Bridging the Gap Between Risk Management and Operational Success

Revolutionized the client's governance, risk, and compliance landscape by implementing SAP GRC solutions, enhancing operational efficiency, and compliance visibility, and ensuring robust data security in the petrochemical industry.

December 19, 2025

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Client overview

Established in 1985 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the organization is a leader in the petrochemical industry with a refining capacity of 305,000 barrels per day. Known for its significant contributions and diversified chemical portfolio, it excels in governance and risk management, earning accolades such as the President’s Affiliate Excellence Award in the Environment & Energy category.

Solution offered

A comprehensive Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) framework was implemented within an SAP ECC 6.0 environment to strengthen authorization management and regulatory compliance. The initiative began with a detailed feasibility study to identify gaps in visibility and control across financial and logistics operations. Leveraging SAP GRC integrated with existing systems, user roles and permissions were thoroughly analyzed to eliminate Segregation of Duties (SoD) conflicts and reduce unauthorized access risks. Custom authorization cleanup tools further streamlined access management, improving accuracy and operational efficiency.

The solution was enhanced by integrating non-SAP tools for quality assurance and testing, creating a scalable and future-ready compliance framework. Automation reduced reliance on manual change management processes, lowering error rates and operational costs. Improved visibility, stronger data security, and optimized compliance controls ensured adherence to regulatory requirements while minimizing risk exposure. Overall, the initiative significantly strengthened governance practices, reduced compliance risks, and established a resilient foundation for long-term operational security and regulatory confidence.

Business challenges

  • Encountered substantial challenges in achieving visibility into authorizations heightened compliance and security risks.

  • Manual change management processes were cumbersome leading to inefficiencies and increased error rates.

  • The management of authorization and compliance was cost-intensive drained resources and budget.

  • Struggled to ensure adherence to stringent regulatory requirements risked penalties and fines.

Business outcomes

  • Achieved enhanced visibility and control over authorizations, effectively mitigating compliance risks.

  • Transitioned to automated change management processes, boosting efficiency and reducing errors.

  • Significantly lowered the costs associated with managing authorization and compliance, optimizing budget allocation.

  • Ensured rigorous compliance with all regulatory requirements, avoiding potential fines and enhancing the company’s compliance posture.

The impact

  • 20% reduction in authorization management costs.

  • 30% decrease in risk incidents.

  • 15% improvement in operational efficiency.

  • 100% SoD conflict-free roles achieved.