The right collaboration can deliver transformative results in enterprise technology. For Fonterra, the right support arrived in the form of Deloitte, and together they embarked on multiple initiatives to streamline Fonterra’s ServiceNow Platform and operational efficiency, leaning on the robust capabilities of ServiceNow.
The result? A combination of high-quality delivery and architectural innovation that has set a new standard for how global enterprises like Fonterra can operate at optimal levels.
As New Zealand’s largest company and one of the world’s leading dairy exporters, Fonterra’s digital transformation goals are ambitious. The company sought to simplify its technology platform landscape, reduce operational complexity, and empower its employees to become more productive. With operations spanning Asia-Pacific, Japan, the Americas and Europe, as well as a covering a large market share of global diary exports, Fonterra needed a solution that could scale globally while delivering results locally.
Back in 2007, Fonterra adopted ServiceNow simply as a tool to manage IT tickets. However, as the business continued to grow, the platform became highly customised, creating an environment that was both complex and costly.
“Because of customisations, we reached a point where we couldn’t patch our ServiceNow Platform, leave aside upgrading the platform, resulting in high risk of Fonterra’s ServiceNow platform getting out of compliance and not in position to leverage new features and capabilities,” says Jaskaran Walia, Platform Owner and Practice Lead - Platforms at Fonterra. “We decided to standardise our technology solutions and implemented a new platform strategy to maximise our investment in ServiceNow.”
This realisation led to a greenfield re-implementation of ServiceNow, driven by a new platform strategy and commitment to applying global best practices and governance frameworks. Over the last few years, the Platform framework has delivered significant value and outcomes on ServiceNow Platform and at the heart of the maturity uplift is Fonterra’s collaboration with Deloitte.
“Our relationship with Deloitte has grown organically from them being a very capable implementation partner in a few key areas to now being a trusted strategic partner across the entire ServiceNow platform”
Understanding the complexities with enterprise architecture, Fonterra worked closely with Deloitte’s team of Certified Master Architects and Certified Technical Architects to ensure success. Adopting Platform drive and product lead approach meant Fonterra was able to focus on out-of-box (OOB) solutions, which simplified the platform and reduced technical debt – at the same time allowing the company to deliver more value across its business units.
“Our relationship with Deloitte has grown organically from them being a very capable implementation partner in a few key areas to now being a trusted strategic partner across the entire ServiceNow platform,” says Walia. “Deloitte not only delivered on time and within budget but brought in design and thought leadership while respectfully challenging our legacy processes and ways of working. It resulted in true digital transformation rather than just ‘lifting and shifting’ inefficient processes.”
In doing so, Deloitte helped Fonterra create a one-stop shop portal, Āwhina – Māori for ‘help or support’ – which spans multiple departments, including IT, HR, customer service, facilities, finance, security and cybersecurity risk. The integrated platform has helped Fonterra standardise tools and processes across the business and is being used by 21,000+ employees as well as contractors and suppliers across the globe. Deloitte’s in-house linguist expertise also proved crucial in launching Āwhina for Fonterra’s significant China-based IT and business workforce.
“Having people in the room that could understand and speak the same language was one of the key pillars in driving the automation,” says Walia.
The success of this transformation can largely be attributed to the strong collaborative efforts between Fonterra and Deloitte.
“In a high-quality environment like Fonterra, it’s the people who make the difference,” says Harald Heimensen, New Zealand ServiceNow Alliance Partner at Deloitte. “There is a strong sense of engagement, collaboration, and alignment, which is excellent. Fonterra’s architects have in-depth knowledge of the platform, which means the Deloitte team can have collaborative, open technical discussions.”
This unity extended into the weekly Technical Design Authority forums, where architects from both teams reviewed major design decisions. These discussions helped guarantee that solutions always aligned with Fonterra’s OOB-first approach, which reduced the need for customisations and meant the company could maintain a stable, high-performing platform.
“We have seen a significant decrease in tech debt and customisations required while delivering projects,” Walia says, adding that shifting from a project lens to a full-platform lens means approval times are faster. Having a stable and resilient platform also means Fonterra can focus more on its growth and innovation efforts.
From initial project-based collaborator to the full-scale strategic partner it is today, Deloitte continues to build on the trust and respectful relationship with Fonterra IT that helps Fonterra drive value, innovation and productivity gains across the ServiceNow ecosystem. As both enterprises look to the future, the lessons learned from this collaboration should serve as a blueprint for how other companies can drive their own successful transformation.
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