7-Eleven Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a part of the US-based 7-Eleven chain, has tapped US cloud-based planning software provider Anaplan to transform its financial planning and analysis (FP&A) process and systems.
The objective is to streamline planning and reporting processes, enabling operational efficiency and accurate predictions via unified data sources.
7-Eleven Malaysia’s finance director, Aaron Ng, said to optimise operations, there was a need to efficiently manage and interpret vast amounts of data.
Transitioning from labour-intensive spreadsheets and siloed ways of working was crucial for proactive business management, in order to move towards a fully automated and centralised data environment, Ng said.
By adopting the Anaplan platform, the firm can unlock real-time visibility into critical performance metrics, foster improved collaboration and empower informed decision-making across departments, he added.
The project is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2024, the company said.
The convenience store chain operates more than 2,400 outlets nationwide and serves more than 900,000 customers daily.
Additionally, 7-Eleven Malaysia will be guided by data science partner Metora, in tailoring the Anaplan platform and customising reporting dashboards to meet unique business needs, Ng added.
This will provide 7-Eleven’s finance teams the ability to provide accurate predictions from unified data sources and create projections, modelling, and scenarios, to effectively partner with the wider organisation in strategising overall business directions.
Anaplan APAC’s SVP and Managing Director, Mark Micallef, said that given the rapidly changing global economy and market conditions, finance teams could no longer be confined to static budgets and historical data.
With Anaplan, 7-Eleven Malaysia’s FP&A will drive data-informed decisions with predictability and agility, he added.
The Anaplan platform brings benefits across the entire retail value chain, including store and supply chain planning and operations, to improve cost efficiencies, and revenue predictability, maintain market segments, and ensure adequate staffing, Micallef added.
