100+
countries connected
7x
higher developer efficiency
Modernized
to the cloud in 6 months
To boost growth across its regional offices, Norwegian paint manufacturer Jotun modernized its data infrastructure to the cloud by partnering with Informatica and Snowflake. The new centralized data hub enables self-serve data catalogs to help local teams accelerate time to market. With 7x faster development, teams can streamline preparation for AI adoption and ESG compliance.
"Being a chemical company, maintaining compliance is crucial for our reputation and customer trust. We are incorporating ESG reporting into how we manage all data, and that wouldn't be possible without IDMC."
Installing a fresh coat of digital innovation
Approaching its centenary, the Sandefjord, Norway-based Jotun, one of the world's leading paint and coating manufacturers, has grown from local roots to become a multinational force operating 40 factories across five regions and serving customers in more than 100 countries. As global trade patterns shift towards fewer imports and sustainability requirements increase, Jotun recognized the need to evolve its data strategy to support localized business needs. The company had achieved something remarkable: maintaining a single, unified ERP system across its entire global operation. But as new solutions developed outside the ERP demanded more data, change was needed.
“Integration went from an ad-hoc process to something we are now trying to centralize, and increase capacity, quality and governance so that we know who uses what data and where,” says Gro Kamfjord, Head of Data at Jotun. “Having one ERP system simplifies what we are doing, but what’s good enough for reporting may not be good enough to use for integration.”
Under her leadership, the company embarked on an ambitious journey to modernize its data infrastructure and analytics from on-premises PowerCenter to the cloud. “We are in the transformation process, going from more classical BI into more general data governance and data delivery," she explains. “My mission is to enable our different markets to customize and digitize their business, so every team can utilize their data for whatever purpose they need.”
"Our partners at Microsoft and Snowflake assured us that Informatica is a huge player. Their advice was to think platform-first, instead of choosing disparate point solutions and then trying to stitch them together."
Rolling out cloud modernization in record time
When Jotun learned that its legacy data integration platform, PowerCenter, would soon be retired, data leadership seized the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive cloud modernization initiative. The company chose to simultaneously migrate PowerCenter workloads to Informatica’s cloud-native, AI-powered Intelligent Data Management Cloud™ (IDMC) and from on-premises SQL to Snowflake, establishing a modern, cloud-native data management infrastructure that would significantly reduce storage and processing costs.
The decision to choose IDMC was reinforced by consulting with Gartner analysts, who highlighted its market leadership across data integration, quality and analytics. The platform also seamlessly integrated with Jotun's existing Microsoft ecosystem, including Azure and Power BI. "Our partners at Microsoft and Snowflake assured us that Informatica is a huge player that offers a complete platform," Kamfjord explains. "Their advice was to think platform-first, instead of choosing disparate point solutions and then trying to stitch them together."
Throughout the cloud modernization process, pressure was high to not disrupt ongoing business operations. One lapsed workload could interrupt the flow of data from a fleet maintenance update or raw materials report. Kamfjord personally championed her team to focus on testing. Their familiarity with Informatica products, as well as support from Informatica’s PowerCenter Modernization program helped rapidly speed up the implementation.
“Having a team that is already proficient in PowerCenter, we were able to move everything to IDMC in less than six months,” says Kamfjord. “We wouldn’t have been able to do that from any of the other solutions, which would have taken three to four years with a lot of consultants.”
R&D blends global data for local success
With the implementation live, Jotun sought to empower its regional offices. The challenge was particularly evident in the R&D division, where a new initiative to centralize test results, product performance data and chemical information across all R&D departments revealed the critical importance of data quality and integration. As Kamfjord explains: "They wanted data from our production, chemical content of raw materials, products sold and complaints. In short, they wanted data from all across Jotun."
In the past, a data request like that would have been a massive effort. The information existed somewhere, but the data engineers didn’t necessarily know where to locate it or how to access it. With IDMC’s Cloud Data Governance and Catalog (CDGC) service, metadata scanners automatically find, curate and track the lineage of data assets across apps like Power BI, Workday, SharePoint and more. Pre-built cloud connectors, reusable templates and AI-powered CLAIRE® with its recommended steps further helped speed up the development process.
“One developer told me she used to spend all day creating one integration; now, she can do seven,” Kamfjord shares. "But in addition to that, Informatica gave us a framework and vocabulary for talking about things like good data governance and data quality or ownership.”
A central data hub for ESG reporting and compliance
The new platform's data governance capabilities also proved essential for managing Jotun's complex regulatory requirements. With automated policy enforcement and end-to-end data traceability, IDMC helps ensure consistent compliance across regions while reducing manual workload. The AI-powered features also enable advanced pattern detection for regulatory and environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting, while the cloud-native architecture provides the flexibility to adapt to new mandates cost-effectively.
"Being a chemical company, maintaining compliance is crucial for our reputation and customer trust," Kamfjord emphasizes. "There are always new requests for reporting around import and export, and our carbon footprint.”
Rather than creating separate silos for sustainability data, the company uses IDMC to integrate these requirements into a central data hub. CDGC makes it easier for teams to document different fields and workflows. “We are trying to incorporate ESG reporting into the way we manage all data, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that without IDMC to ensure a consistent business glossary across different processes,” says Kamfjord.
By making data more discoverable, CDGC helps the business teams find their own solutions, rather than waiting on consultations with busy sustainability leaders. “IDMC’s Cloud Data Governance and Catalog helps us avoid mistakes around unintended data use while accelerating time to market for new projects,” explains Kamfjord. “You don't have to wait for a resource to be able to participate in your project. You can have the process documented, not just in their heads.”
Sealing the deal on cloud modernization
Looking ahead, Jotun's roadmap includes moving its ERP system to the cloud while expanding its data governance program. The team also plans to incorporate additional IDMC capabilities such as Cloud Data Marketplace (CDMP) and new Cloud Data Quality (CDQ) modules.
By focusing on modern, AI-powered data governance that promotes regional flexibility, Jotun is showing the world how a century-old industrial company can transform into a data-driven enterprise – without compromising stability.
Inside the solution
More Success Stories
Emeria fuses real estate data for European growth
Petmate fetches a winning cloud data strategy
SUBARU shifts data integration into high gear
