Sysco LABS in Sri Lanka: A Powerhouse of Fast Growth and Innovation

Discover how Sysco LABS is driving rapid growth and technological innovation in Sri Lanka.

Sysco, the world’s largest foodservice company, reports that its Sri Lanka operations, known locally as Sysco LABS, are growing twice as fast as other regions, prompting significant investments in capacity and capabilities. Established in 2013 and fully acquired by Sysco in 2017, Sysco LABS has become the company’s largest Global In-House Centre, playing a critical technology role for Sysco’s 72,000 colleagues, 325 distribution centres, and over 725,000 customer locations worldwide.

With $76 billion in revenues and a ranking within the top 60 Fortune companies, Sysco leads globally in selling, marketing, and distributing food products to various establishments, including restaurants, healthcare, and educational facilities. Sysco International operates in countries such as the Bahamas, Ireland, Costa Rica, Mexico, the UK, France, Sweden, Luxembourg, Panama, and Belgium, while its SYGMA operating companies serve chain restaurant locations.

Sysco LABS has become essential to Sysco’s corporate strategy, known as the “recipe for growth,” aimed at growing 1.5 times faster than the market. Tom Peck, Sysco Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer, highlighted the importance of Sysco LABS, which supports the company’s global technology operations with over 1,000 employees.

“We develop great sales tools, e-commerce platforms, and supply chain solutions, much of which is built and supported by Sysco LABS in Sri Lanka. This center is the heartbeat of our global technology operations,” emphasized Peck.

Sysco LABS houses Sysco Technology’s Global 24×7 Operations Command Centre, which develops and maintains Sysco’s e-Commerce platforms and operations. The latest expansion includes launching a Cyber Security Operations Centre, further diversifying its technological expertise.

Due to rapid growth outstripping capacity, Sysco plans to consolidate its operations into a single building within the next 24 months. The company also intends to bring more third-party spending to Sri Lanka, partly through growth and partly by insourcing work from other consulting companies.

Peck praised Sri Lanka’s talent pool, citing the high quality of local employees and their exceptional collaboration skills. “In my 30-plus year career across various countries, the talent and support from Colombo and Sri Lanka are the best I’ve seen,” said Peck, who joined Sysco three years ago.

Sysco LABS is committed to fostering a purpose-driven culture, reflected in its high employee engagement scores. The company takes pride in creating a supportive and career-oriented environment, which contributes to its high customer satisfaction scores for digital tools.

Sysco LABS offers compelling career opportunities, thanks to its extensive involvement in various technology domains, ranging from software engineering to artificial intelligence. It actively supports the local IT industry through knowledge sharing and capacity-building initiatives and contributes to the tech talent pipeline via programs like Project Summit.

Recognized as the Best Exporter in the ICT sector at the Presidential Export Awards for 2021/22 and 2022/23, Sysco LABS is a significant contributor to export revenue in Sri Lanka’s ICT sector. The company aims to continue its support for universities, ensuring a steady flow of talent and investment in new technologies.

With Sri Lanka stabilizing its economy after the challenges of 2020-22, Sysco is optimistic about future growth. “Stability, peace, and prosperity benefit both citizens and businesses. We are committed to contributing to Sri Lanka’s prosperity, which in turn benefits Sysco and our employees,” concluded Peck.

Sysco LABS remains dedicated to enhancing its brand integrity, talent, and philanthropic values, reinforcing its position as a leading technology corporation in Sri Lanka.