Saco is set to consolidate its position as one of Saudi Arabia’s largest and most pioneering retail and wholesale businesses after agreeing to bolster key processes and decision-making with cutting-edge software solutions from SAP.

The project will initially see Saco implement a complete suite of enterprise resource planning, customer relationship planning and business analytics solutions to dramatically enhance its ability to make swift, impactful decisions in real-time while markedly slashing inefficiency across the company.

This will include greater alignment with its main supplier, US-based ACE Hardware, which already runs on SAP, a statement from the company said.

“Saco’s success over the years is entirely down to an unerring focus on what our customers want,” said Samir Al-Hamidi, chief executive officer, SACO. “As we expand our operations and seek to become ever more innovative, it is crucial that we embrace the latest IT technology and never, at any point, compromise on the customer experience.”

“In this vital respect, SAP is the right company at the right time - an exceptional value-added proposition that will yield the full transparency and systemic integration needed to shepherd our company to the next level," he said.

With 20 stores, the 1,500-strong Saco is the largest total-solution home improvement superstore in Saudi Arabia, with retail outlets in twelve cities throughout the kingdom, more than 45,000 different products and 13 dedicated specialised departments.

SAP’s input will not only help the household name run better, but also lay the virtual foundations for an ambitious expansion drive across the GCC and the wider region.

“Saco is a true Saudi Arabian business success story and an exemplary game-changer in the Middle East’s retail and whole-sale landscape,” said Sam Alkharrat, managing director, SAP Mena.

“SAP is honoured to help play a role in the company’s laudably progressive forward momentum and provide its leadership with the tools and confidence to act decisively when it matters most,” he said.

“SAP is teaming up with Saco at a time of notable success in Saudi Arabia, with a recent study by IDC, the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications markets, naming it as country’s Enterprise Application Software (EAS) vendor front-runner with a 43.5 per cent market share,” he added.

SAP’s profile in Saudi Arabia is set to become even more prominent due to SAP chief financial officer Dr Werner Brandt’s four-year plan worth $450 million to up-skill local talent and drive sustainable innovation and growth in the Mena region.

The plan includes recruiting more than 500 additional employees, opening several new offices and expanding the company’s partner ecosystem and the SAP University Alliances programme.

Additionally, significant increases will be made in the availability of comprehensive, innovative and localized service offerings.

SAP Mena will also establish a dedicated training and development institute that aims to certify 2,000 new consultants within the next four years.

This will triple the company’s existing consulting capabilities in the region and further support the localization of SAP solutions to meet fast-growing regional industry needs. – TradeArabia News Service