An internationally active family-owned engineering firm was facing significant SAP security and compliance risks, as well as an IT support organisation under severe strain. This client case study demonstrates how KPMG significantly reduced risks and substantially improved employee efficiency and satisfaction through data-driven analysis, a new roles and permissions framework, and the deployment of an intelligent chatbot.
MAKE ERP SECURITY SMARTER
3 Mio.
data sets analysed per week to minimise risk
80 %
faster processing of IT requests
Up to 60%
automated manual tasks
Client
An internationally active family-run mechanical engineering company
Sector
Mechanical Engineering / Industry
Project objective
To reduce SAP security and compliance risks and significantly ease the burden on IT support.
Technology
SAP analytics software, data analytics, AI-powered IT support chatbot, Microsoft Teams
Video: Dmitrij Spolwind explains how a new authorisation model and chatbot self-service can boost efficiency and reduce risks in the long term.
The path to customer transformation
- The task
- Our approach
- The added value
Reduce SAP risks and ease the burden on support
The company was faced with a significant SAP compliance and security risk: more than 80% of SAP users had incorrect or unintended permissions. At the same time, a small, three-person SAP support team had to deal with a very high volume of non-specific enquiries – without always having the necessary expert knowledge at their disposal.
Three steps to secure and efficient SAP operations
KPMG tackled the challenge in three stages: first, a comprehensive SAP scan was carried out, during which over 120,000 applications were analysed and several million data records were evaluated each week. Building on this, a new role and authorisation framework was introduced, and access rights were consistently reduced to the minimum necessary. In the third step, an IT support chatbot was integrated into Microsoft Teams, which automatically answers queries or creates qualified tickets – supported by KPMG’s in-depth expert knowledge and live insights into the SAP system.
Faster. Safer. Happier.
The client benefited in several ways: the processing time for enquiries fell by 80%, standard issues were resolved within seconds, and the productivity of the IT support team increased significantly. At the same time, compliance and security risks were significantly reduced, and staff satisfaction was boosted by faster and more reliable IT support. The solution is currently in operation and is being continuously developed.
How we make a difference
With data-driven solutions, in-depth SAP expertise and intelligent automation, we help businesses to make lasting improvements to security, efficiency and the user experience.
KPMG. Make the Difference.
Your contact
Dmitrij Spolwind
Partner, Consulting, Lighthouse Germany - AI & Data Solutions
KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft
What decision-makers can learn from the SAP Support client case
High-performing SAP support is a key factor in operational stability for companies with complex ERP landscapes. If enquiries, role changes or technical faults are not clearly prioritised, delays arise in day-to-day business. At the same time, there is a growing need to manage authorisations, processes and system access in a transparent manner.
This client case study demonstrates the importance that automated SAP support can play in combining efficiency, transparency and governance. For management, it is not so much the individual support request that is crucial, but rather the question of how recurring issues can be systematically analysed, standardised and integrated into a robust operational model.
Mitigating SAP risks: Why automation starts with operations
SAP risks often arise where legacy structures, manual processing and unclear responsibilities converge. Automation can help here by processing recurring tasks more consistently and reducing business-specific dependencies in IT support. This frees up capacity for tasks that require a deeper understanding of processes, risks or systems.
We therefore do not view SAP support in isolation as merely a helpdesk issue. The key lies in the interplay between data quality, role logic, process understanding and user experience. Only when these perspectives are brought together can automated SAP support also contribute to risk reduction.
Frequently asked questions
Automated SAP support describes the use of digital solutions to respond to recurring support enquiries in a structured manner, to classify them or to route them to the appropriate follow-up processes. The aim is to achieve more efficient operations with clearer workflows.
Automation can help to handle recurring tasks more consistently and make anomalies in support activities more visible. This allows risks relating to authorisations, processes and responsibilities to be addressed in a more targeted manner.
The topic is particularly relevant for organisations with complex SAP landscapes, a large number of users and high requirements in terms of governance, efficiency and traceability. International organisations in particular benefit from standardised support processes.
KPMG combines specialist process knowledge, technological implementation expertise and a risk-based perspective. This enables support models to be designed in such a way that they combine operational relief with manageable governance.
KPMG’s people can make all the difference on your transformation journey, because when technology is in the right hands, great things can happen.
Discover how KPMG can help your business increase agility and resilience – and lay the foundations for holistic growth – through the personal insights, success stories and technology solutions shared by our consultants.
KPMG. Make the Difference.