Enterprise Architecture Driving Digital Performance
Case Study: Agro-Industrial Company Nutrition & Santé
About Nutrition & Santé...
- Brands: Gerblé, Gerlinéa, Isostar, Céreal Bio…
- European presence: France, Spain, Italy, Benelux
- Revenue: €418 million
- Employees: 1,500+
- IT landscape: 200+ referenced applications
Starting with business processes to regain control of the IS
The IT Department at Nutrition & Santé launched an Enterprise Architecture initiative with a clear objective:
To regain control of an increasingly complex IS, which had become difficult to manage due to acquisitions and international expansion.
The Trigger: A failed ERP project
A group-wide ERP project was halted due to uncontrollable scope creep caused by a lack of visibility on the diversity of business processes.
Key Enterprise Architecture Challenges at Nutrition & Santé
- Tool Fragmentation: Multiple non-standardized tools and processes across different entities.
- Lack of Visibility: Difficulty in obtaining a comprehensive view of business processes and applications.
- Project Delays: Extended timelines and budget overruns due to poor understanding of processes and IS architecture.
Recognizing that IT should be built “with” and “for” the business, the Enterprise Architecture initiative began with:
- Creating an Enterprise Architect role – A new and cross-functional position within the IT department, providing access to all key topics.
- Establishing a network of Business Process Owners (BPOs) – A network responsible for documenting business processes, helping to guide digital project decisions.
BPOs act as key liaisons between IT and business departments, while the Enterprise Architect connects all IS stakeholders, including Project Managers, BPOs, Solution Owners (BSOs), CTOs, and, of course, the CIO.
Moving from Office Tools to Dedicated IS Mapping Software
From Microsoft Excel© to myCarto
The first IS mapping efforts were conducted using two Excel files:
- A business process repository
- An application repository
However, this manual approach quickly became unmanageable when cross-referencing repositories and securing updates.
A dedicated tool became essential.
After evaluating solutions, AB+ Software’s myCarto was selected as the best balance between functional coverage, deployment flexibility, and total cost of ownership (TCO).
“The key factors in our decision were:
- The software’s ability to efficiently manage business processes
- The collaborative aspect—this is not just a tool for the architect, but a company-wide solution
- The step-by-step deployment approach—starting with processes and infrastructure, then expanding over time
- The cost alignment with our budget”
Philippe CHIARBONELLO – Head of Urbanization & Enterprise Architecture
The software was implemented quickly, with the Excel repositories migrated into myCarto to initialize the database.
It was immediately adopted by a variety of roles:
- BPOs – Document and optimize business processes
- BSOs (Solution Owners) – Design projects using interactive maps
- Helpdesk Teams – Quickly access application-related information
- CTOs – Gain a clearer view of links between infrastructure, applications, and processes
- CIOs – Get a high-level strategic view of IS alignment
“No need for long explanations—just show the data…When you present an application map showing five different CRMs within the same group, the need to rationalize becomes obvious. Nobody says no… and everyone finally understands why consolidating commercial data is so difficult.”
"On the Way" Tip
An internal event to make IS urbanization a company-wide initiative: “The Architecture Morning”! A half-day session dedicated to raising awareness, presenting IT maps, and sharing the Enterprise Architecture roadmap.
results - benefits: cost savings and clearer IS visibility
Immediate Benefits
Thanks to myCarto, the team can now answer critical questions like:
“If a server goes down, what is the impact?”
But the benefits go beyond that, with tangible results driven by the Enterprise Architecture approach:
- Enhanced Visibility:
Using IT maps, the CIO can quickly assess the impact of changes on processes, infrastructure, 200+ applications, and interfaces—both at the business unit level and company-wide. “The visibility provided by myCarto is even used for onboarding new employees.” - IS Optimization: The mapping process improves legacy system management and obsolescence tracking, while also enhancing:
- IT security
- Business continuity planning (BCP)
- Interface documentation
- Cost Rationalization:
By having detailed knowledge of infrastructure and applications, the IS is now aligned with business priorities. “By aligning application criticality with server service levels, we achieved an annual infrastructure cost saving of €40,000.” - Project Risk Mitigation:
By identifying IS impacts early in the project lifecycle, teams can ensure better control over timelines and budgets. “No major project is launched without consulting IS maps first.”
"On the Way" Tip
Once a Year, It’s Winter Cleaning (Not Spring Cleaning)!
Every year, all application managers update their records with the support of the Enterprise Architect. This ensures that data remains up to date year after year.
Notably, by focusing on applications rather than software, the understanding and maintenance of the IS mapping have been significantly simplified.
Thanks to myCarto, we have not only streamlined our application portfolio but also significantly improved our operational efficiency. Mapping processes and applications has transformed the way we manage projects and infrastructure, leading to significant cost savings and better risk management.
Philippe CHIARBONELLO – Head of Urbanization & Enterprise Architecture
