Haleon taps SAP for AI-driven business systems overhaul
SAP has agreed a new technology partnership with Haleon centred on the adoption of SAP Business Suite.
The deal extends an existing relationship as Haleon upgrades its core business systems.
Haleon said the programme is intended to overhaul parts of its digital infrastructure and bring more artificial intelligence tools into day-to-day operations. The consumer health group wants clearer visibility across markets and simpler systems to replace fragmented workflows.
Haleon sells brands including Sensodyne, Panadol, Voltaren, Advil and Centrum. It said the changes would support operations across finance, supply chain, human resources and sales. SAP said the new setup would bring those functions together in a connected system using real-time data.
System Shift
The project also includes a transition from Haleon's current platform on SAP ERP Central Component. Haleon plans to adopt SAP's cloud ERP applications with embedded AI and use SAP Business Data Cloud to combine SAP and third-party data in a single governed system.
According to the companies, that structure is designed to give Haleon a more standardised approach to critical processes across its global operations. It is also intended to support more integrated and automated end-to-end processes across the business.
Haleon said the changes are aimed at helping it operate with greater speed, consistency and resilience. It added that stronger visibility across markets and more intuitive systems should improve supply chain responsiveness and help it respond to shifts in consumer demand.
For Haleon, the programme is part of a wider effort to reshape the business after its separation from GSK. It described the SAP deal as a step towards becoming what it called a world-class consumer company, with a stronger digital base for serving consumers and healthcare professionals who recommend its products.
Claire Dickson, Haleon's chief digital and technology officer, outlined the company's view of the project in a statement.
"Delivering a better consumer experience starts with strong foundations, and leading digital technology and infrastructure are at the heart of this," Dickson said.
"Our latest partnership with SAP is another important step in our journey to becoming a world-class consumer company. It will revolutionize how we operate, with AI-enabled systems driving faster, simpler, more integrated ways of working. This will allow our people to focus on what matters most - serving consumers and unlocking growth," she added.
AI Focus
SAP framed the arrangement around the need for connected business processes and clean underlying data before AI tools can be deployed widely. It said Haleon's new technology base would embed AI within business functions and routine work, helping staff make decisions more quickly and shift time towards higher-value tasks.
SAP also said Haleon is exploring agentic AI, under which software agents identify issues earlier and recommend actions across key processes. That reflects a broader trend among large software suppliers and multinational customers seeking to move beyond stand-alone generative AI tools and integrate automation into finance, logistics and workforce systems.
Peter Maier, SAP's senior vice president for strategic customer engagements, linked the work to the company's wider AI strategy.
"AI outcomes depend on connected processes and trusted data," Maier said. "With SAP Business Suite, Haleon is building an AI-ready foundation that embeds intelligence across the enterprise, helping simplify operations, improve resilience and scale innovation."
The agreement gives SAP another large consumer-facing customer for its latest suite of cloud business applications as established corporate users move away from older enterprise software estates. For Haleon, the project marks a multi-function technology reset aimed at tightening operational control across a global portfolio used by more than one billion consumers and recommended by health professionals worldwide.