Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, has 23,000 employees across 13 European countries and needed to move away from fragmented local systems towards a single global payroll solution. By implementing ADP’s integrated global payroll solution, connected to its core HR platform, CCEP has been able to standardise processes, strengthen governance and gain a clearer view of payroll data across its European operations.
CCEP at a glance:
- Headquarters: Uxbridge, UK
- Industry: Manufacturing
- 23,000 employees across 13 European countries
- Shareholder revenue of 12 billion
- Gross operating profit of 1.7 billion
Not a lot of players in the market can deliver pan-country standardisation, data processes, systems and governance – that’s the added value of ADP
Nico Orie,
VP, People & Culture Function Strategy and Service
Coca-Cola European Partners
Who is Coca-Cola European Partners?
Coca-Cola European Partners is a producer and distributor for The Coca-Cola Company and is the largest Coca-Cola soda retailer in the world, with shareholder revenue of 12 billion and a gross operating profit of 1.7 billion. With 23,000 employees across 13 European countries, CCEP processes a vast volume of HR and payroll data where accuracy, timeliness, and compliance are essential to keeping the business running smoothly.
In 2014, as organisations increasingly centralised HR operations and adopted shared HCM services, CCEP recognised it needed not just a single HR system but a standardised approach for both HR and payroll to fully leverage the power of payroll across its footprint.
What challenges was Coca-Cola European Partners trying to solve?
Like many large global organisations, CCEP had evolved a scattered internal landscape of HR and payroll solutions from multiple vendors, using a mix of on-premises and off-premises systems. Over time, complexity has crept into processes and systems, making it harder to maintain transparency, consistency, and robust governance in payroll operations.
Key outcomes include:
- Fragmented systems: HR and payroll were spread across multiple vendors, with a mix of on-premises and off-premises tools that had grown more complex over time.
- Local compliance complexity: each market needed payroll that could adapt to its own legislative and regulatory requirements while still feeding wider inter-regional systems.
- Limited consistency: with local regions working independently and using different systems, CCEP lacked one common approach and one shared internal “payroll language” for HR and payroll teams.
- Higher business risk: leadership viewed payroll as a foundational capability that had to remain secure, compliant, and accurate to protect employee engagement and business performance.
How ADP helped CCEP transform payroll
To address these challenges, CCEP adopted the ADP Global Payroll solution, with enhanced integration into its SuccessFactors core HR system. This gave the business a single, consistent view of payroll across 13 countries and streamlined data, processes, and ways of working.
ADP was chosen for:
- Regional compliance expertise. Helping CCEP manage different fiscal systems, fast-changing local regulations, and country-specific requirements.
- Pan-country governance and consistency. Supporting a more aligned approach to data, processes, systems, and governance across 13 countries.
- Integration with core HR. Connecting payroll with SuccessFactors core HR in one seamless end-to-end process.
- Long-term platform value. Giving CCEP a solution it could get right first time, reduce risk, and rely on as the business and regulatory environment continued to evolve.
For CCEP, switching payroll providers was recognised as a significant undertaking and investment, so it was critical to get the choice right first time and establish a global payroll solution that could adapt as the business and regulatory environment continue to evolve.
How was the ADP rollout delivered across multiple countries?
Rolling out ADP Global Payroll across multiple European countries was a complex task, but CCEP needed a solution that could work across different local requirements while still supporting a consistent framework. ADP’s expertise helped the business manage that complexity, connect payroll with core HR, and build confidence in the rollout.
Implementation highlights:
- Multi-country complexity. Each region operated under different fiscal systems, rapidly changing local regulations and specific tax compliance requirements.
- Regional compliance expertise. ADP’s experience in regional compliance and global standardisation was key to transforming CCEP’s payroll processes.
- End-to-end integration. ADP’s payroll and core HR integration experience helped CCEP create a seamless end-to-end process.
- Confidence in local delivery. The rollout gave CCEP confidence that local requirements could be met within a single framework.
- Foundation for the future. CCEP appeared with a unified global payroll solution integrated with core HR, creating a secure platform for future growth and change.
What did Coca-Cola European Partners achieve with ADP?
By standardising HR and payroll systems with ADP Global Payroll, CCEP has created a shared language around payroll internationally, which has strengthened internal collaboration and integration, and empowered its international team to make smarter decisions and better leverage internal capabilities.
One integrated global payroll solution connected with core HR, delivering a single view of payroll data across 13 countries.
Key outcomes include:
- Stronger collaboration and smarter decisions. Bringing HR and payroll onto a shared footing created a common international payroll language, improved integration, and helped teams make better use of internal capabilities.
- More agility and operational control. A more consistent system and simplified technology architecture gives CCEP greater flexibility to respond to change in payroll and manage wider organisational change more effectively.
- Better data insight. One aggregated source of payroll data improved analysis gave a broader company-wide view and made it easier to identify themes and trends across regions over time.
- Greater resilience and employee focus. The robust system supported continuity during COVID-19, reinforced the importance of payroll accuracy and timeliness, and better positioned CCEP to support employee experience, resilience and future growth while reducing administration and helping the business focus on core priorities.
If payroll is not on time and not accurate, then whatever plans or culture strategies businesses have will not succeed.
Nico Orie
Looking ahead with ADP payroll
As CCEP continues to focus on resilience, employee experience and long-term change, ADP’s global payroll solution provides a secure platform that can evolve with the business.
The feedback from CCEP highlights that ADP is more than a payroll provider. It reflects confidence in ADP as a long-term partner that can support the business through change, help support consistency across markets, and provide the stability needed to keep payroll accurate, compliant, and connected to wider HR priorities. In that sense, the relationship is not only about solving today’s payroll challenges, but also about giving CCEP a stronger foundation for future growth and transformation.
For other organisations managing payroll across multiple countries, the case shows how ADP’s global payroll services can support consistency, compliance, integration, and stronger operational control at scale.
Building a future-ready culture with a growth mindset and an openness to change is essential.
Nico Orie
