AkzoNobel builds portfolio of 60+ autonomous AI agents on RISE with SAP and Databricks foundation
AkzoNobel · Netherlands
AkzoNobel consolidated 46 ERP systems down to a planned 4, standardizing on RISE with SAP and harmonizing master data with Deloitte, then connected the SAP environment to Databricks to combine structured and unstructured data for AI. On this foundation, AkzoNobel's IT organization built a portfolio of more than 60 AI agents that autonomously execute tasks such as releasing credit blocks and handling HR and logistics transactions, fully autonomously carrying out more than 750,000 actions in the first nine months, with 90% of credit blocks now resolved automatically.
Overview
AkzoNobel consolidated 46 ERP systems down to a planned 4, standardizing on RISE with SAP and harmonizing master data with Deloitte, then connected the SAP environment to Databricks to combine structured and unstructured data for AI. On this foundation, AkzoNobel's IT organization built a portfolio of more than 60 AI agents that autonomously execute tasks such as releasing credit blocks and handling HR and logistics transactions, fully autonomously carrying out more than 750,000 actions in the first nine months, with 90% of credit blocks now resolved automatically.
The challenge
AkzoNobel, a global paints and coatings producer, ran on dozens of different IT systems, which meant data-driven working had long not been something the company could take for granted; a standardized data landscape was a precondition for AI-driven innovation.
The solution
AkzoNobel consolidated 46 ERP systems down to 5 (with 4 planned for early 2026), harmonizing its Customer, Product and Vendor master data domains into one workflow running on RISE with SAP in the cloud, working with Deloitte on data modelling and KPI harmonization. AkzoNobel also built an Enterprise Data Warehouse giving a single source of truth for production, logistics and finance data, and connected the SAP environment to a Databricks-based analytics ecosystem that combines structured and unstructured data from SAP, production environments and external sources for analysis, modelling and LLM-based natural-language querying. On this foundation, AkzoNobel's IT organization built a portfolio of more than 60 AI agents that autonomously execute tasks such as releasing credit blocks and handling HR and logistics transactions, choosing full automation over human-in-the-loop models.
Reported business value
In the first nine months, the AI agents fully autonomously carried out more than 750,000 actions. The credit-block agent, which previously required thousands of manual actions per month, now resolves 90% of blocks fully automatically; AkzoNobel says this shortens delivery times, improves cash flow and increases customer satisfaction.
Sources
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