Case Study: Metcash Limited achieves robust controls, automated risk detection and US$8.4M in savings with ACL Direct Link (ACL)

Applied Analytics Support Control Assurance In A Diverse Business Environment

Metcash Limited is Australia’s largest food and liquor wholesaler, with US$12.6 billion in annual sales and about 5,000 employees across two major divisions. Facing a mature, tightly regulated market and a fragmented IT environment with legacy systems, diverse data types and inconsistent controls—especially among independent retailers—internal auditors struggled with manual, time‑consuming data collection that left the business exposed to cost leakage, fraud and compliance risk.

Metcash implemented ACL Direct Link and a suite of automated analytics (about 70 standardized tests) to connect to SAP and other platforms, run overnight, and deliver timely exception reports. The program enabled daily/weekly monitoring across asset management, fraud detection, data integrity and compliance, converted hard‑copy reports into digital form, and produced measurable results: more than US$8.4 million in duplicate payments identified over three years, reduced tote losses and other cost savings, improved vendor‑master controls and earlier detection of control breakdowns—efforts that earned Metcash an ACL Impact Award.

Metcash Limited

Glen Laslett

FCA, FCIS, CIA, CCSA, CISA, CRMA, ACDA, Group Audit Manager