When people in Brazil reach for a snack, there’s a good chance it’s been made by Mondelēz. Known for iconic brands like Oreo, Lacta, and Bis, we manage a portfolio of more than 300 stock-keeping units (SKUs). We rely on a huge production and distribution network to ensure our products are always stocked on shelves.
For a long time, the sales order was a manual and labor-intensive process. Today, we have transformed that workflow into a model of intelligent automation where accuracy is the top priority.
Complex, manual order entry drives costs
In our industry, scale brings complexity. Our clients typically send orders as PDFs via email. In the past, our salespeople had to manually re-type these orders line by line into our purchase order portal, which then forwarded the data to SAP ERP. The process was complex, time-consuming, and could often go wrong.
Accuracy matters, because a single mistyped quantity could derail an entire shipment. We would then have to issue returns, refund credits, and restart the order process. There was always the risk of damaging the hard-won trust of our clients. To lead the future of snacking, we knew we needed to make sure orders were entered right on the first attempt.
Moving to intelligent, automated order processing
Solving this challenge was about more than just extracting data from PDF files. We needed to add a layer of intelligence to the order-entry workflow. By building on our partnership with OpenText, we designed a solution that combines seamless capture capabilities with intelligent orchestration.
The process starts with OpenText™ Email2EDI, which uses OCR technology to capture unstructured PDF data and turn it into structured EDI documents. Rather than simply forwarding that data to our SAP platform, we then use OpenText Trading Grid™ Intelligence to evaluate everything against our complex business rules. These include:
- Intelligent routing: The solution automatically identifies which of our four distribution centers should fulfill each part of an order.
- SKU mapping: Since every client uses unique codes, the system uses cross-reference (XREF) tables to map client SKUs to our internal Mondelēz identifiers.
- Automated validation: The solution confirms order dates and validity in real time. This allows us to flag discrepancies before they reach our ERP application.
92% fewer returns and greater client satisfaction
OpenText has truly transformed the way we process orders. Right now, we input 46% of all orders using the new automated workflow, and our aim is to reach 70% in the near future.
Our most striking success metric is that we have eliminated 92% of returns caused by typing errors. By ensuring order data is pristine before it enters SAP, we cut cycle times and help ensure our deliveries stay on track. That translates into happier clients and stronger relationships with major retailers.
Beyond the numbers, there is a human element. Automation has also freed our sales teams from low-value data entry. Instead of spending hours typing up orders manually, the salesperson simply emails the PDF to our dedicated mailbox, and the order appears in our system—it’s almost like a magic trick! The result is that our people have more time and energy to focus on engaging clients and winning new business.
Strong foundations for the future of snacking
Mondelēz is currently planning an upgrade to SAP S/4HANA, and we believe that accurate and complete sales orders will provide the optimal data foundation for the new platform. We also want our experience to serve as a blueprint that other business units within Mondelēz International can follow.
We’re convinced that accurate order entry is at the heart of any successful supply chain. Automation from OpenText is helping us lead the future of snacking by delivering the right product, the right way, every single time.
To learn more about our journey with OpenText, read our case study.
About the author:
Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Priscilla Silva is an expert in driving strategic performance improvements in the consumer goods sector. She has led several high-profile order processing automation initiatives, harnessing EDI to help optimize customer service flows and enhance key performance indicators across sales, logistics, and supply chain.
