METRO-NOM, METRO’s IT unit, migrates SAP Finance Systems to Google Cloud Platform

METRO-NOM, METRO's IT unit, is migrating its central finance systems to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). METRO is one of the largest B2B wholesale companies with activities in 35 countries. In the past, METRO relied on local finance systems with different applications depending on the respective country.

"As one of the first companies in Europe we are combining all state-of-the-art technologies on one platform. That way we can handle everything from traditional, rules-based accounting to cognitive tools through one platform. With the decision to migrate SAP Finance Systems to Google Cloud we are significantly accelerating the service for our customers. That is because the Google Cloud, in addition to technical advantages, also offers the possibility to optimise collaboration within the individual teams. Moreover, we can now adapt our system to customer demands in real-time," says Timo Salzsieder, CIO of METRO AG.

One example is that customer invoices are made available automatically and in digital form - a service for METRO's wholesale customers that greatly facilitates their invoice processing.

"The financial products that METRO has been offering its customers so far were specifically adapted to the respective country. With the implementation of a central SAP finance system we no longer need labour-intensive system tests and country-specific updates. This greatly simplifies the extensive coordination of international teams", explains Axel Koss, Director Financial Management and Administration at METRO-NOM, responsible for the migration of the financial systems to the Google Cloud.

"METRO's goal is to lift the food and hospitality sector to a new level through the unique opportunity of bringing digital technology to every part of the business. We've been working with them on a number of fronts to help them get there: Infrastructure, Networking, Security, Analytics, and Collaboration technologies", says Sebastien Marotte, VP Google Cloud EMEA.

Since May 2018, METRO's IT department has been operating under the name METRO-NOM with a new organisational structure. METRO-NOM is the legal umbrella for all employees of METRO SYSTEMS Romania and the IT staff of METRO AG. With this reorganisation of its IT function, METRO underscores its claim to be an international tech player in the wholesale and food retail industries.

METRO-NOM GmbH is the tech unit of METRO, a leading international wholesale and food specialist company. METRO-NOM provides customized IT services and IT solutions for all METRO countries worldwide. About 2,000 team members are located in Germany and our international locations, offering a wide range of capabilities, such as consulting on business processes, development, implementation and support of business solutions, operating data centers and networks as well as supervision of the IT equipment.

METRO is a leading international specialist in wholesale and food retail. The company operates in 35 countries and employs more than 150,000 people worldwide. In financial year 2016/17, METRO generated sales of around €37 billion. The company provides custom solutions to meet the regional and international needs of its wholesale and retail customers. With its sales brands METRO/MAKRO Cash & Carry and Real as well as delivery services and digitalisation initiatives METRO sets the standards for tomorrow: for customer focus, digital solutions and sustainable business models.