SAP Staff Augmentation: Powering Digital Manufacturing

The transformation of manufacturing companies into digital ones at an accelerated pace requires access to SAP experts who can help in integrating shop-floor activities, ERP systems, analytics, and intelligent manufacturing.
The manufacturing industry is going through significant changes at a rapid pace. Manufacturers are required to be efficient, quick in meeting customer demands, cost effective, and capable of decision-making based on live data. However, manufacturers are also implementing technologies that enable integration between production activities, enterprise resource planning, analytics, automation, and cloud computing.
In a recent Manufacturing Digital survey of MES software leaders, SAP Digital Manufacturing has been positioned as one of the top platforms currently in use for connecting manufacturing activities to business processes at large. SAP Digital Manufacturing is ranked second in the survey and includes such features as shop floor connectivity, analytics, planning, logistics, and integration within the SAP technology suite.
When companies have decided to implement or expand their SAP environment, it is not only about choosing the correct technology; it is about having the right people to implement, integrate, optimize, and support the platform as well.
Here comes the benefit of SAP staff augmentation.
From the Factory Floor to the Digital Enterprise
Think of a manufacturing firm that has spent money on advanced ERP technology and yet fails to link production data to its business decision-making.
The accounting department requires precise cost information. Procurement needs transparency in materials. The production department requires shop floor data. Executives require precise dashboards. The IT department requires integration services for various applications.
All of these may be in place, but bringing all these elements together requires expertise.
This is where the SAP consultant can come in handy.
With SAP S/4HANA for core business processes, SAP Digital Manufacturing for manufacturing processes, and SAP BTP for integration, application development, data management, and extension, companies can build their environment to be more integrated.
The problem is that each project requires a different set of skills at different stages.
For example, a company could need an SAP S/4HANA functional consultant when implementing SAP S/4HANA, an integration expert when connecting the systems, a manufacturing expert when deploying on the shop floor, or an analytics expert after the go-live.
It would not always be feasible to have all these skills internally.
Why Do Companies Prefer SAP Staff Augmentation?
SAP staff augmentation enables companies to integrate professionals within their current teams depending on project needs.
In contrast to hiring an entire and full-time team, companies have the possibility to utilize expert knowledge for a certain amount of time or a particular project.
For instance, the implementation of digital manufacturing by a company can be achieved through the hiring of SAP consultants who possess the following skills and experiences in:
SAP S/4HANA
SAP Digital Manufacturing
SAP BTP
SAP Analytics Cloud
Manufacturing Processes
ERP and MES integration
Data migration and testing
Process optimization
And, it provides flexibility to companies at the same time.
Integration of SAP S/4HANA With Manufacturing Processes
SAP S/4HANA provides a solid base to support business operations. In the context of manufacturing, this includes operations related to finance, purchasing, inventory, logistics, production planning, sales and many other operations.
If there is a requirement to integrate manufacturing processes and enterprise level processes, then the task may require involvement of special consultants to assist in the process of integration.
SAP Digital Manufacturing solutions can prove to be useful in the scenario described above to help integrate manufacturing floor activities with enterprise level processes.
Consultants can assist clients in their efforts to assess their business needs and support implementation of their initiatives.
The Importance of SAP BTP and Analytics in the Situation
Modern industry produces an overwhelming volume of information.
Information is being produced by machinery, ERP systems, logistics, quality control, and even business applications.
SAP BTP can assist organizations that want to link together different systems and applications and create integrated business processes.
In addition, SAP Analytics Cloud can help organizations to transform business data into dashboards, reporting, and planning.
An experienced consultant can advise how these solutions should be used within the entire architecture, rather than just being added as separate tools.
A Practical Solution to the Skills Gap
The difficulty for most manufacturers lies in acquiring experts that have an understanding of both SAP technologies and the manufacturing process.
The practical application of this is especially important considering that many companies in Africa are currently implementing digital transformation initiatives. The general interest in SAP workforce optimization Africa is due to the need to develop flexible technology teams capable of adapting to changes in the enterprise.
SAP certified professionals will be able to inject specific knowledge into the project, in conjunction with the internal personnel of the company that understands its operation.
When Should SAP Staff Augmentation Be Used Within an Organization?
SAP staff augmentation might come in handy when dealing with situations such as:
SAP implementation: In cases when more specialists could assist in configuring, testing, migration and implementation of the project.
Digital manufacturing: Manufacturing specialists can help in bridging the gap between the requirements on the shop floor and SAP capabilities.
Integration: In cases when SAP BTP and integration specialists can help integrate SAP with other software solutions.
Analytics: If SAP Analytics Cloud specialists can participate to design a good reporting and planning solution.
Go-live support: Specialists will assist in optimizing newly implemented processes.
Skills shortage: In cases when the organization is lacking certain SAP skills within their employees.
A Flexible Approach to the Future of Manufacturing
There is an increasing trend towards connectivity and digitization within the manufacturing industry. The tools such as ERP, MES, cloud computing, analytics, automation, and AI become increasingly interconnected.
In turn, the above-described trend brings about the necessity for manufacturers to have not only the right tools but also the corresponding talent pool.
SAP personnel augmentation enables manufacturers to acquire this pool of talent without necessarily having to increase the number of permanent employees.
The challenge for those who plan the next phase of their digital manufacturing journey is increasingly becoming a combination of two questions: which SAP technologies to implement and whether or not they have the right SAP expertise to do so successfully.
Stay Connected With the SAP Community
The field of digital manufacturing keeps on evolving, and practitioners might find themselves gaining useful insights through sharing experience in relation to such topics as SAP S/4HANA, SAP BTP, analytics, implementation, and staffing. Joining a live community of SAP consultants and experts can help you gain more knowledge through real-world projects, discover new trends, and find out which skills will make up the foundation for the intelligent manufacturing of tomorrow.
If you are considering SAP staff augmentation or simply wish to build up your SAP connections, then connecting with the broader SAP community would be a good move forward.