Case Study

How Bridgestone implemented a successful digital transformation

Learn how our client overcame complex challenges to achieve digital transformation through strategic collaboration and client focus.

Client
Alliance
1

The better the question

Can client-centricity fast-track digital transformation?

Discover how collaboration and client-centricity drove modernization, navigating complexity for digital success.

Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in premium tires and sustainable mobility solutions, decided to migrate its legacy SAP ECC back-end system to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition. This move was designed to help enhance its existing leading practices and support an increased pace of innovation across the company.

The move to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition was aligned with Bridgestone’s strategic objectives and helped the company capture market opportunities through a more agile enterprise. It also unlocked new value from streamlined and modernized operations and processes.

Additionally, the project better positioned Bridgestone to navigate external challenges, such as the economy’s digital shift, intricate global supply chain mechanisms and ambitious sustainability requirements.

To keep the project on schedule for its planned go-live, Bridgestone needed a reliable and experienced partner. When Bridgestone engaged EY, they knew they had someone who could help them evolve nearly every aspect of their business and help deliver a successful SAP strategy.

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2

The better the answer

EY and Bridgestone: Collaboration for digital transformation success

Learn how EY experience and a client-centric approach propelled Bridgestone's digital modernization across 27 countries.

How EY can help

EY emerged as the right strategic partner for Bridgestone because they could serve as both a trusted advisor and a delivery partner. The strong partnership and relationship between EY and SAP played a large role, helping to ultimately provide a successful go-live that will support Bridgestone EMEA's transformation to become a leader in mobility solutions. The finished project established the digital operational backbone necessary for Bridgestone to become more customer-oriented, agile, efficient, data-driven, sustainable and future-proof.

 

The EY organization’s success in driving the transformation was rooted in their relentless focus on Bridgestone's needs and close collaboration with key stakeholders. EY teams brought together professionals from across service lines, including change management and communications. They leveraged a global footprint with local experience, transparency and continued feedback from stakeholders. EY teams also brought a leading-edge methodology that deeply understands regional cultural differences, addresses business challenges and mitigates potential risks.

 

The project followed an achievable multi-wave, prioritized and phased implementation approach that was built on innovative solutions augmented with Bridgestone-specific knowledge and know-how. This approach helped enable the team to identify which parts of the business required brand-new solutions and development as well as assess which legacy processes could be used as a leading practice in the new solution.

 

The first wave was a detailed private cloud ERP implementation that impacted 3,365 SAP users within Bridgestone EMEA. That audience was spread across 27 countries, 42 company codes, 25 warehouses, 10 plants and 10 business functions, including Finance, Research and Development, Logistics and Supply Chain, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Sales and Procurement. Advanced accounting capabilities were implemented, including harmonized financial models, cost and profit centers, parallel ledgers, multicurrency, integrated transaction-based managerial and financial posting and end-to-end profitability. The new system streamlined sales and purchasing, consolidated data and introduced more visual and flexible reporting.

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3

The better the world works

Bridgestone redefines business operations

Discover how EY and SAP's solutions revamped Bridgestone's core processes, improving agility and performance.

The system achieved compliance objectives with a redesign that improved security for sensitive data and customization to fit specific roles. All business processes were reviewed and now have a broad, end-to-end perspective that enables smarter work and efficiency. The raw material buy-and-receive experience was improved by automating natural rubber purchase and receive through port applications and the acceptance at origin process. These enhancements helped to strengthen the supply chain and cost control.

Warehouse tire distribution and management was also improved to enhance stock control and reduce supply chain errors. Tire origin and dot tracing through batch management informed customers about tire origin and age, reducing return risks and costs.

The program established a more robust management reporting framework by implementing a unified controlling area, profit center accounting and a centralized credit management system to ensure uniform treatment of customers. Additionally, the harmonization and integration of a new chart of accounts enhances analytical and reporting capabilities. Reporting capacity is now segmented into user-friendly embedded analytics and strategic analytics that bolster finance reporting. This approach offers more precise and timely data for business and finance teams.

The project will help Bridgestone EMEA to deliver a future-proof digital business platform, and the solutions are comprehensive and far-reaching. Leveraging SAP's most advanced ERP platform, SAP S/4HANA® Cloud Private Edition orchestrates operational synergy through a single, integrated framework that can be tailored to meet company-specific needs . The dynamic platform accommodates multiple countries, companies, languages and currencies while still adhering to stringent legal, audit, tax and customs standards.

A thoroughly modernized digital environment now supports core business functionalities and paves the way for next-generation operations. This platform integrates the latest technological standards for data retention and facilitates a significant shift in the workforce—from operational roles to more strategic and tactical positions. Adopting these standardized systems has set the stage for more cohesive and efficient business operations, significantly enhancing Bridgestone’s agility in responding to market fluctuations, achieving sustainability objectives and managing a complex global supply chain effectively.

Looking ahead, Bridgestone plans to build on the foundation laid by this ERP implementation to continue its digital transformation journey. The company is well-positioned to drive further efficiency, foster innovation and unlock the ability to meet its ambitious goals in the face of an ever-evolving business landscape.

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