KPS named Top Supplier Retail 2026 for project with Marc O’Polo

The O’JECT Transformation Programme was recognised in the “Supply Chain Excellence” category

Unterföhring/Munich, 24.02.2026 – For the 19th time, the EHI Retail Institute is honouring innovation and technology in the retail sector. This year, the EHI Retail Technology Award (reta) for the best project in the “Supply Chain Excellence” category goes to Marc O’Polo and KPS. As part of an SAP S/4HANA transformation, the premium brand is repositioning itself to meet the growing pressure for digitalisation in the fashion industry.

Responding to dynamic market changes

Marc O’Polo, a premium fashion brand with over 2,000 stores and wholesale partners in 46 countries, was confronted with increasing complexity in its international supply chain. An outdated system landscape, fragmented processes and isolated IT architectures led to inefficiencies, inconsistent data and a heavy reliance on manual workflows. These limitations hampered scalability and prevented real-time visibility across wholesale, concessions, own retail stores, outlets, marketplaces and e-commerce platforms. As omnichannel retail and digital channels became increasingly important, the company urgently needed a modern and scalable supply chain infrastructure to harmonise processes, ensure data quality and guarantee product availability at the right time and in the right place. Without such a transformation, further growth and an effective omnichannel strategy were at risk.

Scalability, future-proofing and a clear data basis for decision-making

O’JECT: Transformation of the superlative

As part of the O’JECT transformation programme and in collaboration with KPS, Marc O’Polo is implementing a state-of-the-art omnichannel platform. O’JECT is transforming Marc O’Polo’s business in a greenfield, end-to-end approach based on SAP S/4HANA Retail for Merchandise Management, SAP CAR and SAP BPC.

The scope of the O’JECT programme covers the entire fashion value chain, from product development and pre-order through sourcing, initial distribution and replenishment, across all channels. In addition, all planning and financial accounting functions have been fully integrated, and the system landscape has been fundamentally redesigned.

This new, flexible and state-of-the-art process and IT architecture supports scalability and enables the company’s omnichannel strategy, while at the same time laying the foundation for further international growth and long-term competitiveness.

The solution was introduced in stages to reduce risks and adapt to seasonal business cycles: Marc O’Polo began implementation with master data , and finance, followed by planning, pre-ordering, and procurement via a supplier portal, and later continued with warehouse management and seasonal processes. This structured approach ensured maximum stability and business continuity.

Dr. Patric Spethmann, COO and project sponsor at Marc O’Polo, summarises:

“With the successful implementation of SAP S/4HANA and the complementary modules, we at Marc O’Polo have laid the foundation for maximum scalability, efficiency and transparency in terms of systems and business processes. The transformation forms the technological basis for a sound omnichannel strategy. We are delighted that our approach and success have also been recognised by the reta Award jury and that we have received the Top Supplier Retail 2026 award,” adds Dr Michael Mirz, Managing Director at KPS.