Transforming finance for a global eyewear leader

Industry: Manufacturing – premium eyewear
Challenge: A global eyewear leader faced significant challenges with fragmented finance business processes and multiple disintegrated ERP systems, leading to latency in financial and management reporting.
Solution: KPMG Canada implemented SAP S/4HANA to unify the finance landscape and support all finance processes in a cost-effective manner.
Results: The implementation transformed the global eyewear leader’s finance function into a more agile system with real-time reporting and standardized procedures, laying a foundation for future business transformation goals.

An American subsidiary of a global eyewear brand faced persistent challenges in its finance operations. The company’s finance business processes were fragmented and riddled with bottlenecks, making them difficult to scale and adapt to evolving business needs. These issues were compounded by the use of multiple, disintegrated ERP systems which operated independently and failed to provide a unified view of financial data.

This lack of integration led to latency in both financial and management reporting, impeding timely decision-making, and limiting the agility required to respond to market demands. Redundant operational procedures and outdated technologies further hindered the finance team’s ability to deliver accurate, real-time insights to business leaders. The need for a transformative solution was clear: the company requires a modern, integrated finance platform to streamline operations and support future growth.

The opportunity was to overhaul the organization’s finance processes and enhance operational efficiency by transitioning to a unified ERP system. This transformation would not only address immediate operational challenges but also position the company as a benchmark for excellence in its sector.

A modernized finance function would enable the company to standardize processes across its global footprint, improve the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting, and support future growth initiatives such as supply chain optimization and order-to-cash transformation. The vision was to create a resilient foundation that could support ongoing innovation and business transformation.

KPMG Canada was engaged to lead the transformation, applying its Powered Enterprise methodology to ensure a smooth and effective transition. The engagement began with a thorough review and optimization of the client’s business processes, ensuring that the migration to SAP S/4HANA would deliver sustainable growth and robust governance.

The solution involved implementing SAP S/4HANA as the unified ERP platform for all finance processes in scope. This included supporting all listed requirements in a cost-effective manner and ensuring a seamless transition from legacy systems to a modern, agile, and functional SAP S/4HANA environment.

The project scope covered all critical finance processes, including Accounts payable and Accounts Receivable, Asset Accounting, General Ledger, Management Accounting and Reporting.

KPMG’s approach focused on:

• Process optimization: Reviewing and streamlining business processes to eliminate inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
• Standardization: Implementing standardized finance operating procedures and best practices across the organization.
• Real-time reporting: Enabling real-time Financial and Management Reporting, providing business leaders with timely, accurate insights for decision-making.

By eliminating redundant operational procedures and outdated technologies, this organization now benefits from a streamlined, efficient finance function that supports ongoing innovation and growth.

The project not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned the organization for future transformation. Through a seamless transition to SAP S/4HANA, the US chapter of this global eyewear leader is now equipped for continued success in a competitive industry.