SAP PP consultants – Who are they and what do they do?

SAP PP or Production Planning is an area of SAP that covers the integration and streamlining of a company’s production planning needs. In any company whose activities revolve around production, the main objective is to produce reliable goods – cost-effectively and efficiently for the company. In this respect, a well-thought-out and well-organised production department is of great importance for both higher productivity and company profits.

 

Tasks and responsibilities of an SAP PP consultant

An SAP PP consultant must have a strong knowledge of business solutions and be able to navigate well in this area, just like everyone else whose profession is closely tied to SAP. As we are discussing a specialisation in Production Planning, we have to mention the business knowledge in Production Planning. The position requires the following skills:

• Implementing and supporting SAP PP;
• Performing detailed requirement analysis of complex business processes and providing appropriate system solutions;
• Identifying, interpreting, verifying and documenting customer requirements;
• Mapping business requirements, processes and customer objectives;
• Developing necessary product modifications to meet customer needs;
• Designing, customising, configuring and testing the PP area;
• Identifying problems and errors and resolving them;
• Suggesting improvements to business processes and/or systems;
• Providing consulting services for both new implementations and existing projects;
• Being the liaison between the business functions and the technical team;
• Conducting unit testing in the SAP PP area.

Although the tasks of the SAP PP consultant are varied, this is a generalised list of their duties at work. The job offers to which the applicants will apply will determine the precise list of tasks for the consultant.

Why do companies need SAP PP consultants?

Companies hire SAP PP consultants to help manage and optimise their production planning processes, which can ultimately lead to beneficial business changes. SAP PP consultants are involved in production management and bring interpersonal skills, and a wide range of knowledge and experience into business consulting. Moreover, they have experience in delivering innovative projects for not only existing clients but also they can support manufacturing industries in areas including supply chain management, change management and core data maintenance.

To ensure that production planning procedures are in line with the company’s business strategy, SAP PP consultants can also support other areas of SAP. They can help the company implement best practice and improve it on an ongoing basis. Such action can lead to more efficient and streamlined operations, ultimately delivering business benefits.

What skills should an SAP PP consultant have?

If you are interested in working in the SAP PP area, you should know what requirements you need to meet to apply for this position. Here is what a sample list of requirements looks like:

• X years of experience in SAP PP work (X depending on junior, mid or senior position);
• Experience in project activities and analysis of projects before implementation;
• Experience in providing knowledge of business process functionality;
• Experience in the implementation of quoting and production planning projects;
• Comfortable in conducting discussions with business customers;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to express complex technical concepts in business terms;
• Knowledge of IT systems;
• Fluency in English;
• Flexibility and willingness to travel for business.