Platform instead of project thinking:
How SÜDZUCKER is rethinking central processes in the SAP environment with low-code
The Hamburg IT Strategy Days have been one of the most important meeting places for CIOs, IT managers and digital decision-makers in German-speaking countries for years. The focus is on strategies, platform approaches and real practical experience – precisely where digitalization is considered beyond individual projects.
Simplifier will once again be represented as a content partner in 2026 – and is particularly looking forward to a CIO case study with one of the best-known companies in the European food industry: SÜDZUCKER. On Wednesday, February 18, Damir Juricic (CIO & Corporate Director Digital & IT at SÜDZUCKER) and Lisa Scharding (Team Lead Plant Operations IT Solutions) will be live on stage 2 in the Spiegelsaal of Hamburg’s Grand Elysée from 12:30 pm. Their case study topic: With system to platform power – How SÜDZUCKER uses low-code to make central departmental processes sustainably future-proof.
Digital transformation as a strategic core – not as a side project
With a turnover of around 9.5 billion euros, over 90 production sites worldwide and the processing of more than 30 million tons of plant-based raw materials per year, SÜDZUCKER faces a typical challenge for global industrial companies: How can complex business processes be digitalized efficiently – without further fragmenting the system landscape or overloading the SAP core?
The answer did not come from a single project, but from a clear strategic vision of Corporate Digital & IT: “Your Partner to ACCELERATE Our Business ” – with a stable digital core of cloud infrastructure, platforms, integration structures and networked applications. Simplifier was deliberately positioned as a strategic platform within this digital core.
Why low-code? A systematic decision
The introduction of low-code for process digitization in the SAP context was not a quick fix at SÜDZUCKER, but the result of a systematic evaluation.
The central requirements for a low-code platform included, for example, short implementation times for new departmental requirements or hardware and platform-independent use. As an exciting side effect, the platform strategy also resulted in a structured decision-making model, which SÜDZUCKER uses today to systematically evaluate new SAP-related mobile requirements.
From manual processes to platform-supported efficiency
In the presentation, the speakers will of course also show specific practical examples from various specialist areas: Media disruptions, manual effort or a lack of transparency, for example, have given way to location-independent real-time data collection through harmonized app-supported processes, which has resulted in measurable increases in efficiency and cost reductions.
Platform power instead of tool proliferation
A key success factor at SÜDZUCKER was not only the technology, but also the consistent platform strategy. This includes, for example, a modular architecture with SAP and Entra integration, a clear data synchronization concept, agile project structures with business and IT roles and strong governance as a foundation for scalability. The result: at SÜDZUCKER, low-code is not used as an isolated development tool, but as an integral part of a long-term digital architecture.
Why the CIO case study is worthwhile
The presentation is aimed at IT managers who want to keep their SAP landscape stable and at the same time increase the speed of the specialist departments. It shows how platform strategy, governance and added business value can be combined – without compromising on integration, security or future viability.
Who wants to be there live or digitally:
You can see the CIO case study by SÜDZUCKER at the Hamburg IT Strategy Days 2026 on February 18 from 12:30 pm
