Vitasoy
Creating a new technology ecosystem for an independent Vitasoy
Executive Summary
Mulberry led the IT stream of Vitasoy Australia's urgent demerger from BEGA, transitioning from a complex SAP ECC infrastructure to a custom-fit technology stack in under three months. This rapid transformation ensured business continuity while establishing Vitasoy's commercial and technological independence.
Vitasoy Australia
Vitasoy Australia is a leading plant-based milk and yoghurt company that specialises in producing high quality dairy alternatives. As part of the global Vitasoy brand which has been in operation for over 75 years, Vitasoy Australia prides itself on being experts in blending premium Australian-grown almonds, soybeans and oats to create a range of smooth and delicious plant-based milks and yoghurts.
The challenge
Vitasoy Australia, following BEGA's acquisition of Lion Dairy and Drinks (LDD) in 2021, faced the complex task of separating from LDD's shared services. These services, critical to Vitasoy's operations, included:
1. Procure to pay
2. Plan to make
3. Order to cash
All processes were deeply integrated with a sophisticated SAP ECC systems infrastructure, managed by Accenture. The scale of the challenge was significant:
- Over 50 interconnected business applications to be replaced or migrated
- 100+ employees to be transitioned to new systems
- A tight timeline of just 3 months for complete separation
The solution
Mulberry was enlisted to help lead the IT stream of the demerger. After comprehensive assessment of the technology options and deep understanding of Vitasoy’s independent ambition, Mulberry led the process to select, plan, develop and implement a fit for purpose technology stack rightsized for an independent Vitasoy Australia.
Time was of the essence, and we completed at speed using a three-phase approach
1. Discovery
The first step was to complete a detailed discovery that allowed us to obtain a comprehensive inventory of all applications, processes and infrastructure. In depth interviews of key stakeholders across all levels of the organisation allowed us to understand the landscape, the challenges, key risks and opportunities
2. Planning
The goal was to develop a fit for purpose “day one” architecture that could allow for a successful separation and was minimally disruptive to the daily operations. Time was of the essence, so at speed we needed to
- Establish a program office and engaged project management support
- Bootstrapped basic collaboration tools and infrastructure to support the fledging business
- Created lightweight governance and decision-making forum processes that would allow us to move at speed quickly and audit our decisions
- Enlist support through careful selection of vendors and partners that were cost effective and could level up quickly
- Recruited an internal team to execute the program
3. Implementation
Upon development of the plan the next phase was to manage the implementation. Mulberry played the role of program assurance - ensuring the goals of the business sponsor were met and that the multitude of vendors and internal teams were consistently aligned throughout the program. Some of the key activities of the program were :
- Deployment of a cloud-based ERP system tailored for mid-sized manufacturers
- Creation of a parallel plant IT/OT infrastructure
- New Payroll and HCM
- Implementation of a separate CRM system for customer management
- Migration to Microsoft 365 for collaboration and productivity tools
- Establishment of a new data platform for business intelligence and reporting
Throughout the process, Mulberry's expertise in selecting appropriate technologies was crucial. We chose solutions that were:
- Scalable to accommodate future growth
- User-friendly to ensure quick adoption
- Cost-effective to align with Vitasoy's budget constraints
The Results
Vitasoy Australia successfully transitioned away from BEGA in under three months, achieving:
- 100% cutover of critical business systems without operational disruption
- 95% user adoption rate of new systems within the first month
- Improved data visibility and reporting capabilities, enabling faster decision-making
- Establishment of a flexible IT infrastructure capable of supporting future innovations
