Driving Operational Excellence with SAP Application Management Services

Client profile

• Marston’s is a leading pub operator with an estate of c.1,370 pubs nationally, comprising managed, partnership (‘franchised’) and tenanted and leased pubs.
• Marston’s employs c.10,000 people

Introduction

Marston’s is a British pub and hotel operator. Founded by John Marston in 1834 it was known as Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries plc until changing its name to Marston’s in 2007. Marston’s disposed of its brewing operations in 2020, selling the assets to a newly formed joint venture with the Carlsberg Group to create the Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC), in which Marston’s holds a 40% share.

However, the joint venture with Carlsberg has changed the business dynamic and Marston’s now focus on being a pub retailing business. The Marston’s managed estate portfolio includes traditional locals, family pub restaurants and fashionable town centre bars.

Business Need

Marston’s initially engaged with NTT DATA Business Solutions to deliver an SAP S/4HANA conversion project for the organisation. The process started with NTT DATA bringing their food & beverage industry expertise to the specific context of Marston’s, supplemented by their outside perspective and many years’ experience of moving customers successfully to S/4HANA, to establish a plan and roadmap. Having built credibility in this ERP project phase Marston’s engaged further with NTT DATA Business Solutions with regards to managing their SAP landscape to support their business transformation.

Driven by the challenge to safeguard their SAP landscape while also bringing business innovation forward, the requirement for a strategic partnership with a trusted SAP partner was vital for Marston’s continued growth. With a diverse portfolio of brands and operations, Marston’s needed an SAP partner who could enhance overall business performance as well as deliver business value from new technologies.

Solution

NTT DATA Business Solutions worked closely with Marston’s and conducted a detailed analysis of their SAP landscape, business processes, and objectives to define the scope and objectives of the AMS implementation. This was achieved in addition to developing a comprehensive strategy that aligned with Marston’s business goals, that incorporated best practices and industry standards.

Since partnering with NTT DATA Business Solutions, Marston’s now have access to AMS Support Services that offer comprehensive application support services delivered by the UK Managed Services team specifically tailored for a range of SAP Systems. These services encompass support for various SAP platforms, including SAP S/4HANA, BW/4HANA, and SAP BTP Data Intelligence, ensuring smooth operation and optimisation of these critical systems.

Outcomes

Adam Tedstone, Head of SAP Systems and Projects said:

“The value added by NTT DATA Business Solutions’ AMS team is invaluable to Marston’s, knowing that we have a large team of knowledgeable consultants ready to jump into action whenever we have an issue, regardless of priority, is a huge benefit for the business and reduces our risk in a great manner.”

Marston’s have also transitioned SAP Analytics Cloud Planning to Business as Usual (BAU) support in AMS. By leveraging SAP Application Management Services from NTT DATA Business Solutions, Marston’s has successfully addressed its SAP management challenges, driving operational excellence, cost savings, and business growth. The strategic partnership with NTT DATA Business Solutions AMS Services has enabled Marston’s to focus on its core business, reducing their operational workload significantly and giving them the freedom to transform their business into an intelligent enterprise!