SAP has begun working with Pirelli on a supply-chain collaboration project designed to modernise Vendor Managed Inventory processes and deepen ties with key suppliers across the company’s industrial network.
The initiative was created to make Pirelli’s supply chain more connected, transparent and responsive by giving both the tyre maker and its suppliers access to a shared digital environment for essential operational data, including stock positions, purchase orders and shi...
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pments. Rather than relying on fragmented exchanges and manual steps, the new model is intended to support a more structured flow of information and a closer, more continuous form of cooperation with partners.
At the centre of the project is SAP Business Network for Supply Chain, which extends collaboration beyond Pirelli’s own systems and into the wider supply base. For suppliers, the platform is meant to improve visibility over the data needed for planning and inventory management. For Pirelli, it offers tighter coordination of purchasing activity and a clearer view of the process from end to end.
The rollout took five months and was led by teams from Pirelli, SAP and Accenture. The first suppliers were brought live at the end of July, marking what both companies describe as the opening phase of a broader transformation programme rather than a one-off technology deployment.
According to the companies, the expected gains include wider visibility across the supply chain, better inventory control thanks to more timely information, more standardised working practices and faster responses to changes in demand or supply. The project is also meant to reduce the manual work that often accompanies traditional VMI arrangements, where information can be dispersed across emails, spreadsheets and separate systems.
Luca Galantina, head of Value Chain at Pirelli, said the use of a shared digital platform with suppliers should cut inefficiencies caused by incomplete or scattered information and help the company react more quickly to changes in the operating environment. He said the collaboration with SAP and Accenture was building a model that increases visibility and lays the groundwork for further evolution in supply-chain cooperation.
Luca Urban, Pirelli’s head of IT Corporate, said the project represents more than a technical upgrade, arguing that structured information-sharing with strategic partners enables a new kind of digital collaboration that moves beyond a purely transactional approach and creates more value across the wider chain.
Giacomo Coppi, head of Supply Chain Management at SAP Italia, said the Pirelli project shows how SAP Business Network for Supply Chain can turn isolated transactions into a connected ecosystem. He said the ability to share data in real time with strategic partners offers a tangible competitive advantage for Italian manufacturers.
SAP says the platform is designed to integrate with systems already in use at Pirelli, preserving existing technology investments while creating a consistent information base. That approach is intended to allow the company to advance gradually towards a more digital, data-driven supply chain without disrupting current processes.
For Pirelli, the project is an initial step in a wider effort to reshape collaboration with suppliers. For SAP, it is also a case study in how industrial companies can use shared digital tools to replace siloed, transactional workflows with a more resilient and responsive model of supply-chain management.
Source: Noah Wire Services
