Case study: reMarkable

reMarkable, a Norwegian tech company known for its digital notebooks, had evolved from a startup to a scaleup with ambitious plans for growth and market expansion. Their legacy ERP landscape with limited data visibility resulted in unoptimized inventory levels and several operational issues, emphasizing the need for a robust and scalable solution to overcome these challenges. This led to Deloitte being tasked with implementing a new cloud based ERP solution for them, supporting the launch of reMarkable’s newest product, the Paper Pro, in September 2024.

As companies expand, outdated processes and tools often impede growth, prompting the need to update systems to support evolving needs. This was the exact challenge faced by reMarkable, a company renowned for its digital notebooks with the same name. Over the years, the company had grown rapidly and established a strong global market position, with—at that time more than one million tablets sold since the launch of their original product in 2017.

With plans to launch the company’s third-generation tablet, the reMarkable Paper Pro, while at the same time strengthening their enterprise market position, reMarkable recognized the need for an integrated ERP system. The shift would support their increasing product variance, complex supply chains, and different sales channels. The implementation of SAP’s cloud-based ERP solution S/4HANA Public Cloud was seen as a vital project to enable future growth, provide greater visibility into the supply chain, and address the bottlenecks that were preventing further expansion. Deloitte was engaged to implement the new ERP solution.

“We were seeking a partner with the right blend of expertise around business transformation and industry knowledge, to help us establish a robust yet flexible ERP platform”, says Per Thomas Indrelid, CIO at reMarkable. “Deloitte offered us an experienced SAP team, complemented by a deep understanding of how technology should be aligned with our growing business needs and strategic objectives.” Indrelid continues, "Given our growth plans, especially with a new product entering the market, we needed a partner capable of completing the project at an accelerated pace—an ambitious target for an implementation of this scale. Deloitte demonstrated that ambition, proposing a realistic project timeline that aligned with our objectives."

Optimal choice for a mid-sized company with growth plans

SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud edition provides an efficient, agile, and cost effective solution for companies to seamlessly connect their workforce, suppliers, customers, markets, and assets without adding unnecessary complexity. Medium-sized or niche companies with high growth targets often find that the Public Cloud’s preconfigured standard processes ensure simplicity while enabling scalability and leading practices required to support their growth journeys.

Such was the case with reMarkable. The company’s transition from a startup to a scaleup entailed an expansion in their target markets and supply chain routes. "This signaled a significant increase in complexity and risk throughout our value chain," Indrelid explains. "We had already identified challenges in consolidating data from disparate systems, and our internally developed ERP landscape was outdated, resulting in difficulties managing inventory, handling deviations, and maintaining accurate pricing."

With a successful product launch in mind, reMarkable aimed to reap benefits in terms of sales growth and cost reduction through the implementation of SAP’s Public Cloud system. The main objective was to establish command over data and enhance operational efficiency through a more robust ERP landscape. Additionally, reMarkable sought to streamline its sales processes and real-time online sales management, including order fulfilment, seamless integration with third-party logistics providers for home delivery, and the creation of invoices.

The project with Deloitte lasted less than a year from start to go-live, encompassing all areas of reMarkable's operations and organization. Furthermore, it covered end-to-end services such as technology consulting and implementation, risk and security approach, and tax and duties. reMarkable opted for a minimum viable product approach, focusing on standard processes and best practices. The plan was to implement swiftly with the option to later add on additional features and functionalities as the company's needs evolved – mirroring the scalability and flexibility designed into the S/4HANA Public Cloud.

Successful implementation through end-to-end excellence

At the start of the project Deloitte and reMarkable conducted a comprehensive review of all processes, identifying gaps and laying the groundwork for the implementation based on these insights. As a global player, reMarkable also needed assistance in tax matters as well as navigating a multitude of regulatory requirements for taxation and duties. Deloitte assessed the company's needs and helped resolve challenges related to indirect taxes and fees.

The project was delivered by a dedicated local team, which included S/4 HANA Public Cloud experts, alongside professionals specializing in change management, risk management, and tax. This ensured that the implementation was fully aligned with reMarkable's needs and desires. Additionally, an offshore team was engaged to handle technical developments, further enhancing the project's capabilities and expertise.

"Now, all of reMarkable's key customer-focused processes flow seamlessly through the solution," says Jason Rowe, partner responsible for project delivery at Deloitte. "They've achieved fully automated, real-time integration from the e-commerce platform through SAP to their third-party logistics providers, who then deliver the goods to customers. This results in complete control over transactions.”

“Our partnership with Deloitte led to a smooth public cloud implementation, delivering exceptional results throughout the process," Indrelid continues. "Their deep understanding of our business needs, combined with SAP expertise, helped us navigate this complex transformation and advance our plans. The new SAP solution not only meets our current operational requirements but also aligns strategically with our future growth and innovation goals.”

"For companies in similar situations, I recommend beginning with a prestudy discovery to understand their needs and assess how SAP—particularly through the public cloud—can provide a tailored solution,” Rowe concludes. “While SAP is often associated with large enterprises, the public cloud’s flexibility makes it an ideal fit for medium-sized businesses as well. Leveraging Deloitte’s expertise in both large and medium markets, we can help identify the optimal SAP solutions to support business growth and establish a robust structural framework.”

Read more: SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud