Founded in Amsterdam in 1864, Heineken is one of the largest brewers on the planet, operating across 190 countries where its Heineken beers and ciders are sold. It is a household brand for many with an excellent reputation. But this is not enough in the current market climate—the company has recognized the need to ensure resilience and adaptability in its operations going forward. This was what led to the formation of its EverGreen strategy—a five-point business-wide plan to drive superior growth, fund that growth, raise the bar on sustainability and responsibility, become the best-connected brewer and unlock the full potential of its people.
To underpin this strategy, Heineken turned to its Digital & Technology (D&T) organization to help enable corporate-wide resilience and agility. The team was challenged to integrate thousands of business-critical applications across payments, logistics, inventory management, and more, while also connecting dozens of separate operating companies (OpCos), some of which still relied on local or legacy business systems. Finally, it needed to connect across 350 global and local brands in more than 190 countries—a formidable task.