A Leading Theme Park Operator Enhanced Guest Experience & Business Agility with SAP S/4HANA

Client Overview

The client is a leading marine-themed entertainment company with parks in Orlando, San Diego, San Antonio,and other locations. Generating over $1.7 billion in annual revenue, it specializes in marine life exhibits, thrill rides, and conservation initiatives. With a strong focus on guest experiences, it combines education, entertainment, and wildlife rescue efforts. The company continues to expand its offerings while navigating industry challenges and public perceptions

Objective

The client faced operational roadblocks due to an outdated SAP ECC system, originally designed for manufacturing rather than retail and hospitality. Their growing business—spanning ticketing, restaurants and retail—required a modern ERP solution. After an unsuccessful attempt with SAP’s preconfigured S/4HANA instance, they turned to Applexus for a tailored Greenfield implementation. The transformation aimed to deliver a scalable, analytics-driven, and automation-ready platform, empowering seamless operations and future growth.

Key Challenges

• Legacy System Misalignment – SAP ECC they depended on, was built for manufacturing and was missing retail, entertainment and customer activity data.
• Limited Functionalities – Only finance, plant maintenance and partial sales and procurement processes
  were supported by their existing ECC system.
• Inadequate Analytics & Workflow Automation – No real-time insights or approval workflows.
• Lack of Integration – The legacy MMS system, with fragmented retail, warehouse management and procurement processes, lacked integration with SAP ERP.
• Complexity in landscape – Several third-party applications implemented over time to capture specific retail transactions.

What We Did

• Conducted an In-Depth Assessment – Applexus AI-powered CeleRITE analyzed custom programs and user roles to identify active and inactive objects. 

• Suggested Applexus Value-adds – Proposed value-adds included integration of CAR solution, leveraging Fiori applications, workflow automation and embedded analytics in S/4HANA. 

• Engaged Key Project Stakeholders – Applexus executive sponsors collaborated closely with SeaWorld’s IT and business teams to assign functional and technical track leads for solution delivery. 

• Functional Workshops – Focused sessions held for finance, retail, procurement, master data, and warehouse management to refine processes.  

• Project setup and governance – Established a framework with proper tracking templates coupled with sciforma for successful execution of project activities. 

• Enabled Workflow Automation – Implemented Fiori-based workflows for real-time approvals and mobile accessibility. 

• Phased Transition – Completed the explore, build phase on time including SIT1, while the client teams transitioned to manage SIT2 & Go-Live.

Major Benefits Realized by the Client

• Future-Ready ERP – Transitioned from an outdated manufacturing-based system to a retail and customer centric S/4HANA solution. 

• Data-Driven Decision Making – Customer activity data, combined with embedded real-time analytics, empowered business leaders with actionable insights. 

• Seamless Workflow Automation – Fiori-enabled mobile approvals and self-service capabilities improved operational efficiency. 

• Enhanced Financial and Procurement Controls – Strengthened compliance and reporting for greater financial transparency. 

• Scalable IT Infrastructure – S/4HANA RISE, a modern cloud-based platform, designed to support future expansion and innovation while reducing operational costs.