procurement Manager Indirect at Eckes-Granini.

What they needed was for all of their subsidiaries to operate in sync. That’s why, with a programme called ‘Buysmart’, Eckes-Granini began to revamp its indirect procurement to make it more transparent, digital and standardised. The goal was to create a new operating model that drew a clear distinction between operational (purchase-to-pay) and strategic (source-to-contract) processes. The only question was: which system would allow the company to make this type of model a reality? Over the course of several months, Eckes-Granini carried out comprehensive tests, assessments and comparisons.

It was an intense evaluation process that spanned multiple phases – the relevant departments, national subsidiaries and IT were all involved. The company thoroughly evaluated a range of different platforms before the final decision was taken. SAP Ariba won out in the end – and the company selected apsolut as its partner for the implementation process, as the apsolut team has in-depth SAP Ariba expertise, extensive experience with implementation and a collaborative, practical approach. The apsolut team even impressed Eckes-Granini during the selection process with a branded Ariba demo system, practical workshops and transparent answers to the company’s questions. “I think those might have been the factors that ultimately moved the needle in favour of Ariba and apsolut,” says Mr Scholl.

Then they got down to work, and apsolut proved a true partner: supporting the transformation process with a clear focus on structured change management; building bridges between the departments, IT and procurement; moderating dialogue; and driving a cultural change that the team solidly incorporated into the fabric of the company with the help of change champions and regular feedback sessions. Communication became a matter of leadership: all-hands meetings, newsletters, webinars and floor walks helped make the change tangible for everyone. apsolut relied on proven methods – participatory workshops, on-the-job training sessions and continuous feedback loops – and took the lead on designing communication that kept employees informed and motivated in a targeted way. “We were very aware that change management would be an important issue. Procurement had only been marginally involved up to this point, and we wanted to change that,” Mr Scholl explains.

Naturally, not everything went to plan. They had to manage expectations, adjust priorities and reassign responsibilities. “First, we had to get attuned to one another and clearly define our shared goals; apsolut also partially reorganised its team to meet our needs in a more targeted way and ramp up progress on the project,” Mr Scholl says. His colleague Kristin Landfried adds: “This phase of the project was a steep learning curve for us. Together, we learned a lot about our approach to work, our priorities and how we communicate – and that helped us build a very close, trusting partnership.”

It took one year before the new procurement process became a reality: ten countries, and one system – SAP Ariba. Approximately 60 per cent of indirect purchasing volume is already processed digitally today, and the goal is to achieve 80 to 90 per cent spend coverage. The system now handles more than 1,000 orders per month. In addition to the measurable increases in efficiency, the company has also seen qualitative successes: shorter approval times, greater transparency in supplier evaluations and much higher user satisfaction in procurement – according to surveys, the last of these factors has continuously improved since the start of the project. Buying and Sourcing are now digital, while Contracts and Supplier Lifecycle & Performance will follow in spring 2026. For Eckes-Granini, Ariba is synonymous with transparency, compliance and efficiency. “At the touch of a button, I can see what sort of spend we have in which countries and categories,” Mr Scholl says.