How a retail chain prepared for a successful ERP migration and digital transformation through a people-centric approach to business processes

Sport 24, Denmark’s largest sports retail chain, found itself at a critical juncture. With over 1,500 employees and an annual turnover of 1.5 billion DKK, the company faced the dual challenge of upgrading their legacy ERP system while maintaining operational stability. Past attempts to migrate to a new ERP, Microsoft Dynamics Business Central, had failed due to a lack of clarity in their processes.

Determined to break the cycle, Sport 24 turned to Gluu’s business process management (BPM) system to build the solid foundation needed for success.

The result? A seamless ERP migration, a stronger organization, and newfound readiness for growth.

“Gluu paved the way for our ERP success. We’re no longer guessing at how our business works. Now, we’re using our processes and technology as a launch pad for growth. With Gluu, we gained the clarity we needed to give our business ‘superpowers’.” — Lars Elsborg, CEO, Sport 24 

For many companies, implementing a new ERP system is a complex and often risky endeavor. Sport 24, Denmark’s largest sports retail chain, knew this firsthand. With 1,500 employees and 900 store-based workers, their attempt to transition to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central (BC) had previously failed. This was due to a fundamental issue: their business processes were unclear, fragmented, and undocumented. 

Determined to break this pattern and ensure a successful ERP implementation, Sport 24 turned to Gluu. The result? Not only did Sport 24 successfully migrate to a new ERP system, but they also built a stronger, more scalable business in the process. 

The Challenge: A Failed ERP Migration and Process Blind Spots 

Like many large organizations, Sport 24 had relied on a legacy ERP system for years. Over time, it had become an increasingly complex patchwork of custom solutions, making it difficult to adapt to changing business needs. When Microsoft announced the end of support for their existing ERP, Sport 24 attempted to move to BC —but the project stalled. 

CEO Lars Elsborg describes the situation: 

“We were constrained by technology rather than supported by it. The previous system made it incredibly difficult to execute new initiatives. And when we first tried to transition to Business Central, we realized we simply didn’t have the clarity we needed to succeed.” 

The core issue wasn’t the ERP system itself—it was Sport 24’s lack of visibility into their own business processes. Their workflows were undocumented, siloed across departments, and not aligned with the new ERP system’s structure. Without clear processes, the migration was destined to fail. 

The Solution: Gluu’s Process-First Approach 

Recognizing that their ERP migration needed a strong process foundation, Sport 24 turned to Gluu. Their main reason for selecting Gluu was that unlike traditional BPM systems that are often clunky and difficult for non-technical users, Gluu makes process documentation accessible to everyone—enabling teams to map, analyze, and improve workflows collaboratively. 

Sport 24’s approach with Gluu was systematic and structured: 

• Process Mapping at Scale: Over a two-month period, 25 employees documented 1,000 activities across 100 key processes. 

• Uncovering Inefficiencies: The team identified gaps, redundancies, and areas for automation—allowing them to streamline operations before ERP implementation. 

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: By breaking down silos, Gluu helped employees at all levels understand how their work connected to the larger business strategy. 

“We used to have processes that were fragmented and documented in silos,” explains Frank K Jensen, the Sport 24 Head of IT and digitalisation. “Now, we see them as complete, end-to-end workflows. This has been a game-changer for us.” 

The Results: A Successful ERP Migration and Long-Term Business Gains 

With Gluu paving the way, Sport 24’s second attempt at migrating to Microsoft Dynamics Business Central succeeded where the first one failed. By ensuring their business processes were well-documented and optimized before implementation, they were able to align the ERP system with real operational needs. 

Beyond just implementing an ERP system, Sport 24 experienced long-term benefits from adopting a process-first approach: 

1. Process Clarity and Continuous Optimization 

Now that Sport 24’s processes and standard operating procedures are documented in Gluu, the company continues to use it to identify automation opportunities and efficiency gains across the business. 

“Gluu helps us spot where processes can be optimized or automated,” Frank Jensen continues. “Instead of just reacting to issues, we proactively improve how we work.” 

2. A Future-Proof ERP System 

By mapping their processes in Gluu, Sport 24 has built a framework that allows them to manage ERP system updates with confidence—a key factor as they move to the cloud-based version of Business Central. 

“BC is a cloud-based solution that updates twice a year. With Gluu, we can now easily identify which processes will be affected by these updates and make adjustments proactively,” explains the Head of IT & Digitalisation at Sport 24. 

3. Scalability for Growth 

With their ERP system and business processes aligned, Sport 24 is now positioned for international expansion, with plans to enter three new markets in 2025. Unlike before, where system limitations held them back, their process-first approach ensures they can scale seamlessly. 

“We now have a structure in place that makes it easy to replicate and scale our operations. That’s a massive competitive advantage.” 

4. A Cultural Shift Toward Process Excellence 

One of the most unexpected but valuable outcomes has been the shift in mindset across Sport 24. Employees no longer see process work as an administrative burden, but as a core driver of business success. 

“Before Gluu, we thought we needed to hire external process experts. But the tool is so intuitive that we were able to manage everything internally”, the IT head continues. “Now, process work is second nature to us.” 

Conclusion: From Uncertainty to Clarity—How Gluu Transformed Sport 24 

Sport 24’s journey illustrates a critical lesson: ERP success isn’t about technology—it’s about business clarity. Their initial failure to migrate to Business Central wasn’t due to software limitations, but due to a lack of visibility into their own workflows. 

By using Gluu to document, analyze, and optimize their processes, Sport 24 was able to: 

✅ Successfully implement Microsoft Dynamics Business Central 
✅ Identify and eliminate inefficiencies before ERP go-live 
✅ Ensure long-term ERP adaptability in a cloud-based environment 
✅ Enable company-wide collaboration and process ownership 
✅ Lay the groundwork for international expansion 

As Sport 24 moves forward, Gluu remains an integral part of their business strategy. With clearly mapped processes, they can continue to evolve, optimize, and scale—ensuring that their technology investments always support, rather than hinder, business growth. 

“Gluu paved the way for our success,” Elsborg reflected. “We’re no longer guessing at how our business works. Now, we’re using our processes and technology as a launch pad for growth. With Gluu, we gained the clarity we needed to give our business superpowers.”