Videos
Highly Marelli’s Digital Journey with Infosys
Insights
- Highly Marelli was formed by acquiring Marelli’s HVAC business, requiring cross-regional system and culture integration.
- The company faced challenges with 20+ legacy systems, TSA deadlines, and fragmented global operations.
- SAP S/4HANA on AWS centralized operations, standardized data, and enabled real-time collaboration.
- Infosys supported TSA exit, lean manufacturing adoption, and a scalable global template starting in Japan.
- The transformation built a unified, agile enterprise ready for global innovation and market responsiveness.
Explore how Highly Marelli collaborated with Infosys to revolutionize its global operations using SAP S/4HANA. In this video, Mr. Wang, Head of GHQ IT Division, shares how they tackled legacy IT hurdles, unified processes, and sparked innovation across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
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Introduction
Infosys Spokesperson:
“Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Wang . To start with, could you share a brief about your company and its global presence?”
CIO (Mr. Wang):
“Sure. We are a global supplier of automotive systems and pioneers in heat-focused compressor solutions led by advanced heat pump technology and energy efficient variable frequency compressors. Our global business footprint spans Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with headquarters in both China and Japan. Our clients include major global OEMs like Nissan and other Japanese automakers. We have a strong global presence with operations in China, Japan, India, the UK, Spain, the US, Thailand and Malaysia. Our ambition has always been to strengthen our global presence and operate as a truly international enterprise.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“That’s an impressive global presence. And it also means your operations need a robust, integrated system to manage complexity across regions. We understood early on that your vision was to build a SAP-centric global business system—starting with Japan as a pilot and then rolling out globally. Our role was to make that vision a reality and help you scale as a global enterprise.”
On the Company’s Evolution
Infosys Spokesperson:
“Your company has gone through significant changes in recent years, including the creation of a joint venture with the Marelli Group. How has that shaped your operations?”
Mr. Wang:
“The joint venture was a turning point for us. It brought together two strong legacies and created a new identity Highly Marelli. Today we are part of a Chinese-owned enterprise. This shift opened up opportunities for global growth but also introduced challenges. We had to integrate diverse systems, processes, and cultures across geographies while ensuring business continuity. Our IT landscape was fragmented, with more than 20 legacy systems, and we needed to meet TSA (Termination of Service Agreement) requirements quickly. This made it essential to build a unified IT architecture that could support standardized processes and enable us to operate as one global organization.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“And that’s where we saw a real opportunity to help. This wasn’t just about digital transformation, it was about enabling Highly Marelli to operate on a global scale with a modern, SAP-based architecture that simplifies operations, ensures compliance, and creates a foundation for future growth.”
Challenges Before Transformation
Infosys Spokesperson:
“What were some of the key challenges you faced before embarking on this transformation journey?”
Mr. Wang:
“Marelli had a very old legacy landscape with 15 to 20 different systems across plants and warehouses. After the acquisition, many experienced people left, so knowledge gaps were a big issue. Plus, cultural differences between Japan and China added complexity. And of course, we needed real-time integration for order processing and visibility across the supply chain.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“We recognized these challenges early. approach was to simplify the IT landscape, create a single global template, and ensure that your operations in Japan could serve as a blueprint for Europe and North America. This is a critical step in helping your organization expand globally with confidence. We also implemented JIS/JIT processes based on EDI for seamless customer and supplier integration.”
Infosys’ Role
Infosys Spokesperson:
“This was your first engagement with Infosys. Could you share your experience working with us on the Japan SAP implementation?”
Mr. Wang:
“This was our first engagement with Infosys, and it was critical. You replaced our legacy systems with a modern SAP, covering an entire manufacturing setup that includes three plants, two warehouses , and our Tokyo headquarters which houses the finance, sales department and procurement department. The integration with EDI for real-time order processing was a big win. We went live in May 2025 with hypercare ending in June, and the transition has been smooth.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“We’re proud of that. Our teams from Japan and China worked closely with your business and IT teams to design a solution that not only met current needs but also created a global template for future rollouts. We implemented SAP S/4HANA 2022 Greenfield along with modules like FI, CO, MM, SD, and PP, This gave you a centralized supply chain, a single view of customers and financials, and integrated financial and cost management for lean operations. Our COE in India provided specialized support to ensure best practices and rapid issue resolution.”
Business Impact
Infosys Spokesperson:
“What kind of benefits have you seen since the go-live?”
Mr. Wang:
“First, we now have a single source of truth for operations in Japan. Finance operation is tighter inventory visibility has improved, and compliance is easier. It’s also a foundation for our global rollout, which is already underway.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“And that’s exactly what we aimed for—standardized processes, lower IT operating costs, and importantly a SAP centric standardized system that can be rolled out to other regions without transitional systems or unnecessary enhancements.”
Future Roadmap
Infosys Spokesperson:
“Speaking of global rollout, what’s next on your transformation journey?”
Mr. Wang:
“We’re currently assessing our UK and US operations for the next phase. The goal is to create a global template and extend it to Europe and North America. Each region has its own challenges, but the Japan implementation gives us confidence.”
Infosys Spokesperson:
“Our team is already engaged in the fit-gap analysis for Europe, leveraging learnings from Japan to accelerate timelines and reduce risks. The ultimate goal is a unified global system architecture that supports your growth ambitions.”
Closing
Infosys Spokesperson:
“Thank you, Mr. Wong. It’s been a privilege to partner with you on this journey—helping a Chinese enterprise go global and enabling digital transformation at scale.”
Mr. Wang:
“Thank you. We look forward to continuing this partnership.”
