Global Marketing Planning Transformation with MARMIND MRM and SAP S/4 Integration
How BSH standardized global marketing planning and budgeting while preserving regional flexibility through real-time SAP integration.
8
Pilot Countries Onboarded
1
Global MRM Platform
100
Pilot Scope Delivered
Success Story
BSH now operates a unified marketing planning and budgeting framework across global, regional, and country levels. Marketing and controlling teams gain real-time budget transparency, reduced manual effort, and a scalable foundation aligned with the SAP S/4 migration roadmap.
The Challenge
BSH needed to replace an outdated, fragmented marketing planning and budgeting system with a standardized global solution—without losing country-level flexibility. The challenge was amplified by undocumented local processes, complex brand hierarchies, and strict SAP-based controlling requirements.
The Solution
We developed standardized marketing processes for BSH marketing teams across global, regional, and country levels through joint workshops with the customer, and embedded these processes in MARMIND MRM. Eight pilot countries will validate and refine the approach before a stepwise rollout to all countries, aligned with availability and the internal rollout plan for the SAP S/4 migration.
As part of the solution, a real-time integration with SAP was implemented to synchronize budget plans, commitments, and actuals with the MRM platform, enabling a real-time marketing dashboard with up-to-date budget visibility.
In addition, an overarching Power BI reporting layer was established to support consolidated reporting and cross-market insights.
About the Client
BSH Hausgeräte GmbH is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of home appliances, operating globally with multiple brands, regions, and local marketing organizations. As part of a worldwide marketing optimization initiative, BSH set out to standardize marketing processes globally while maintaining planning autonomy at regional and country levels.
SOLUTION APPROACH
From global alignment to real-time marketing control
Every phase follows a clearly defined plan, enabling a structured and controlled rollout from pilot countries to global scale.
Global Process Alignment
Aligning global, regional, and country-level marketing processes in joint workshops with BSH stakeholders.
Planning structure & metadata setup
Establishing standardized planning structures and marketing metadata in MARMIND MRM.
Real-time SAP S/4 integration
Integrating SAP S/4 to synchronize planned budgets, commitments, and actuals in real time.
Country-specific configuration
Configuring local cost centers, WBS structures, and country-specific rules within the global framework.
Pilot rollout and enablement
Onboarding pilot countries, enabling users, and launching the MVP for active campaign planning.
Governance and adoption at scale
Clear governance model
Standardized approval workflows ensure brand compliance and financial control across global, regional, and country levels.
Role-based adoption
The solution is used by global and regional brand managers, country marketing teams, sales clusters, and marketing controlling.
Operational transparency
Real-time budget visibility reduces manual reconciliation and enables faster, data-driven marketing decisions.
How the Integration Works
To ensure full financial governance and enable real-time budget transparency across markets, an integration between MARMIND MRM and SAP S/4 was implemented via a web-service connection using the Workato Enterprise Platform and SAP CPI.
This integration connects marketing planning directly with SAP controlling through a structured Internal Order workflow.
1. Internal Order ID Creation
Campaigns are prepared country-wise during the annual business planning phase and initially created in “Draft” status. All planning-relevant and budget-related data is captured in alignment with agreed business targets.
Once finalized, the campaign is connected to SAP controlling by requesting a unique Internal Order ID. The ID is generated in SAP and returned to MARMIND MRM, establishing the financial object required for structured cost and performance tracking.
2. Campaign Status: Draft to Planned
After successful synchronization, the campaign status changes to “Planned.” Minor, non-cost-relevant updates — such as campaign name adjustments — can still be performed and synchronized with SAP.
If cost-relevant data must be modified or the campaign needs to be stopped, it can be cancelled, provided that no budget or financial postings have yet been linked.
3. Cost & Actual Synchronization
Once linked, committed costs and actuals are transferred via a direct GraphQL connection established by SAP S/4 through SAP CPI.
This ensures that marketing execution and financial controlling remain structurally aligned throughout the entire campaign lifecycle.
As a result, BSH now operates with a structured and scalable integration framework that embeds financial control directly into marketing processes.
Let’s explore how a similar integration approach can support your transformation goals.
Why Like Reply
We combine marketing process expertise with enterprise system integration to deliver scalable global MRM solutions.
Global MRM expertise
SAP S/4 integration
Process-driven approach
Scalable rollout model
Looking to modernize your global marketing planning and budgeting?
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