^{Why Congo Businesses Are Turning to SAP Consultants on Demand}

In the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today, they are both undergoing major changes to their industrial sectors. Due to booming industries like mining, telecommunications, and an exceptionally fast-growing retail industry, businesses located in industrial cities such as Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, and Brazzaville are moving from using standalone legacy systems to integrated digital ecosystems that provide a unified view of operations.

The key factor in this change is SAP, the premier global supplier of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications. Nevertheless, deploying SAP within the Congolese context is complicated; therefore creates a unique set of challenges. SAP implementation requires much more than a software product; it also calls for specialized/agile consultants to assist in making corrections during the implementation phase. For this reason, there has been an increase in Congolese organizations moving to greater use of a "Consultant on Demand" strategy, using staff augmentation and strategically choosing to hire SAP consultant experts as part of their growth initiatives.

^{1. The Congolese Market’s Complicated Environment}

Doing business on a larger scale in the Congo, importing goods, products, and services, requires you to deal with logistical and regulatory challenges that can be difficult to navigate. There is a very small margin for error regarding business operations due to the difficulties of managing complex supply chains across large geographical distances and understanding how to comply with the standards set forth by OHADA (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa).

As a result, many companies doing business in the Congo are looking to the SAP platform for assistance in these areas:

• Unify Operations - Aggregate data into a single "clean core" from many different locations - i.e., mining sites and/or retail locations.
• Obtain Real-time Visibility - Gain immediate access to key metrics such as inventory levels, cash flow, and logistics.
• Compliance - Automate the preparation of tax and legal reports to maintain compliance with local and international jurisdictions.

Due to the often project-specific nature of these requirements and the seasonal nature of business cycles in the Congo, the use of an "on-demand" business model has proven to be a more efficient solution than hiring on a traditional, full-time basis.

^{2. Emergence Of Staff Augmentation As A Business Solution In Central Africa}

The obstacle to digital transformation for many Congolese businesses is not their ambition but their lack of specialized knowledge. It is often difficult to find an expert with knowledge of niche areas such as SAP S/4HANA Finance and Materials Management (MM) locally.

Staff augmentation provides this solution because when a company employs outside experts in conjunction with its existing staff, it can:

1. Scale Quickly - For example, employing an entire team of experts to assist in the six-month implementation of a project without incurring the long-term cost of salaries for employees permanently.
2. Fill Specific Skill Gaps - Staff augmentation allows a company to fill any specific skill set needed, for example, if you need a SAP freelance consultant specializing in the SuccessFactors module (HR), or EWM (Extended Warehouse Management).
3. Keep Control - With staff augmentation, staff augmented consultants work directly under the management of the business; therefore, the project will be aligned with the business's local objectives as a business.

^{3. Availability of SAP Freelance Consultant Flexibility}

The "one size fits all" model for consulting is gradually declining in the Republic of the Congo, and Small-Medium Enterprises (SME's) and even larger corporations are deriving significant benefits from the use of SAP freelance consultants. This shift can be attributed to the need for cost-effective solutions and specialized "burst" assistance.

Some examples of services provided by freelance consultants include:

• Specific Issues Resolution: While a large consulting firm would implement a full re-engineering process, a freelance consultant may perform limited, activity-based troubleshooting to remove a supply chain bottleneck or maximize the performance of a financial reporting module.
• Leveraging Global Best Practices: Freelance consultants typically have broad experience working within many different international markets, which enables Congolese companies to gain a newer and broader view of the way in which they can optimize operations by taking advantage of best practices.
• Reduced Business Overhead: Most businesses utilize a global consulting agency for projects requiring significant resources. However, they can avoid the costs associated with paying an agency markup by utilizing freelance consultants, which provides additional funding for their core operations.

^{4. Knowledge Transference: Forming the Local Workforce}

One of the primary drivers for the usage of the “on-demand” consulting model for Congolese businesses is to take advantage of the long-term benefit of knowledge transfer. By using the augmentative hiring model, the SAP consultants can work simultaneously alongside the Congolese IT staff.

This creates a “mentorship in progress” that allows:

• The local staff needs to gain knowledge on how to configure and maintain an SAP system.
• The business is to become less reliant on outside resources as time progresses.
• To develop a sustainable digital culture internally that will continue well after the contract with the consultant is completed.

^{5. Struggling with Infrastructure and Connectivity}

The use of world-class software in areas where the stability of internet connectivity and power is variable requires "work-arounds" by a workforce with expertise in how to create a robust architecture for the environment in question - in this case, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). An on-demand consulting service can provide the planning and design of this infrastructure, such as offline synchronization and lightweight cloud computing configurations, so that businesses can continue to function even when connectivity is problematic.

^{Final Remarks: The Time is Now for Agile Enterprises}

The business landscape in the DRC has moved from being based on resources (who has the most) to being based on who can respond the fastest. Congolese enterprises are eliminating the traditional "bottleneck of talent" by using staff augmentation services and the specialized skills of SAP consultants on an on-demand basis.

Whether you are a mining company located in Lubumbashi or a fast-growing tech company based in Kinshasa, the ability to hire SAP consultant specialists on an as-needed basis is essential to maximizing your digital core.

^{Re-imagine Your Company through the Effective Use of Prompt Edify}

Do you want your company to set the pace in the digital world in the Congo?‍

Prompt Edify connects African companies with leading SAP professionals by providing flexible and high-quality options for staff. We can offer you not only SAP freelance consultant experts for specific modules but a complete team of SAP professionals through our staff augmentation.