adidas: Transforming processes on multiple levels with intuitive enterprise architecture management
Automating and integrating architecture
adidas needed to shed light on its enterprise architecture to help improve processes across the organization. With SAP LeanIX solutions, the sporting goods corporation optimized its application portfolio, mitigated risks associated with open-source software, and enhanced many other aspects of its business.
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Consumer products | Herzogenaurach, Germany | 62,035 employees |
Vice President, Enterprise Architecture, adidas AG
Modernizing enterprise architecture management
Founded in a laundry room in 1900, adidas AG is now a renowned global leader in the sporting goods sector with a clear mission: to be the best sports brand in the world.
With a third-party enterprise architecture management solution that was barely used outside the community of architects, as well as information that was incomplete and out of date, adidas decided it was time for a change.
The company set out to adopt a new approach that would cater to users of differing abilities across multiple areas of the organization.
Improving visibility of enterprise-wide technology solutions
Having chosen SAP LeanIX solutions, adidas rolled them out not just to enterprise architects but also to diverse users, including solution architects, engineers, operations managers, project managers, and business users. This gave the company a map of its application portfolio for the first time.
Another step was to log technology in SAP LeanIX solutions, classifying it as standard, prohibited, or allowed as an exception under certain conditions. Where software was not logged, users could initially trigger an onboarding process manually and apply for their technology to be included. At a later stage, adidas automated this technology management process. For example, a user request to onboard new technology now triggers tickets with the IT security, data privacy, and procurement teams, as needed.
adidas implemented architecture decision records, using a fact sheet to log decisions made, including details of the options discussed, who was involved in the decision, and the reasons for the decision. The company also populated SAP LeanIX solutions with information spanning APIs, microservices, application libraries, and deployment history.
Connecting solutions and processes
Integrating SAP LeanIX with multiple solutions, including SAP Signavio solutions and third-party software used for governance and workflow management, has helped adidas automate and improve processes. Increased software integration means, for instance, that where an application is reaching end of life, adidas can quickly run a report in SAP LeanIX to identify any connected applications. This has already highlighted more than 100 end-of-life systems and their dependencies throughout the organization.
In addition to integrating SAP LeanIX solutions with processes from server deployment and account subscriptions to procurement, the company has incorporated the solutions in budgeting and project planning. As project teams pitch upcoming initiatives, this information is loaded into SAP LeanIX. This helps adidas identify any system impacts, establish whether it needs to onboard new technology, and, importantly, document the decision made and reasons behind it.
What’s more, when adidas adopted a product-led organizational structure, the enterprise architecture team was able to use SAP LeanIX solutions as a source of truth that links business systems, capabilities, and processes back to the product domain map.
Moving forward with a more sustainable approach
Current initiatives involving SAP LeanIX include specifying in the metamodel whether users should maintain components as a technology component or an information component.
The company also wants to integrate SAP LeanIX more tightly with SAP Signavio and third-party software. Meanwhile, it wants to deepen the integration of SAP LeanIX solutions with business processes such as requests for proposals as well as identity governance and administration.
SAP LeanIX solutions also have potential to help make the company’s IT operations more sustainable, including by identifying the most sustainable technology providers.