^{On-Demand SAP & IT Staff Augmentation for Digital Transformation in Zambia}

The transitional market of Southern Africa is Zambian, with digital transformations being a concept in which many organizations are working to create an electronic version of work from the ground up. There are numerous investments in the Zambian economy across multiple sectors, including banking, mining, manufacturing, and utilities, that are supporting this concept. Organizations utilizing SAP (Systems Applications and Products) ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems will continue to modernize how they do business and comply with regulations at both the company and country level to ensure that they can make informed decisions.

With the increased use of SAP solutions throughout Zambia, enterprises are experiencing a long-standing challenge associated with the availability of trained professionals who specialize in SAP. Typically, hiring employees through traditional means is a cumbersome method that leads to higher costs as well as significant difficulty maintaining pace with the rapid growth of digital businesses. Given these issues facing organizations in Zambia, there has been a shift toward the use of temporary or contractual (on-demand) staff augmentation to meet their SAP and IT needs. Prompt Edify is one of the key components to this transformation.

^{Zambia Digital Transformation Overview}

^{Key Drivers of Digital Transformation in Zambia:}

The modernization of financial institutions and Core Banking Software Solutions.
The digital reform led by the government and the implementation of the public sector ERP..
The expansion of the mining and manufacturing sectors that are experiencing parallel growth and it needs integrated systems.
The growth of cross-border and regional trade in the Southern African region.

SAP ERP Solutions are able to support these initiatives through centralized financial control, real-time reporting, automating business processes, and providing enterprise-wide integration. With the scaling up of SAP Landscapes within organizations, demand for knowledgeable SAP consultants continues to be high, especially in Lusaka and other key commercial areas.

^{Demand is Rising for SAP Specialists Around Zambia}

Zambia has many organisations growing by way of implementing and maintaining a variety of SAP solutions such as:

• SAP S/4HANA.
•  SAP FICO.
• SAP MM.
• SAP SD.
• SAP SuccessFactors.
•  SAP Analytics Cloud.
• SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP).

However, effectively managing these complex SAP environments requires specialized expertise both functionally and technically; the availability of certified professionals in Zambia who have actual experience with many of these SAP solutions, unfortunately, continues to fall short of demand. This means that, within Zambia, many businesses are challenged to find qualified SAP professionals when they need them using only permanent hiring mechanisms.

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^{SAP Skills Gap and Recruitment Challenges}

• Building an SAP team is becoming increasingly challenging for many organisations in Zambia, despite the rapid growth of the Zambian workforce in IT.
• SAP full-time employee roles have longer recruitment cycles.
•  Permanent SAP resources typically have a higher cost associated to them.
•  Skilled/or specific SAP resources are limited for hire locally.
•  It is challenging to scale SAP teams upwards and downwards at different points in the various phases during the project cycle.
•  Delays in SAP implementations/sustaining an SAP AMS.

The challenges noted above have contributed to an increase of project slowdowns, higher than anticipated costs, and increased operational risk. Consequently, companies have begun to look to either augment staff or to utilize SAP freelance consultants.

_{Reasons for the Growing Adoption of SAP Staff Augmentation in Zambia}

^{1. Fast Access to Experienced SAP Consultants}

Provides fast access to experienced SAP consultants by providing a quick way to find and hire SAP consultants who have proven experience across multiple SAP modules (FICO, MM, SD, SuccessFactors, and BTP) for your specific project requirements, regardless if that is for S/4HANA implementation, system upgrade, or AMS support. In addition, by having immediate access to these professionals, you minimize the time to onboarding, and defective project performance will be less of an issue.

^{2. Cost-Effective SAP Resourcing Model}

Provides Zambian enterprises with many advantages by being a cost-effective SAP resourcing option. These include:

• Cost-effective on-demand SAP staffing because you only pay for actual work done, not for idle time.
  
  
• You can avoid the long-term payroll and benefit commitments associated with permanent staff.
  
  
• Your SAP project budgets will be predictable and able to fulfill your project scope from beginning to end.
  
  
• You can reduce the overhead costs associated with hiring and training employees.
  
  

Zambia offers a good combination of being competitively cost-effective and also being close enough regionally for effective and efficient project management compared to either traditional hire or offshore delivery models, making SAP staff augmentation an attractive option.

^{3. Quick SAP Implementations}

Talent shortages have resulted in lengthy SAP project implementation times. Utilizing SAP consultants and augmentation teams to meet agile and time-bound needs can create the following accelerated timelines for organizations:

SAP S4/HANA implementations and migration
Enhancements and upgrades.
SAP integration efforts.
Application management services (AMS) support.

When using freelance and contract-based SAP professionals, you will receive an immediate return on investment due to decreased downtime and improved system reliability.

^{4. Flexible Workforce Requirements}

SAP resource needs change throughout the project: design, build, testing, go live, and post-implementation support. Staff augmentation allows for the following:

• Increase SAP team size during critical project phases.
•  Reduce team size post stabilization of the SAP system.
•  Engage specialists for short-term/niche SAP requirements.

This flexibility is especially important for organizations with multiple SAP systems or regional implementations originating in Zambia.

^{5. Knowledge Transfer and Capability Building}

SAP Staff Augmentation Will Result In Capability Building Well After The Project Has Been Delivered. The Collaboration Of Third Party Consultants With In-House Staff Provides The Following Benefits To The Organization:

• Knowledge Transfer & Skill Development
•  Implementation Of Global SAP Best Practices
•  Improved Capability Of In-House SAP Support

By Providing The Above, Organizations Will Be Prepared For Future Upgrades, Innovative Solutions & Digital Growth.

^{Increasing Number Of Freelance SAP Consultants In Zambia}

The Trend Towards Flexible Work Environments Has Led To An Increase In The Need For Freelance SAP Consultants Across Zambia. Organizations Are Now Hiring Freelance SAP Consultants To Provide Support In The Following Areas:

• SAP Configuration & Optimization
•  S/4HANA Migrations
•  Performance Tuning
• Third Party System Integration
•  Short-Term AMS & Advisory Support

By Utilizing Freelance Consultants, Organizations Can Maintain An Agile Work Environment And Maintain The Quality Standards Associated With SAP Implementations While Quickly Responding To The Changing Needs Of Their Business.

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^{Zambia’s Partner for SAP Staffing: Prompt Edify}

Prompt Edify is a reliable provider of SAP and IT staff augmentation services across Africa. We assist companies in Zambia in gaining access to qualified SAP professionals very quickly and efficiently through our global network of consultants.

^{Our Services For SAP Resource Augmentation:}

✔ Customized Staffing Solutions
SAP resource strategies aligned with project timelines, project scope and overall business goals.

✔ Flexible Engagement Models
Short-term, long-term, project-specific, and AMS SAP consultants.

✔ SAP-Certified Professionals
Highly-skilled consultants across all functional SAP and technical SAP domains.

✔ End-to-End Support
Introducing SAP professionals into your organization, managing compliance, and providing ongoing support for the performance of SAP resources.

By partnering with Prompt Edify, organizations will be able to reduce the risk associated with projects, fill SAP-related skill gaps and deliver on time consistently.

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^{SAP Staff Augmentation Is the Future of Zambia}

As Zambia advances in developing digitally, there will be an increase in demand for SAP experts. SAP staff will be supported by staff augmentation on an as-needed basis and as a sustainable solution for having access to specialists who have the skills, want agility in their workforce, and can provide a cost-effective way to achieve high-quality and efficient results.

By creating a relationship with an SAP staffing partner, companies in Zambia will be able to grow and develop their SAP programs while facilitating their long-term growth digitally.

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