CGC: Harmonizing fragmented systems to drive a company culture of clarity and efficiency
Forging clarity and resilience with enterprise alignment
Compañía General de Combustibles S.A. (CGC) decided to turn its fragmented systems, complex integrations, and cultural divides into opportunities for renewal. With SAP Signavio, SAP LeanIX, and SAP Enable Now solutions and the SAP User Experience Management application by Knoa, the energy producer built a foundation for continuous improvement and lasting growth.
| Industry | Region | Company Size |
| Oil, gas, and energy | Buenos Aires, Argentina | 400 employees |
critical processes mapped with SAP Signavio solutions.
customizations, versus the industry average of 550.
IT Architecture Manager, Compañía General de Combustibles S.A.
Untangling fragmented systems and cultures to reveal business clarity
For more than a century, Compañía General de Combustibles S.A. (CGC) has powered Latin America’s energy sector. In the past decade, the company has achieved double-digit growth and risen to the top tier of Argentina’s producers. But with rapid growth and the acquisitions of Sinopec Argentina’s exploration and production operations and Petrobras Argentina’s upstream business came a new kind of complexity.
Each acquisition brought its own enterprise systems, processes, and ways of working—each with layers of customization and scattered integrations. Applications overlapped with critical areas that were often undocumented and left CGC’s IT team with no clear source of truth. Meanwhile, at the process level, procurement teams worked under one umbrella but used different tools and followed distinct workflows, depending on their legacy company.
The cultural divide ran just as deep. One organization operated with strict bureaucracy and control, while the other prized flexibility and execution. Together, the patchwork of systems and cultures created friction and inefficiency that no longer matched the pace of CGC’s vision of the future.
CGC executives knew the company couldn’t keep growing on fragmented foundations. But this challenge was bigger than technology. The company needed to simplify complexity in all its forms, align business cultures, and create a unified model for processes, systems, and people. Only then could CGC achieve the clarity, efficiency, and resilience it needed to fuel the next century of growth.
IT Architecture Manager, Compañía General de Combustibles S.A.
Recasting systems and processes into a single model for the future
Solving a challenge of this scale required a transformation that reached every layer of the business, from processes and systems to integrations and workforce culture. The goal was to tame complexity while creating an operating model resilient enough to sustain growth and flexible enough to absorb future acquisitions with confidence.
That’s when CGC turned to Edison, its consulting partner specializing in enterprise architecture and process management. Edison’s expertise helped CGC build the governance, methodology, and cultural alignment needed for lasting success with the implementation of an SAP Cloud ERP Private solution as its central ERP solution.
The transformation began with a clear-eyed assessment that evolved into a blueprint for the future. SAP LeanIX solutions provided a comprehensive inventory of applications and integrations, and SAP Signavio solutions were used to map and document existing processes. Together, these solutions gave CGC more visibility into its current state and the ability to design a target architecture and standardized processes grounded in industry best practices.
Discipline and governance were key to keeping the program on track. SAP LeanIX solutions supported application governance, and SAP Signavio solutions supported process governance. In return, developers were trained to document integrations through fact sheets, reducing the risk of new silos forming and helping ensure transparency. Additionally, security was strengthened with a unified single-sign-on policy that simplified access across domains and safeguarded critical systems.
Adoption was also treated as a pillar of the program. With the SAP Enable Now solution, key users are empowered to create training materials. This made the change tangible and fostered ownership. The SAP User Experience Management (SAP UEM) application by Knoa monitors user activity from the earliest testing stages, which provided visibility into how people engaged with the new systems and highlighted where adjustments were needed.
IT Architecture Manager, Compañía General de Combustibles S.A.
Delivering clarity, resilience, and confidence across the business
CGC replaced fragmentation with a unified operating model that fuels clarity and confidence across the business. Customizations were reduced to fewer than 70—a fraction of the industry average of 550 in ERP programs of this size. This clean core strategy created a lean foundation that is easier to govern, maintain, and evolve.
The transformation also delivered unprecedented visibility. More than 100 processes were mapped, a master application list was created and linked to business capabilities, and every integration was documented. Hidden “shadow” applications that once slowed the business were uncovered and removed. Leaders now have a single source of truth for decision-making, with accountability built in across the business and IT.
Security and efficiency improved as well. A unified single-sign-on policy strengthened access across domains, while aligned processes—such as procurement—replaced inconsistent workflows that had once divided teams. Employees now work with greater ease and confidence, supported by a culture that prizes ownership and collaboration.
Adoption also became a breakthrough outcome of its own. Allowing key users to author their own training materials provided an outlet for skill development and pride. Additionally, user behavior was tracked in real time, giving CGC 360-degree visibility into adoption and enabling quick adjustments to remove friction. Employees not only were prepared for change but also became active participants in the transformation.
IT Architecture Manager, Compañía General de Combustibles S.A.
Sustaining continuous improvement for future growth and acquisitions
CGC sees its transformation as the beginning, not the finish line. With SAP solutions as the foundation, the company is committed to a journey of continuous improvement that strengthens operations today while preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities.
The next phase focuses on expanding visibility and governance. CGC plans to use the SAP Signavio Process Insights and SAP Signavio Process Intelligence solutions to establish a real-time control tower. Doing so would enable leaders to continuously monitor adoption rates, identify areas for process optimization, and drive operational excellence long after the initial implementation.
Equally important, the new operating model provides a tested framework for growth. The standardized global model gives CGC a foundation to integrate future acquisitions more quickly, with less disruption and greater cultural alignment. This allows the company to bring new entities into its ecosystem more smoothly while maintaining clarity and resilience as it scales.
For employees, the future holds more ownership and empowerment. With governance disciplines in place, processes documented, and adoption tools embedded, staff can continue to shape the way they work and benefit from consistent standards across the organization. And for customers, the outcome will be greater reliability, efficiency, and the confidence that CGC is equipped to deliver energy securely and sustainably in the years ahead.