As companies grow and diversify, regardless of industry, their technology environments often become fragmented, with multiple applications and platforms operating in silos. This fragmentation leads to operational inefficiencies, higher costs and difficulty in responding to evolving customer expectations.
Companies running SAP ERP are uniquely positioned to solve these challenges by leveraging SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).
A leading consumer electrical company recently faced these very challenges. Its legacy IT setup was expensive to maintain and lacked the flexibility needed for future growth. The company’s goal was to deliver a consistent, integrated omnichannel experience for customers, but its traditional systems could not support this ambition. This scenario is not unique; many organizations find themselves in similar positions as they seek to modernize and scale. In this case, we worked in collaboration with our client to address the challenges because of the complexity of its IT roll-out.
BTP bridges these gaps by unifying data and processes into a single, reliable foundation. This gives leadership clarity to make faster decisions and the agility to deliver new value to customers without the overhead of disconnected systems.
6 steps to address IT complexity
We suggest organizations follow these steps to mitigate IT complexity:
Assess and streamline IT architecture
Begin with a thorough assessment of the current IT landscape. Identify areas of redundancy, fragmentation and inefficiency. Streamlining applications and consolidating platforms can reduce costs and improve operational agility.
Prioritize integration
Integration is essential for breaking down silos and enabling real-time data access. Connecting core business applications (whether SAP or non-SAP) with third-party solutions can simplify processes and enhance visibility across the organization. In this client example, SAP Sales Cloud, SAP CPQ, SAP Ariba and SAP SuccessFactors were integrated with other business-critical systems, resulting in more streamlined operations.
Leverage cloud-based platforms
Migrating to cloud-based solutions such as RISE with SAP, coupled with BTP Integration Suite, provides scalability and flexibility. Cloud platforms allow organizations to adapt quickly to changing business needs, support remote work and enable continuous innovation. The client’s move to RISE with SAP on AWS enabled the company to create new development, quality and production environments, ensuring a smooth and secure transition.
Centralize vendor management
Managing multiple vendors can be complex and time-consuming. Centralizing vendor relationships and integrating financial activities can streamline operations, improve reliability and provide better control over contracts and service levels. The client’s integration of over 30 vendor applications simplified financial activities and made processes faster and more reliable.
Invest in robust data management
Implementing solutions like Elastic File System can help manage data traffic efficiently, reduce delays and ensure that information is accessible when needed. Comprehensive testing, including regression and integration tests, is critical to maintaining system stability.
Focus on employee training and change management
Technology alone is not enough. Ongoing education and change management ensure that employees can leverage new systems effectively, maximizing the value of IT investments.
Benefits of a unified IT approach
Organizations that take these steps can expect significant benefits. Consolidating IT platforms reduces total cost of ownership and improves operational agility. Integrated systems enable seamless customer experiences, strengthen competitive positioning and support future growth. Continuous innovation becomes possible, with the ability to adopt new functionalities such as AI-driven process optimization and enhanced decision-making.
In this client’s case, the transformation led to reduced costs, improved flexibility and a better customer experience. These outcomes are achievable for any organization willing to invest in modernizing its IT landscape.
Guidelines for sustaining success
The client is also following these steps to ensure its initial successes continue well into the future:
- Continue investing in employee education to keep pace with technological advancements.
- Regularly evaluating new solutions to enhance supply chain and customer relationships.
- Staying attuned to industry trends and refining business processes to maintain a competitive edge.
SAP’s ecosystem, including solutions like RISE with SAP, along with BTP, provides organizations with the tools needed to simplify IT, drive efficiency and support growth. As an SAP partner, Protiviti helps companies navigate complex transformations, offering tailored strategies and deep expertise to build future-ready IT landscapes.
Explore our ERP implementation guide: Transforming the Enterprise: How to Guide an ERP Implementation to Success or to learn more about our SAP consulting services, contact us.
