Amer Sports' supply chain, IT and manufacturing

Supply chain management encompasses all of Amer Sports’ business functions from product innovation to product manufacturing to outbound logistics like supply planning, manufacturing, procurement, and logistics. IT management encompasses for all Amer Sports: SAP support, extended business services, security and infrastructure.

Reliable, efficient and timely supply chain management is an important part of Amer Sports’ strategy, and the company has continued to strengthen its supply chain organization in recent years. In 2008, Amer Sports created a new Supply Chain and Information Technology (SC&IT) function. The new function is responsible for managing the integrated supply chain at the Group level. The function is divided into three integrated shared platforms (IT, sourcing, and distribution and transportation), and two communities of practice to roll out harmonized processes, tools, performance leadership and global programs. Sourcing in Asia is managed from the Group’s sourcing office in Hong Kong, and global IT and distribution and transportation from Amer Sports Munich office.

Amer Sports is in the process of further integrating its supply chain functions and continues to seek more synergies and opportunities. The aim of the ongoing integration process is to develop a worldwide, globally managed supply chain, designed to provide a high level of customer service at lower cost and inventory levels.

This process includes the following initiatives:

  • further integrating logistics and transportation management;
  • broadening the role of Amer Sports’ Asian sourcing organization to further leverage the Group’s scale, negotiating power, and talent base;
  • further harmonizing global business processes and the rollout of a global enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (SAP) in the Group;
  • harmonizing global inventory and product availability management through centrally-led sales and operation planning; and
  • rolling out of the “Lean and Operations Excellence” methodology within Amer Sports and in its subcontractor operations.


2009 was year one for the newly created SC&IT team. During the year, the Lean and Operations practice, the global shared logistics platform and Amer Sports’ sourcing organization for apparel, footwear and accessories have been set up. We rolled out our harmonized SAP template in the four Nordic countries and focused very successfully to improve our inventory with a reduction of more than 30 percent at constant service level.