Kao
14-10, Nihonbashi Kayabacho 1-chome, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo, 103-8210,
Japan
Tokyo, 103-8210,
Japan
81 3 3660 7111
Manufacturing
Kao Technographics
Kao Technographics, Software Purchases, AI and Digital Transformation Initiatives
Discover the latest software purchases and digital transformation initiatives being undertaken by Kao and its business and technology executives. Each quarter our research team identifies on-prem and cloud applications that are being used by the 32566 Kao employees from the public (Press Releases, Customer References, Testimonials, Case Studies and Success Stories) and proprietary sources.
During our research, we have identified that Kao has purchased the following applications: SAP S/4 HANA for ERP Financial in 2023, Greenhouse ATS for Applicant Tracking System in 2023, SAP BW (Business Warehouse) for Data Warehouse in 2023 and the related IT decision-makers and key stakeholders.
Our database provides customer insight and contextual information on which enterprise applications and software systems Kao is running and its propensity to invest more and deepen its relationship with SAP , Greenhouse , Microsoft or identify new suppliers as part of their overall Digital and IT transformation projects to stay competitive, fend off threats from disruptive forces, or comply with internal mandates to improve overall enterprise efficiency.
We have been analyzing Kao revenues, which have grown to $11.31 billion in 2024, plus its IT budget and roadmap, cloud software purchases, aggregating massive amounts of data points that form the basis of our forecast assumptions for Kao intention to invest in emerging technologies such as AI, Machine Learning, IoT, Blockchain, Autonomous Database or in cloud-based ERP, HCM, CRM, EPM, Procurement or Treasury applications.
Kao Tech Stack and Enterprise Applications
ERP Financial Management
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAP | Legacy | SAP S/4 HANA | ERP Financial | ERP Financial Management | Accenture | 2023 | 2023 |
In 2023 Kao implemented SAP S/4 HANA as part of a global renewal of its core systems, deploying the application to address data silo fragmentation and to advance its K25 mid-term plan. The SAP S/4 HANA deployment is an ERP Financial renewal intended to unify finance, sales, production, procurement, and inventory data across regional and business domains and to support a cloud-first operating model for core ERP and surround systems.
Kao configured SAP S/4 HANA to cover global finance processes and transactional modules while migrating surround analytics and planning components such as SAP BW and BPC into a hybrid cloud configuration. The project initially pursued a Fit to Standard approach, then adopted a straight conversion strategy for critical custom programs, converting code to S/4 HANA formats without source modification and prioritizing enterprise-wide functions before local or infrequently used features. The application server footprint remained on Windows Server, while the database runtime was migrated to HANA on Linux.
The deployment architecture centers on SAP on Azure, with Azure NetApp Files deployed as the primary storage platform for HANA, supporting snapshot-based instant cloning, region-to-region replication between Japan East and Japan West, and DR orchestration. Integrations explicitly implemented include Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Data Lake as the enterprise data lake, Azure Active Directory for single sign-on and SAML authentication, Azure Backup for HANA, Azure Update Management for Linux patching, and Azure ExpressRoute to provide private connectivity to on-premise systems. Surround systems run in a hybrid configuration to enable staged regional cutovers, and about 50 high-frequency interface jobs operate on the ANF platform as a file-based integration layer.
Governance and rollout were organized as a joint program with Accenture leading migration planning, system implementation, and technical verification, and Microsoft providing technical support and best practices. The rollout sequencing was defined to start in Asia followed by Europe, the US, and Japan, with remote delivery coordinated via Microsoft Teams and a dedicated Basis and infrastructure team handling design and testing. Operational outcomes reported by Kao include faster HANA DB restores and system refreshes using ANF snapshots, stable high-frequency interfaces on ANF, daily backups across seven production systems without performance degradation, and early infrastructure efficiencies through Azure Monitor, consolidated backup and DR, and streamlined identity and access management.
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HCM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenhouse | Legacy | Greenhouse ATS | Applicant Tracking System | HCM | n/a | 2023 | 2023 |
In 2023, Kao implemented Greenhouse ATS on their corporate website as its Applicant Tracking System solution. The deployment of Greenhouse ATS is presented as a web-facing recruiting front end to capture external applicants, aligning the application name Greenhouse ATS with on-site career pages and candidate submission workflows.
The implementation focuses on core Applicant Tracking System capabilities, including job requisition publishing, candidate intake and profile management, interview orchestration, offer tracking, and recruiting-stage reporting consistent with standard ATS functionality. Configuration work emphasized structured hiring pipelines, role-based administrative controls, and candidate experience flows within Greenhouse ATS to ensure alignment with Kao recruiting processes.
Operational coverage centers on Kao Talent Acquisition and HR teams using the corporate website to route external applicants into Greenhouse ATS for downstream evaluation and workflow management. Governance emphasis in the rollout included configuration of recruiting workflows, user role segmentation for hiring managers and recruiters, and centralized administration of requisitions and candidate records within Greenhouse ATS.
