tesa turns to Kinaxis for global planning overhaul

tesa has chosen Kinaxis for a global supply chain and integrated business planning transformation following what the companies described as an extensive evaluation.

The adhesive products manufacturer aims to move planning operations away from regionally fragmented processes towards a centrally governed global model. Kinaxis will provide the technology platform for that shift as part of a multi-year programme.

tesa operates across six global regions and supplies both industrial customers and consumer markets. As operations expanded across functions, regions and business units, planning became more complex and increased the need for a more integrated system.

The Kinaxis Maestro platform has been selected as the foundation for the programme. According to the announcement, it will bring together demand, supply, inventory, and sales and operations planning in one environment.

The approach is intended to give the business broader visibility across its supply chain and support faster decision-making as it navigates volatility in global markets. tesa also wants a planning structure that can scale with growth and support more consistent governance across the organisation.

Andreas Rummert outlined the operational backdrop to the decision.

"tesa is operating at a higher level of global scale and complexity than ever before," said Andreas Rummert, Head of Global Operations, tesa. "Our ambition is to establish integrated business planning as a core enterprise capability that enables faster, more confident decision-making and helps us respond quickly to changing market and customer needs. To support our growth and innovation agenda, we needed a platform with global visibility, speed and strong scenario capabilities. Kinaxis Maestro, with its powerful orchestration capabilities, was the clear choice to support this ambition."

Technology focus

The selection was also presented as part of a wider technology strategy at tesa. Collaboration between supply chain teams and digital and IT functions was a key factor in the choice, alongside integration requirements and the ability to support future planning needs.

Christoph Hummel said the project would have implications beyond day-to-day supply chain planning.

"Choosing Kinaxis as our strategic partner accelerates tesa's AI strategy by embedding advanced analytics and AI-driven decision support directly into our core planning processes," said Christoph Hummel, Head of DIT, tesa. "At the same time, we retain clear ownership of our planning model, decision logic and governance. From a technology perspective, this transformation modernizes our planning architecture and strengthens collaboration between Supply Chain and Digital & IT to sustainably build analytics and AI-enabled planning capabilities across the enterprise."

Kinaxis, which is listed in Toronto, has been expanding its presence among manufacturers managing complex international supply chains. tesa's requirements involved a high degree of organisational and operational complexity, making scale and speed important factors in the selection process.

The platform was also chosen in part for its ability to support scenario analysis across different parts of the supply chain in a single system. That is intended to help companies test the impact of changing demand, supply disruptions, and inventory shifts before making operational decisions.

European push

The deal also points to Kinaxis' wider push in Europe, particularly among industrial and specialty materials companies. For tesa, the agreement marks a step towards a more standardised planning process across a business that has grown over many decades and now spans multiple regional structures.

tesa has a 130-year history and is known for adhesive tapes and self-adhesive product solutions. As its product portfolio and geographic footprint expanded, the company needed a planning foundation that could support quicker decisions across the enterprise without relying on disconnected regional processes.

Fabienne Cetre, the senior Kinaxis executive responsible for sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the project reflected the demands now being placed on supply chain systems by large manufacturers.

"tesa had highly complex requirements," said Fabienne Cetre, EVP EMEA Sales, Kinaxis. "With Maestro, we can support tesa in building a globally consistent and scalable supply chain planning backbone that helps the organization respond faster while building a strong foundation for the future. This collaboration reflects Kinaxis' continued momentum in Europe, particularly within specialty materials and advanced manufacturing, with Maestro selected for its industry-leading ability to support the most complex organizational transformations."