This success story outlines how Incepta Solutions partnered with a leading consumer goods company to develop a robust in-house Marketing and Promotion Optimization system, marking a milestone in Enterprise System Transformation. Faced with severe limitations in their legacy platform, the client urgently required a scalable, centralized platform to manage multi-million-dollar Marketing and Promotion Optimization and Services Paid to Distributors (SPTD) expenditures across diverse business units. We stepped in as the trusted implementation partner to deliver a tailored, enterprise-grade solution under an aggressive 3-month timeline.
Our client sought to modernize their Marketing and Promotion Optimization platform by transforming disjointed Excel-driven and desktop processes into a unified, automated, web-based system. The initiative targeted seamless integration with core financial systems, hyper-automation of approval workflows, and real-time visibility into program budgets versus actual spend.
- Replace the outdated third-party system with a modern in-house web application.
- Centralize budget planning, invoice management, and reporting of all Marketing and Promotion and SPTD spending.
- Enable “bottom-up” budgeting for detailed financial control across business units.
- Provide complete financial visibility regardless of where transactions originated.
- Meet the ambitious deadline of having the application running by January and live by April.
A well-established global leader in the wine and spirits industry, our client is a Fortune 500 company that offers a distinguished portfolio of over 240 premium products. Operating in more than 160 countries, the organization is recognized for its exceptional quality and extensive global reach. Its long-standing commitment to excellence has made it a top choice for both consumers and connoisseurs.
Industry: Beverages, Retail Business, Consumer Goods.
The development and implementation of the Marketing and Promotion Optimization system, aimed at revitalizing enterprise system transformation, presented a multifaceted set of challenges, encompassing technical modernization, functional redefinition, aggressive timelines, and complex integration requirements. Successfully navigating these obstacles was paramount to the project’s success.
- The existing “Etcetera” platform lacked essential features and couldn’t handle the scale or complexity of the Client’s Units business needs
- Aggressive delivery timeline with just 3 months to design, develop, and deploy the Marketing and Promotion Optimization system.
- Required migration from Java 8 to Java 10 during development.
- Complex functional requirements for budgeting, invoice processing, and multi-dimensional program management.
- Integration with Oracle E1, Hyperion Essbase, Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI), and POS systems.
- Data governance requirements necessitated a strict separation between business units.
- Resource coordination was critical to efficiently manage specialized roles across UI/UX, functionality, and security.
The Enterprise system Transformation through Marketing and Promotion Optimization system implementation is anchored on three core functional pillars that collectively drive precision, efficiency, and strategic insight across Marketing and Promotion and SPTD spend management.
Program Management
- Bottoms-Up Budgeting enables teams to create detailed budgets for Marketing and Promotion and SPTD spend, promoting accountability at the program level.
- Flexible Program Setup allows users to build programs either through an intuitive UI or by mass uploading via IT-approved templates, especially useful during high-volume fiscal year planning.
- Dimensional Integrity ensures each program is accurately defined by Products, Recipients, Months, and Accounts, with built-in validations to maintain correct cost distribution.
- Approval Workflow guides UI-created programs through a structured draft-to-approval process with automated notifications, while mass uploads are auto-approved to support speed and efficiency.
Invoice & Expense Management
- Dual Entry Modes provide flexibility by allowing invoices to be entered either through a guided 5-step wizard or via Division Cover Sheets (DCS) designed for field personnel.
- Integrated Financial Interfaces connect seamlessly with AP/AR and E1 systems, offering full visibility into Marketing and Promotion and SPTD transactions.
- Approval Controls enable Accounts Payable to review submitted invoices, approve or reject them, and send feedback for corrections, ensuring financial discipline and traceability.
Reporting & Analytics
- Budget vs Actual Tracking helps users monitor fiscal performance across all Marketing and Promotion and SPTD programs.
- Robust Reporting Suite includes Plan vs Actual, Program-Driven, and Sort-Driven reports, with options to save frequently used criteria for quick access.
- Advanced BI Integration supports deeper analysis through nightly data sync with Oracle BI, enabling ad-hoc reporting beyond standard dashboards.
Incepta’s Core Responsibilities:
Throughout the Enterprise System Transformation: Marketing and Promotion Optimization project, Incepta was responsible for:
- Implemented Agile methodology with continuous integration and sprint-based delivery.
- UI/UX development and core functionality are handled by our team.
- Security architecture and access control are implemented to meet enterprise-grade standards.
- Managed platform modernization from Java 8 to Java 10 for long-term system stability.
- Enabled onboarding, project coordination, and team setup with tools like Jira, Confluence, GitHub, and Slack.
Technology Used:
- Java 10
- Oracle E1 ERP
- Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI)
- Hyperion Essbase
- Slack
- Jira
- GitHub
- Confluence
The successful implementation of the Marketing and Promotion Optimization system as part of our client’s enterprise system transformation led to measurable, high-impact improvements.
Reduced program budget upload time by 75% through automated mass-upload templates and API ingestion.
Slashed invoice processing cycle by 50% with hyper-automated workflows and real-time ERP acknowledgements.
Achieved zero-data leakage between the client’s Unit 1 and Unit 2 via multi-tenant RBAC and secure token-based authentication.
Delivered self-service dashboards in OBI and Hyperion, empowering finance teams to reallocate spend within minutes.
Met the aggressive four-month delivery target, launching in January for an April go-live with 100% stakeholder satisfaction.
This enterprise system modernization was a clear success. By replacing an inadequate legacy package with a purpose-built Marketing and Promotion Optimization platform, the client achieved unprecedented control over its advertising investments. Thanks to Incepta’s agile development and technical leadership, the project met its aggressive deadline and delivered a robust, user-friendly system. The outcome is a comprehensive, scalable solution that turns Marketing and Promotion spending into a visible, manageable process, exactly the transformation envisioned at the start. In effect, the company now “sees the complete picture” of marketing spend and can drive higher ROI, positioning itself for continued growth in a competitive marketplace.
Looking to modernize your enterprise systems and centralize financial workflows? Connect with Incepta Solutions for tailored solutions in enterprise system modernization.
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