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Analytics and BI
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAP | Legacy | SAP BW (Business Warehouse) | Data Warehouse | Analytics and BI | n/a | 2023 | 2023 |
In 2023, Kao implemented SAP BW (Business Warehouse) as the centralized Data Warehouse under its K25-driven SAP renewal program. SAP BW (Business Warehouse) was deployed to provide a unified analytics and reporting layer that consolidates reporting across Kao’s Hygiene and Living Care, Health and Beauty Care, Life Care, Cosmetics, and Chemical Businesses.
The implementation focused on delivering cross-regional data analysis and on-demand reporting, replacing a prior manual process of aggregating data into Microsoft Excel. The SAP BW deployment included standardization of codes and settings to resolve data silo issues across Asia, Europe, and the US, and enabled enterprise reporting workflows and data models to be reused across business domains.
Architecturally SAP BW was deployed in a hybrid cloud configuration alongside surround systems that have been migrated to cloud, integrating with Microsoft Azure services. Explicit integrations include Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Data Lake as upstream and downstream analytics platforms, Azure Active Directory for single sign-on and SAML authentication, and Azure NetApp Files used as the storage platform supporting HANA database snapshots and fast system refreshes. The project used Azure ExpressRoute for private connectivity to on-premise servers and leveraged Azure Backup for HANA and Azure Update Management for Linux patching.
Governance and rollout were executed as part of Kao’s global SAP renewal, with Accenture leading migration planning and technical implementation and Microsoft providing platform-level technical support. The program used a straight conversion approach for necessary programs to S/4HANA to limit source code changes, prioritized development for enterprise-wide and immediate local functionality, and conducted much of the project remotely using Microsoft Teams while phasing S/4HANA conversions beginning in Asia then moving to Europe, the US, and Japan.
Reported operational outcomes include improved backup and DR capabilities using ANF with region to region replication, faster system refresh and HANA DB restores enabled by instant cloning and snapshots, stable high frequency interface processing on ANF, and observed efficiencies and cost reductions from running infrastructure on Azure. Kao is also leveraging Azure Monitor for streamlined system monitoring and plans to explore further analytics and security extensions such as Azure Synapse Analytics and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
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Data Warehouse | Analytics and BI |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Collaboration
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Audio Video and Web Conferencing | Collaboration |
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2019 | 2019 |
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Collaboration | Collaboration |
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2015 | 2015 |
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Content Management
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Digital Asset Management | Content Management |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Digital Signing | Content Management |
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2021 | 2021 |
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CRM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Customer Experience | CRM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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Marketing Analytics | CRM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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Marketing Automation | CRM |
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2006 | 2006 |
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Marketing Automation | CRM |
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2017 | 2017 |
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Sales Automation, CRM, Sales Engagement | CRM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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TRM
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Governance, Risk and Compliance | TRM |
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2021 | 2021 |
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PaaS
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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API Management | PaaS |
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2017 | 2017 |
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IaaS
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Application Hosting and Computing Services | IaaS |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Application Hosting and Computing Services | IaaS |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Backup as a Service (BaaS) | IaaS |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Cloud Storage | IaaS |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Cloud Storage | IaaS |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Content Delivery Network | IaaS |
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2014 | 2014 |
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Database Management | IaaS |
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2023 | 2023 |
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CyberSecurity
Vendor |
Previous System |
Application |
Category |
Market |
VAR/SI |
When |
Live |
Insight |
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Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) | CyberSecurity |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Identity and Access Management (IAM) | CyberSecurity |
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2020 | 2020 |
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Identity and Access Management (IAM) | CyberSecurity |
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2023 | 2023 |
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Secure Web Gateways (SWG) | CyberSecurity |
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2013 | 2013 |
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IT Decision Makers and Key Stakeholders at Kao
| First Name | Last Name | Title | Function | Department | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No data found | ||||||
Apps Being Evaluated by Kao Executives
APPS RUN THE WORLD tracks software evaluation trends across 2 million companies worldwide, including buyer insights from Kao IT executives and key decision makers. As part of ARTW Buyer Intent and technographics insights, these findings provide useful visibility into the Kao digital transformation priorities and AI adoption trends.
| Date | Company | Status | Vendor | Product | Category | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No data found | ||||||
FAQ - APPS RUN THE WORLD Kao Technographics
Kao is a Manufacturing organization based in Japan,
with around 32566 employees and annual revenues of $11.31 billion.
Kao operates a diverse technology stack with applications such as
SAP S/4 HANA, Greenhouse ATS and SAP BW (Business Warehouse),
covering areas like ERP Financial, Applicant Tracking System and Data Warehouse.
Kao has invested in cloud applications and AI-driven platforms to optimize efficiency and growth,
collaborating with vendors such as SAP and Greenhouse.
Kao recently adopted applications including
SAP S/4 HANA in 2023, Greenhouse ATS in 2023 and SAP BW (Business Warehouse) in 2023,
highlighting its ongoing modernization strategy.
APPS RUN THE WORLD maintains an up-to-date database of Kao’s key decision makers and IT executives,
available to Premium subscribers.
Our research team continuously updates Kao’s profile with verified software purchases,
vendor relationships, and digital initiatives identified from public and proprietary sources.
Subscribe to APPS RUN THE WORLD to access the complete Kao technographics profile,
including detailed breakdowns by category, vendor, and IT decision makers.