Founded in 1912 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Koppers is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Serving industries including railroads, utilities, construction, and infrastructure, Koppers develops sustainable solutions that preserve and enhance critical assets around the world. As the company continued to grow and expand its portfolio, it recognized the need to modernize its technology landscape to support future scalability and operational excellence.
Business Challenges
Koppers’ legacy technology environment had become increasingly difficult to maintain and scale. Across the organization, finance and operations relied on multiple Microsoft Navision instances, custom applications, and complex Excel-based processes that created inefficiencies and limited visibility. Financial consolidation activities were heavily manual, requiring extensive reconciliations and lengthy close cycles, while cash flow reporting depended on complicated spreadsheets that demanded significant effort from the business.
The fragmented environment also hindered reporting capabilities and made it challenging to establish a consistent, enterprise-wide view of financial and operational performance. Meanwhile, growth and evolving business requirements created pressure to standardize processes, improve supply chain efficiency, and provide a scalable platform capable of supporting the company’s long-term strategy.
Approach
Koppers partnered with Peloton Consulting Group to embark on a multi-year digital transformation initiative designed to unify and modernize finance and operations. Beginning with a Phase 0 approach, Peloton worked closely with Koppers leadership to establish a shared vision, define key objectives, and develop a phased road map that would deliver incremental value while minimizing disruption.
The transformation included the implementation of Oracle Cloud ERP and Oracle Cloud SCM to standardize financial and supply chain processes across the enterprise. Core capabilities spanning General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Inventory, Manufacturing, Cost Management, and Order Management were integrated to create a more connected operating environment.
To modernize financial close and reporting, Peloton also implemented Oracle Cloud EPM Financial Consolidation and Close. Automated data integrations and cash flow calculations replaced manual reconciliations and spreadsheet-driven processes, while enhanced reporting capabilities provided management and executives with direct access to timely financial information. Together, these solutions established a modern platform built on Oracle best practices, designed to support future growth.
Business Impact
By replacing fragmented legacy systems with Oracle Cloud, Koppers transformed both its financial and operational processes. Manual reconciliation activities were significantly reduced, accelerating the close process and allowing finance teams to focus on analysis and strategic decision-making rather than data collection. Automated cash flow reporting and streamlined integrations improved accuracy and strengthened financial governance. On the operations side, modernized supply chain processes enhanced efficiency across procurement, order management, inventory, and cost management. Standardized workflows and improved visibility provided greater transparency throughout the organization, while the scalable cloud architecture positioned Koppers to avoid costly upgrades and support future growth initiatives.
Most importantly, Koppers established a technology foundation capable of evolving alongside the business. The company can now deliver sustainable solutions to customers worldwide while driving greater efficiency, insight, and operational resilience.
Summary
Koppers’ transformation reflects the power of aligning people, processes, and technology around a shared vision for growth. By partnering with Peloton and leveraging Oracle Cloud ERP, SCM, and EPM, Koppers replaced manual, disconnected systems with a modern, integrated platform that delivers greater visibility, automation, and scalability.
The result is a stronger operational and financial foundation, one that supports the company’s mission of preserving and enhancing infrastructure around the world while also positioning Koppers for continued innovation and long-term success.
