Explore Cirque du Soleil’s journey with SAP
While audiences discover the extraordinary, Cirque du Soleil and SAP continue to work behind the scenes to run many of its operational processes including travel and expense management, the purchase of goods and services, and running its core financial, operational and HR systems.
50
current shows around the globe.
>4,000
employees worldwide.
82
nationalities of employees.
The Challenge
Re-imagining international operations
In its 40th year, Cirque du Soleil made bold moves to innovate and expand into novel forms of entertainment. This meant creating a robust technical infrastructure to serve growth objectives from the inside out—to reduce the time and money it takes to maintain several custom solutions while enabling its business growth strategy.
One pain point Cirque du Soleil wanted to resolve was manual recordkeeping for more than 4,000 employees from different countries. The goal was to gain further clarity and transparency on expense and travel management for over 7,000 trips per year. It required intelligent technology to digitalise processes and provide valuable insights for optimal decision making.
Cirque du Soleil RISE to the Cloud with SAP
Learn how Cirque du Soleil has embraced a digital transformation using SAP S/4HANA Cloud to modernise its core operations, scale its global business and become future-proof in an ever-changing industry.
The Solution
Juggling applications to transform a complex business model
To prepare the organisation for diversification, innovation, and expansion, Cirque du Soleil needed intelligent technology to digitalise processes and scale with the business as needed. RISE with SAP has put Cirque du Soleil in the driver's seat to accelerate its transition to cloud-first business. Cirque du Soleil aims to take advantage of the resulting connected workflows and real-time data with embedded insights, analytics, and best practices to reimagine how to run its business and serve its growth aspirations.
For their global workforce, Cirque du Soleil is moving beyond using SAP SuccessFactors simply to keep employee data. With stronger data integrity and governance, Cirque du Soleil has reduced the risk of errors and is taking advantage of automated processes and information workflows to manage its talented people.
With the help of Concur Travel & Expense, Cirque du Soleil can now navigate global compliance, negotiate better rates with suppliers, and simplify expense reporting for its staff and performers as they perform around the world.
SAP S/4HANA supports Cirque du Soleil's source-to-pay operations and management of suppliers through SAP Ariba. It streamlines lead-to-cash processes for merchandising and food and beverage operations. It also simplifies materials management and production planning processes for the huge number of unique costumes designed and manufactured each year.
Chantale Périgny
Accounts Payable Manager
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
The Result
Flying high in the cloud to reach the outer limits of imagination
By choosing SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition through RISE with SAP, Cirque du Soleil pairs modern functionality and intelligent technology with a creative engine at its core. This is helping the company gain the kind of operational efficiency it needs to drive future growth. As a result, Cirque du Soleil is seeing significantly less complexity in its finance operations and in managing tour cost centres. In the past, the company would have created around 140 cost objects for each tour. With the move to SAP S/4 HANA, the company has reduced this number by almost 80%, creating a unified data model and establishing a consistent reporting structure.
SAP SuccessFactors provides Cirque du Soleil self-service functionality to its globally touring employees whilst enhancing organisational agility and employee engagement to its entire workforce.
With SAP Concur and RISE with SAP as part of its overall intelligent enterprise journey, Cirque du Soleil is achieving operational excellence with a compliant and transparent spend management system at the core of its business processes.
As Cirque du Soleil grows its high-flying operations into the future, SAP is there—as it has been for over 20 years. Cirque du Soleil represents true cloud transformation; using technology to run all facets of its operations, including financials, human resources, procurement, and travel. Now, it’s ready for show time.
Stéphanie LeRoy
Procurement Senior Director
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group
SAP helps Cirque du Soleil run better
Key business outcomes and benefits
- Rebuilt foundation to allows its technology architecture to grow and scale with the business
- 5x faster procurement processes, compared to its legacy software, using SAP Ariba solutions
- Single solution to manage HR and new talent with a unified user experience
- Ability to navigate global compliance, negotiate better supplier rates, and simplify expense reporting for staff and performers using SAP Concur solutions
- Transition to a cloud-first business to prepare the organisation for growth, innovation, and expansion
Featured solutions and services
- RISE with SAP comprises key products and services from SAP and its partners to help customers migrate to the cloud with a leading modular cloud ERP.
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud is a comprehensive ERP system with built-in intelligent technologies, including AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics.
- SAP Ariba solutions help large and midsize companies realise
fast time to value in the cloud. - SAP Concur solutions connect travel, expense, and invoice management for total visibility and control.
- SAP SuccessFactors solutions offer indivualized experiences and strategic software that empower employees to reach their potential.
About Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group is a world leader in live entertainment. On top of producing world-renowned circus arts shows, the Canadian organisation brings its creative approach to a large variety of entertainment forms such as multimedia productions, immersive experiences, theme parks and special events. Going beyond its various creations, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group aims to make a positive impact on people, communities and the planet with its most important tools: creativity and art.
For more information please visit the official Cirque du Soleil website.
| Industry | Company Size | Region |
| Sports and entertainment | 4,000 employees | Global |