Over the last 20 years, Carlsberg has evolved to become the world’s fourth largest brewery, now managing over 140 beer brands including Kronenbourg, 1664 and Falcon. For all of these different brands to work together, collaboration is absolutely critical.  

“We needed everybody to start working together,” said Anders Munck, enterprise architect at Carlsberg Group. “We started this journey changing how people collaborate in this business. That was an initial conversation with Microsoft.”

With this in mind, Carlsberg Group decided to move to Microsoft Office 365, a cloud-based collective of Microsoft Office services. “That unleashed a digital transformation across the company, and a crucial pillar of that shift involves business to consumers,” said Etienne Dock, chief technology officer at Carlsberg Group. “We are living in a new age. Our consumers are changing the way they want to interact with our brands. When they come to buy and consume our brands, they need to feel that they have the same kind of experience.”

To create this coveted experience, Carlsberg is using tools, including Azure, to create “the connected bar,” where patrons enter a tavern and are instantly recognised by their consumer data and – based on what’s known about their individual tastes – learn about to the latest beer promotions.

The digital evolution also extends across the company. Carlsberg Group spans 40,000 employees in 27 countries.

Those employees are equipped with Office 365, using the same cloud productivity services to strip away geographical barriers that could otherwise slow teamwork. Increased mobility among employees allows them to work together to build a brand that’s global, yet caters to local tastes. The company is also in the midst of deploying Windows 10, investing in Surface and exploring Windows Hub.

“There is a physical relationship between a consumer and the beer,” Dock said. “The whole idea of this physical experience starts way before – in the digital world.”

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