Project
SAP S/4HANA Implementation on Google Cloud
Client
Services
SAP S/4HANA
SAP BTP (Integration)
Industry
Retail
Consumer Goods
Services for Pharmacy Networks
Background
Founded in 2005, Farmacias Trébol is an innovative model in the Spanish market: a central services organization that supports associated pharmacies in non-pharmaceutical purchasing, marketing, operations, and financial management. As the network expanded and coordination needs between the central organization and pharmacies increased, Trébol required an integrated management solution capable of supporting growth, ensuring regulatory control, and providing a consistent view of performance across the entire network.
ASPA joined the project at a critical moment, after a failed previous implementation, when it was necessary to restart the initiative with a completely redefined approach to process design and execution.
Overview
ASPA proposed a full re-implementation based on SAP S/4HANA, starting with a comprehensive process redesign and a technology foundation optimized for the real needs of the business. The program was structured in two phases: an initial phase focused on finance and controlling (FI, AM, CO), followed by a second phase covering operations (MM, SD, WM for the central warehouse, and CO-PA), progressively integrating the pharmacies.
The project was delivered by a highly senior ASPA team, which carried out deep process reengineering and closely supported key users to enable rapid and confident adoption of the new operating model. Within a few months, Trébol moved from a blocked situation to a stable execution plan, with milestones met and staggered go-lives that consolidated the recovery of the program.
Goals
The objective was to perform a thorough process reengineering and implement a state-of-the-art SAP S/4HANA system, providing Farmacias Trébol with an enterprise management platform capable of consistently supporting both the central organization and its associated pharmacies.
The solution needed to integrate finance, controlling, centralized purchasing, inventory management, central warehouse logistics, sales and pricing, billing to associated pharmacies, and regulatory reporting, while also enabling reliable analytics to measure profitability by pharmacy, product, and segment.
In parallel, the initiative aimed to simplify the legacy systems landscape, relying on a new platform capable of supporting network growth without increasing operational complexity.
Challenge
The main challenge was to restart an implementation program that followed a failed previous phase and was operating in a demanding internal context. It was essential to rebuild the project on a clear foundation, redesign processes with an integrated view of the central organization and the pharmacies, and accelerate user adoption through strong functional guidance. All of this had to be achieved without slowing down business growth or disrupting day-to-day operations.
Strategic Transformation
SAP S/4HANA became the single platform to coordinate the central organization and the pharmacy network, enabling standardized processes and a far more industrialized operating model.
Trébol transitioned from a landscape based on partial solutions and custom developments to an integrated cloud architecture with centralized data governance and full traceability across the purchase–warehouse–pharmacy–sales cycle. This not only addressed immediate control and efficiency needs but also established a solid foundation for scaling the network in an orderly and efficient manner.
Results
In less than one year, Farmacias Trébol successfully went live first with the financial scope and subsequently with logistics and profitability modules, in line with the planned roadmap.
Today, the company operates an ERP that supports both the central organization and its pharmacies, enables centralized purchasing and distribution through a corporate warehouse, automates billing to associated pharmacies, and provides detailed profitability and sales analysis by pharmacy, region, product, and supplier. The implementation also replaced several legacy solutions, significantly reducing technological complexity and improving operational reliability.
Long-term Value
The new cloud-based S/4HANA environment provides Farmacias Trébol with a stable, scalable platform ready to evolve alongside the business and adapt to regulatory changes in the sector. Process standardization, real-time visibility, and the ability to progressively integrate new pharmacies allow Trébol to grow with control, improve network profitability, and strengthen its value proposition for associated pharmacists.