ExxonMobil Accelerates SAP S/4HANA Transformation with Trusted Data

Project Background

Modernizing Global Operations for SAP S/4HANA Transformation with Trusted Data

As part of a bold, multi-year initiative, ExxonMobil—the global energy and chemical leader—has embarked on a transformative journey to modernize its global business processes, data architecture, and IT systems. With the support of SAP and data transformation partner Syniti, ExxonMobil is reengineering its digital core to better serve its 60,000+ employees and deliver sustainable solutions that meet the world’s evolving needs.

Challenge

Complex Legacy Systems Hinder Innovation and Agility

Faced with an aging IT environment ExxonMobil’s legacy business environment consisted of comprised of 12 ERP systems, over 1,000 interconnected applications, and highly customized processes.  

This complexity, compounded by siloed processes and inconsistent data structures, created inefficiencies and hindered agility. 

Operating with a fragmented and bespoke data landscape, with over 2,500 unique data objects spread across disparate systems, ExxonMobil recognized the need for a comprehensive transformation—one that addressed not just technology, but also processes, data, and organizational structure. 

Rachel Birney, IT Lead at ExxonMobil, explained: “We’ve done ERP migrations before, but never at this scale. With Syniti, we’re finally bringing our data transformation vision to life.” 

• 12 ERP systems, 11 of which were SAP 

• ~1,000 interconnected applications, many of which were highly customized and nearing end-of-life 

• A fragmented and bespoke data landscape, with over 2,500 unique data objects spread across systems 

Why Change

Why Trusted Data Was Key to Business Transformation

ExxonMobil knew that true business transformation would require not just a system upgrade, but a complete overhaul of its data and processes. 

“We have a global work environment that includes how we do work, the process, and the technology that we use to support that work,” said Birney. “Many of those systems have been in place for a long time and are end-of-life.”

But to unlock transformation benefits, ExxonMobil needed to modernize its data at scale: 

• Harmonize thousands of data products across ERP and non-ERP systems
• Transition to a single source of truth with trusted, validated, and cleansed data
• Enable consistent analytics and support next-generation technologies like AI

Solution

A Three-Phased Data Transformation Approach

To address these challenges, ExxonMobil implemented a comprehensive data transformation strategy built on three phases:

1. Business Model Simplification: Instituted an organizational shift laid the foundation for harmonizing processes across the enterprise.
   • Reorganized into three primary value chains: Upstream, Product Solutions, and Low Carbon Solutions
   • Centralized enterprise process ownership for functions like supply chain, enabling end-to-end visibility and accountability
2. Process Standardization
   • Adopted industry-standard business processes, targeting 80% standardization (and already achieving 90%)
   • Implemented fit-for-risk controls across functions
3. System and Data Modernization
   • Consolidated 12 legacy ERPs into a single SAP S/4HANA instance
   • Delivered one unified data foundation to enables advanced analytics, automation, and AI
   • Applied SAP’s Clean Core methodology to ensure scalable, upgrade-friendly architecture

The Syniti Partnership

How Syniti Helped Build a Unified, Trusted Data Foundation

Syniti plays a vital role in making this vision a reality. Leveraging decades of experience and a proven playbook, Syniti is helping ExxonMobil transform its complex data environment into a centralized, trusted data landscape. This includes predictive data quality checks, automated corrections, and a repeatable data cleansing environment that ensures consistency across all business units. Syniti’s platform and methodology enable the company to cleanse and migrate data at scale, a task essential for sustaining business operations during and after the transformation.

“We’ve kind of tackled this data challenge before, but we haven’t ever quite gotten it right in the way that we really wanted to. And what we’re finding now with Syniti that they’re helping us bring our dreams alive as we work through this project, and we’re quite bullish about where we’re going,” said Birney.

“We also know that data is tricky, and we’re not done ‘til we’re done. So, we’ve got Syniti here as a partner to make sure we continue to get it right as we look at the program.”

• Execute predictive data quality checks and automated corrections
• Deploy a repeatable data cleansing environment for efficient migrations
• Collaborate with ExxonMobil’s business teams to define and validate trusted data

Business Outcomes

Efficiency, Insights, and Competitive Advantage

Through this partnership, ExxonMobil is already experiencing tangible benefits. Exxon is committed to adopting industry-standard business processes during the transformation and minimizing customizations in favor of standard SAP practices. When it comes to achieving fit-for-standard, Birney summarized: “We set a goal for ourselves within this transformation of 80%. I’m happy to say that partway through the program, we’re sitting at 90.”

• Operational efficiency and effectiveness through simplified, standardized processes
• Faster, more reliable system upgrades with reduced total cost of ownership through minimized customizations and stronger process governance, achieving a 90% fit-to-standard process alignment—exceeding their original goal of 80%.
• Trusted enterprise data to power analytics, automation, and AI initiatives
• Enhanced employee, supplier, and customer experience through consistent processes and tools

With this transformation, ExxonMobil is not just upgrading technology—it’s reshaping how it operates at every level. This not only represents a significant shift in how ExxonMobil runs its business but also highlights the strategic value of trusted data.

As Syniti’s Chief Delivery Growth Officer Brian Regan said, this initiative reinforces the principle that “behind every business transformation is a data transformation.”

Through this bold initiative, ExxonMobil is laying the groundwork for sustainable, data-driven operations that will support its business for decades to come.