Dafgårds migrates to SAP S/4HANA
Dafgårds, one of Sweden's largest food processing companies with over 1,200 employees, selected Pearl Group to lead their migration from SAP ECC to S/4HANA.
After 20 years with SAP ECC, the family business needed to eliminate production shutdowns of 48 hours or more during system upgrades - unsustainable for a factory operating 24/7. Pearl Group's proven expertise with major Nordic customers and flexible corporate culture convinced Dafgårds they had found the right partner for this critical transformation to cloud-based operations with enhanced functionality.
Challenge
Dafgårds had been a SAP user since 2000, relying on SAP ECC's on-premise solution for their operations. However, the system's upgrade requirements created significant operational challenges for the food processing company.
Every system upgrade forced the factory to shut down production for 48 hours or longer - a critical issue for a facility that operates virtually 24/7. As one of Sweden's largest food producers, manufacturing everything from pastries to meatballs and ready meals for global export, these extended downtime periods were no longer sustainable for business continuity.
The company recognized the need to migrate their ERP system to the cloud to achieve shorter maintenance windows and enable faster, more agile operations.
Solution
Dafgårds determined that AWS provided the optimal cloud platform for their requirements, enabling faster work processes and more efficient iteration. The simultaneous transformation to S/4HANA would deliver a more user-friendly business management system with enhanced work processes and expanded functionality.
After an extensive evaluation process involving multiple suppliers and detailed proposals, Pearl Group emerged as the clear choice for the migration partnership.
Customer's benefits
The cloud migration will deliver more flexible and stable operations, eliminating concerns about lengthy production shutdowns during system upgrades. This addresses the company's most critical operational challenge while positioning them for future growth.
S/4HANA provides a more intuitive work environment with access to advanced features including AI functions, real-time analysis, and visualization tools. These capabilities open opportunities for innovation and business development that weren't possible with the legacy system.
The partner selection process was thorough, with several suppliers submitting comprehensive proposals. However, Dafgårds ultimately had no doubt that Pearl Group was the right choice.
"Pearl had a lot of experience from several large customers, such as NorEngros, Vinmonopolet, and Outnorth, so we felt very confident in their expertise," explains Carl Dafgård, co-owner and tech and marketing manager.
Beyond technical expertise, Pearl's corporate culture and customer approach proved decisive. "We really liked their concept and culture, in that they focus on the end result and do not lock themselves too much into one way of doing things. They were flexible and listened to us, and together we iterated to something we are both very happy with," he notes.
The partnership extends beyond the migration project itself. "We are still in the initial phase of the migration, but Pearl has so far given such a good impression that we have high expectations for further cooperation, and we certainly envisage continuing with PearlCare when the migration is completed," Dafgård concludes.
We are still in the initial phase of the migration, but Pearl has so far given such a good impression that we have high expectations for further cooperation, and we certainly envisage continuing with PearlCare when the migration is completed.
- Carl Dafgård, Co-owner and Tech & Marketing Manager in Dafgårds
