Three SAP Platforms, One Capacity Problem
ECC is on a clock, S/4HANA is being built and Business One keeps its own release rhythm. Each needs skilled people in bursts, which makes the staffing model as important as the roadmap.
ECC is on a clock, S/4HANA is being built and Business One keeps its own release
rhythm. Each needs skilled people in bursts, which makes the staffing model as
important as the roadmap.
rhythm. Each needs skilled people in bursts, which makes the staffing model as
important as the roadmap.
Few SAP customers run a single SAP. A group may hold ECC 6.0 steady while it builds S/4HANA,
and a subsidiary or acquired business may run Business One. Each carries a different workload
and a different deadline. SAP has committed to mainstream maintenance for Business Suite 7
core applications through the end of 2027, with optional extended maintenance through 2030
[1]
. For Business One, SAP commits to at least five years of mainstream maintenance per
and a subsidiary or acquired business may run Business One. Each carries a different workload
and a different deadline. SAP has committed to mainstream maintenance for Business Suite 7
core applications through the end of 2027, with optional extended maintenance through 2030
release family; its support page shows older families already past that point and version 10.0 in
mainstream maintenance through December 31, 2026, with the usual note that dates can
change
[2]
.
1. The people are scarcer than the plan assumes
mainstream maintenance through December 31, 2026, with the usual note that dates can
Gartner warned years ago that retirements and digitalization were opening an ERP skills gap,
noting that the outside pool of ERP expertise was shrinking and that one client was racing to
finish its modernization before its support team retired
[3]
. The wider picture has not eased. A
2021 Gartner survey found 64 percent of IT executives naming talent shortage as the most
significant barrier to adopting emerging technologies
[4]
. A programme that needs a data
noting that the outside pool of ERP expertise was shrinking and that one client was racing to
migration lead, an ABAP developer and two testers by next quarter is competing for a pool that
is already stretched.
2. Permanent hiring fits permanent work
is already stretched.
SAP workloads are rarely flat. A conversion needs heavy data, code and test effort for a defined
stretch, then far less. Hiring to the peak leaves cost behind when the peak passes, and hiring to
the trough leaves delivery exposed. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Outsourcing Survey, covering more
than 500 executives, found skilled talent and agility now sitting beside cost reduction as
reasons to outsource, with 80 percent planning to maintain or increase their investment in
third-party services
[5]
. McKinsey’s 2025 review of the tech talent gap points the same way,
© Orpington Technologies Inc.
www.orpingtontech.com
Page
1
of
2
stretch, then far less. Hiring to the peak leaves cost behind when the peak passes, and hiring to
the trough leaves delivery exposed. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Outsourcing Survey, covering more
than 500 executives, found skilled talent and agility now sitting beside cost reduction as
reasons to outsource, with 80 percent planning to maintain or increase their investment in
Orpington Technologies | ERP Staff Augmentation Insights
recommending globally distributed teams and recruiting for skills rather than credentials
[6]
.
Augmentation applies that advice to a named project: capacity is added for the period it is
needed, under the client’s own direction.
Orpington Technologies’ ERP staff augmentation
is
one example for SAP programmes: certified consultants, working on S/4HANA and Business
One among other platforms, join the client’s team for the length of a conversion or a support
peak without a permanent hire.
3. Where Orpington Technologies fits
For organisations weighing this model,
Orpington Technologies’ ERP staff augmentation
practice
is built on the same logic. Certified ERP consultants stay on Orpington’s payroll, work
One among other platforms, join the client’s team for the length of a conversion or a support
peak without a permanent hire.
remotely and take direction from the client’s own programme leads. The roles span SAP
functional work (FI/CO, MM, SD and HCM), technical development including ABAP, and
programme roles such as data migration, QA and change management, across S/4HANA and
Business One. The consultants are credentialed by the same certified practitioners who audit
implementations, so the bench is judged by people who know what delivery looks like.
functional work (FI/CO, MM, SD and HCM), technical development including ABAP, and
programme roles such as data migration, QA and change management, across S/4HANA and
Business One. The consultants are credentialed by the same certified practitioners who audit
implementations, so the bench is judged by people who know what delivery looks like.
The terms are plain. Three matched candidates arrive roughly four weeks after the engagement
fee is confirmed, the monthly invoice is all-inclusive, and a 90-day replacement guarantee
covers the fit risk that makes permanent hires costly to get wrong. Orpington’s own estimate
puts the loaded cost of a direct hire at 1.25 to 1.4 times base salary once employer tax, benefits
and compliance are counted. Details are at
https://www.orpingtontech.com/erp-staff-
augmentation/
, and a short conversation about next quarter’s named roles is a sensible place
to start.
Four questions for any SAP staffing partner
Question to ask
Why it matters
Who employs and vets the consultant?
Keeps payroll and compliance off your books, and
puts credential checks in expert hands.
Which SAP roles are covered?
ABAP, FI/CO, MM, SD, data migration and testing are
fee is confirmed, the monthly invoice is all-inclusive, and a 90-day replacement guarantee
covers the fit risk that makes permanent hires costly to get wrong. Orpington’s own estimate
puts the loaded cost of a direct hire at 1.25 to 1.4 times base salary once employer tax, benefits
separate skills; ECC, S/4HANA and Business One
rarely share one person.
What happens if the fit is wrong?
A replacement commitment turns a hiring mistake
into a scheduling one.
How soon can people start?
A deadline-driven programme cannot wait through a
full permanent recruiting cycle.
Sources & Further Reading
[1] LeverX – “SAP ECC End of Support 2027 UK: What UK Businesses Need to Do Now”
[2] SAP Support – “Maintenance for SAP Business One”
[3] Rimini Street – “The SAP S/4HANA Skills Crunch – How Bad Could It Get?,” May 2019 (summarising Gartner
research)
[4] Gartner – “Gartner Survey Reveals Talent Shortages as Biggest Barrier to Emerging Technologies Adoption,”
September 2021
[5] Deloitte – “Global Outsourcing Survey 2024”
[6] McKinsey & Company – “Tech Faces a Talent Bottleneck. Here’s What to Do About It,” August 2025
© Orpington Technologies Inc.
www.orpingtontech.com
Page
2
of
2
rarely share one person.