KION Group

KION Group is a global leader in intralogistics, employing over 42,000 people and generating €11.4 billion in revenue. Operating in more than 100 countries, the company delivers industrial trucks, warehouse technology, and integrated supply chain solutions. As part of its finance transformation journey, KION is rolling out SAP S/4HANA while simultaneously standardizing its AP processes using Basware.

KION’s operations span Europe, North America, Mexico, Canada, and APAC, which makes global consistency, control, and compliance essential to the way its finance teams operate.

A clean core approach to finance transformation

KION’s invoice automation journey began as part of a broader centralization agenda, including the creation of an in-house shared service center in Poland and the establishment of a GPO finance structure. From the outset, the company adopted a clean core principle, choosing to deploy a cloudbased AP automation platform outside of SAP.

According to Thomas E. Müller, Senior Director, GPO Finance Supply Chain, “We chose Basware early on because it allowed us to separate invoice automation from SAP, so we wouldn’t have to implement in ECC and then re-do everything in S/4HANA. That early decision helped us stay clean and scalable.”

The goal was to modernize AP operations without embedding customizations in SAP. By selecting Basware, KION avoided ERP lock-in while gaining a flexible platform capable of managing the full invoice lifecycle – enabling capture, validation, compliance, and reporting across a multi-ERP landscape.

This early investment gave KION a head start. Basware was deliberately rolled out before S/4HANA, creating a unified global template across key markets such as Germany and France. Establishing this foundation up front meant future rollouts did not need to be redesigned from scratch, which helped avoid the complexity, local variation, and duplication that large SAP programs often face.

Since implementation, KION has integrated Basware with five SAP ECC systems and one S/4HANA instance. Additional markets are being brought online as part of the phased SAP rollout. Thomas notes, “We’ve tested the integration across different ERP systems, including S/4HANA. It works. Any timing issues we experience are internal – not due to the Basware platform.”

Because Basware supports both legacy and modern SAP environments, KION is able to deploy the same invoice processing framework across its evolving ERP landscape without major rework. The platform also supports procurement integration with SAP eBuy, Ariba for indirect spend, and SAP’s MRP systems for direct spend.

In practice, this flexibility has been crucial. As S/4HANA introduces new processes or data structures, Basware adapts with minimal changes. For example, when new purchase order types were introduced in S/4HANA, Basware mirrored these with dedicated invoice flows to ensure every document follows the correct route. On the non-PO side, KION embedded its global approval hierarchy directly into Basware, which gives every region consistent compliance and control.

Flexibility and standardization in harmony

A key advantage for KION is the way Basware combines global consistency with the flexibility needed to support diverse regional operations. As the company expands and moves through phased S/4HANA deployments, Basware provides a unified experience that keeps AP aligned and predictable.

Tarryn, Process Owner for Invoice Management AP at KION Group, highlights the importance of this standardization. “In any country, the screens are the same and the process is the same. It is interchange-able between countries.” This consistency eliminates the need for local builds or regionspecific workarounds, which strengthens control and reduces the onboarding effort for AP teams.

Basware also reinforces the compliance structure that KION requires during the S/4HANA transformation. “You cannot bypass the process or send an invoice to the wrong person anymore,” Tarryn explains. “It enforces the controls we need, even when different regions are used to different ways of working.”

This balance of flexibility and standardization ensures that new markets who start using S/4HANA can operate with confidence from day one. Basware adjusts where necessary, but the core processes remain consistent and aligned with KION’s wider finance strategy.

Aligning with SAP S/4HANA – at the right pace

Originally, Basware rollouts were AP-led. Now, the S/4HANA deployment timeline dictates the sequencing of future Basware implementations. Thomas confirms, “The S/4HANA rollout now sets the pace. Basware’s model allows us to stay aligned without slowing anything down.”

From an operational perspective, the S/4HANA rollout has not been without challenges. According to Tarryn, “Everybody underestimates the amount of effort that goes into an S/4HANA transformation. Sometimes we have reinvented the wheel instead of lifting and shifting what already worked.” She explains that AP often has to “wait for the data to trickle down,” which makes Basware’s stability and consistency even more valuable as the wider program evolves.

Because the solution is ERP-independent, KION can continue deploying AP automation alongside SAP transformation without risk or delay. This flexible rollout model helps the company maintain momentum and deliver consistent processes across both ECC and S/4HANA environments.

Keeping AP agile with Basware during SAP S/4HANA transformation

KION’s experience shows how Basware supports complex transformation programs with:

• Clean core alignment – keeping automation outside SAP
• Proven SAP and S/4HANA integrations – supporting multi-ERP setups
• Full invoice lifecycle coverage – standardized, scalable, and measurable
• Embedded AI – enabling touchless processing and continual improvement
• Global readiness – ensuring compliance across regions

“Basware gives us automation we can trust today – and the agility we’ll need tomorrow,” says Thomas. “It’s more than just software – it’s a platform that supports how we want to run finance.”

For AP, this agility is felt every day. “We have our S/4HANA issues that then integrate into our Basware product,” Tarryn notes. “Basware makes the tweaks we need, and we just keep going.”

The SAP S/4HANA Advantage with Basware

A foundation that never wavers

Basware is in place before S/4HANA, giving KION one consistent AP model that doesn’t need rebuilding for every rollout or system change.

One global process, zero custom headaches

Basware mirrors new S/4HANA requirements like PO types and approval rules while keeping workflows standardized everywhere.

Momentum without the roadblocks

When S/4HANA adds complexity or delays, Basware keeps AP moving. The platform absorbs changes, supports teams, and stops transformation from slowing down.