A scalable governance framework enables consistency and accountability, empowering teams to unlock the full value of data.
Delhaize, the well-known supermarket chain operating across Belgium and Luxembourg and part of the Ahold Delhaize Group, recognized the need to treat data as a strategic asset to unlock business value. Over time, rapid growth and a decentralized structure led to siloed operations, as each division relied on its own legacy systems and ad-hoc practices. Without unified governance or standard processes, insights became fragmented and inconsistent, making it hard to ensure accuracy, accountability, and transparency.
The organization relied on a wide range of systems, from spreadsheets and databases to ERP modules, which kept information isolated within each platform. This lack of integration limited visibility across the business, resulting in inefficiencies and making it difficult to centralize analytics.
As a result, teams had to spend significant time reconciling inconsistent metrics, diverting resources away from higher-value work. Recognizing the cost of unreliable insights, from project delays and wasted resources to potential lost trust and missed opportunities, Delhaize made a strategic commitment to building a data-driven culture.
Building a scalable framework from insight to impact
Over the course of a multi-year collaboration, BearingPoint helped Delhaize transform its data governance. The project began with a thorough review of existing practices, utilizing audits and surveys to identify gaps in quality, monitoring, and ownership of business information.
With these insights in hand, BearingPoint and Delhaize moved to implement a formal data governance framework, establishing key roles such as data owners and data stewards, and adapting global policies to meet local needs. The new roles focus on understanding and resolving data quality issues, ensuring strategic alignment and accountability while also promoting the adoption of new standards and processes.
To ensure a lasting impact, BearingPoint helped Delhaize to use its service management system, ServiceNow, to fix data management related incidents. The project team also conducted training and change management initiatives to build data literacy and embed governance practices.
With the strategy in place, BearingPoint implemented a structured data governance framework for Delhaize Belgium and Luxembourg. It then adapted and started rolling it out to Alfa Beta Vassilopoulos (Greece) and Mega Image (Romania), both part of the Ahold Delhaize Group.
“With a structured governance framework embedded in the business, Delhaize can now rely on accurate, consistent data to create compliant business value,” said Jan Henderyckx, Partner at BearingPoint. “By integrating governance into the business, Delhaize now transforms trusted data into compliant, strategic outcomes.”
Fostering operational efficiency through strategic governance
The newly implemented framework makes data a central part of Delhaize’s operations, bringing consistency, accountability, and reliable data. Efficiency improved through clearly defined roles, standardized processes, and reliable tools for documenting records and tracking issues.
The data governance framework emphasizes the importance of accurate analytics and lays the groundwork for a data-driven culture, where information is accessible throughout the organization and its full potential can be realized.
Collaboration has grown stronger thanks to the communities that promote cross-functional teamwork and shared responsibility for data management. As data literacy and ownership increased, day-to-day operations improved, and Delhaize is now better positioned to use its insights for innovation and future growth.
“The combination of technical expertise, data proficiency, deep understanding of the grocery retail industry, and the ability to seamlessly integrate with the teams represents a unique value proposition that BearingPoint delivers to organizations like Delhaize,” said Xavier Valentini, Director Data & Analytics at Delhaize.
