COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE The grocer abandoned an SAP retail implementation in December 2000 after the system crashed, leaving many store shelves bare in the crucial pre-Christmas period and forcing Sobeys to take a $50 million write down on its earnings. SAP was given a second chance though, and Sobeys successfully completed a regional SAP for Retail implementation in 2004. Sobeys was back at Sapphire this year as part of a panel on directions and challenges for food retailers, and rather than delve into past problems, Sobeys senior vice-president and CIO Clinton Keay said he'd rather "focus on the positives" in the company's SAP history. The grocer has used SAP since 1996 for financials, later adding payroll, human resources and, of course, retail management.