When Marcel heard about Vicoland, he recognized his opportunity to stop being a lone wolf. Rather, he founded his Vico (Virtual Company) on the Vicoland platform. It is called “SAP W-DFS” and consists of a team of qualified consultants. They have already implemented various projects, but the focus is SAP S/4HANA, especially in Aerospace, Utilities & Energy and Automotive. Apart from implementation, POC (proof-of-concept) and preliminary studies on SAP S/4HANA implementations are a specialty – more than a dozen are now on the books. “Through our mixed Vico team, we are also experts in previous SAP ERP systems such as R/2, R/3 or ECC. We use this know-how to transform SAP systems to SAP S/4HANA,” Marcel says of his Vico.
Why did Marcel decide to found a Vico on Vicoland? First and foremost, because he can manage enterprise-level projects through it and is hardly limited: “Thanks to my large network of consultants, I can continuously expand my Vico with experts with complementary skills and thus scale it.”
Marcel could also have founded a traditional consulting company. However, a Vico has the advantage for him that he does not have to bear the risk of permanent employees. The customers, in turn, only pay for the work that Vico’s professionals actually do for their project. Overhead costs are not incurred because corresponding tasks are automated by the Vicoland platform – from quotation preparation to documentation and money transfer.
S/4HANA projects, it is well known, are anything but trivial: “Companies often realize the complexity of such an implementation too late, which can have a negative impact on project duration and success,” says Marcel. He recommends careful planning of time, quality, resources and budget to ensure a smooth implementation.
For companies looking to upgrade to S/4HANA, Marcel offers valuable tips: “They should first bring in an SAP consultant for a preliminary study or proof-of-concept to plan the implementation and select the right implementation partner.” As a matter of principle, the S/4HANA transformation should be carried out in close coordination between business and IT. “In addition, change management must be established from the beginning and continuously improved,” Marcel said. With regard to the implementation approach for S/4HANA, there is no right or wrong in principle, he said: “Every approach – whether greenfield, brownfield or mixed – has its advantages and disadvantages, which must be weighed carefully.”
Most of the customers Marcel and his Vico work with are still using SAP R/3 or ECC as their ERP system. They now face the challenge of finding the right path to S/4HANA, with the right partner for pre-study, POC and implementation. Marcel and his Vico “W-DFS” are (as well as other Vicos with SAP S4HANA focus) an alternative to traditional consulting companies. Marcel considers development to be the most exciting part of SAP projects: “I often compare it to a child growing up and becoming an adult. In the beginning, you still have to help a lot, but at some point it learns to act independently. It’s the same in the project when the go-live is done and the hypercare is finished.”
Are you facing similar challenges and would like an assessment from an outside expert? Simply book an appointment with our Managing Partner for SAP Services, Henrike Scharnhorst. She will be happy to help you!
