Nestlé Strengthens Digital Core With SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition Upgrade

Nestlé recently achieved a major milestone in its digital transformation journey by executing one of the largest, fastest multi-country SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition upgrades ever attempted. The transformation covered 112 countries and 50,000+ users in a single wave. According to SAP, with this move, the Switzerland-based food and beverage powerhouse underscored its aim to enable AI deployment at scale and automate and improve processes across its global operations.   

AI and automation at scale  

Nestlé, a company with one of the world’s largest manufacturing footprints, is a long-time SAP customer that started its cloud journey in 2022. However, this upgrade to SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition represents a leap in its ERP modernization journey and in its readiness for the next generation of business transformation.   

Nestlé’s successful go-live showcases SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition’s ability to support transformation at a global scale without compromising stability or performance. 

Nestle’s push to embed AI and automation at scale across its operations was one of the most compelling drivers behind this upgrade. With the establishment of a modern, unified digital core, the company aims to: 

• Deploy SAP’s Joule Copilot, directly integrated into its core systems, to help employees access insights, automate daily routines, and make faster, data-backed decisions. 

• Enable intelligent order fulfillment, matching supply with real-time retail and e-commerce demand.  

• Standardize procurement and spend visibility, giving Nestlé real-time control over global sourcing and cost efficiency.  

• Support data-driven decision-making across finance, planning, and operations, backed by a single, global ERP instance.  

 These capabilities are especially critical for Nestlé’s iconic brands such as Nescafé, KitKat, and Maggi whose innovation pipelines need to scale rapidly and respond in real time to global consumer trends. 

The first wave of this implementation involved over 50,000 Nestlé employees, with a cutover that was completed in less than 20 hours, thanks to a standardized tech landscape that minimized downtime. According to the company, two more migration waves are planned to bring the remaining regions, including Europe and the Americas, on board. 

As data flows stabilize, this upgrade is expected to help Nestlé refine and standardize more workflows, from procurement to sales fulfillment, by leveraging real-time data. 

Chris Wright, CIO for Nestle, framed the upgrade as foundational for building a “future-ready enterprise — one that works smarter and faster”.  

“Having a common ERP system as our backbone is already a tremendous advantage for Nestlé. It provides a unified platform and data foundation that allows us to execute end-to-end and have visibility across our entire company and beyond,” he added. 

What This Means for SAPinsiders

Clean-core modernization is now directly tied to AI readiness at scale. Nestlé’s go-live shows how a disciplined approach to standardization, reduced customization, and landscape governance allows even the largest enterprises to modernize without disruption, creating the foundation needed to scale AI and automation. Leaders preparing for embedded AI and automation should assess their clean-core progress and technical debt now. 

SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition can support high-complexity, multinational operations. Nestlé’s ability to complete a cutover across 112 countries and more than 50,000 users demonstrates that SAP S/4HANA Cloud is built for mission-critical workloads and global, highly regulated supply chains. CIOs and transformation teams can use this as a benchmark for planning their own multi-wave migrations. 

Embedded AI and SAP’s Joule capabilities will drive the next phase of value. As Joule Copilot and embedded AI become more integrated into core processes, organizations will require strong data foundations, coordinated change-management, and aligned business processes. Nestlé’s example illustrates how intelligent fulfillment, AI-enabled workflows, and real-time insight can accelerate productivity once S/4HANA is established.