SAP Supply Chain: Questions We Are Asked Most

What does Dragonfly Business Solutions do?

Dragonfly Business Solutions is a UK SAP consultancy specialising in digital supply chain management. We implement SAP Extended Warehouse Management, SAP Logistics Management, SAP Integrated Business Planning and SAP Enterprise Asset Management, and we provide supply chain advisory services. We are an authorised SAP Services Partner, founded in 2021, headquartered in Reading with delivery centres in India and Dubai.

How long does an SAP EWM implementation take?

It depends on complexity, but a standard warehouse can go live in 90 days using our pre-configured approach. That runs in three phases: discovery and design in weeks one to three, build and configuration in weeks four to eight, and testing, training and go-live in weeks nine to twelve. Highly automated warehouses, or those with significant integration to material handling equipment, take longer. Any consultancy quoting a fixed timescale without seeing your warehouse is guessing.

What is the difference between SAP EWM and SAP Logistics Management?

SAP Extended Warehouse Management is the full warehouse management platform, suited to complex operations with automation, multiple storage types and sophisticated picking strategies. SAP Logistics Management is a lighter cloud-native platform designed for distributed networks: satellite sites, regional distribution centres and third-party logistics locations that need standardised execution without enterprise-scale complexity. Many organisations run both, with EWM at their main sites and Logistics Management across the network.

Do we need specialist RF handheld hardware for SAP warehouse scanning?

No. Mobile scanning applications such as our SwiftScanRF run on standard Android and iOS devices, scanning barcodes and QR codes on hardware you already own. Ruggedised handhelds remain the right choice for freezer environments or genuinely hostile conditions, where consumer devices do not survive. For most warehouses, standard devices work and remove a significant hardware replacement cost.

How do we reduce picking errors in SAP EWM?

Picking errors usually have three causes: unclear instructions at the point of work, staff who have not been trained long enough on a difficult interface, and validation that happens too late to prevent the mistake. The most effective fixes are guided step-by-step workflows rather than text-dense screens, validation at the point of scan rather than at confirmation, and barcode scanning replacing manual entry. Master data quality matters too. Poor storage bin data produces errors no interface can prevent.

What does a supply chain health check involve?

Our Digital Supply Chain Health Check examines system performance, data quality, process alignment and future readiness across your SAP environment. It is evidence-based, working from your actual transactional data rather than interviews alone. You receive a diagnostic report, prioritised recommendations, a strategic roadmap and an executive briefing. Every finding comes with a named solution: the SAP transaction or configuration change required, and the process change that goes with it.

Can SAP EWM work with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition?

Yes. SAP Extended Warehouse Management is available with SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, Private Edition and SAP ERP Central Component. Our SwiftScanRF application connects to all three through standard NetWeaver OData APIs. The functionality available differs between editions, particularly around extensibility, so it is worth confirming your specific requirements against your edition early in a project.

What is SAP Integrated Business Planning and do we need it?

SAP IBP is SAP’s cloud planning platform, covering demand planning, supply planning, sales and operations planning, inventory optimisation and collaboration. It is worth considering if you are currently planning in spreadsheets, if your forecast accuracy is poor enough to be driving excess inventory or stockouts, or if planning decisions take longer than the business can wait. It is not worth implementing if your master data is not yet reliable, because a planning system amplifies whatever data quality you feed it.

How much does an SAP supply chain project cost?

There is no useful generic answer, and any consultancy giving one without understanding your scope is not being straight with you. Cost is driven by the number of sites, the complexity of your processes, how much integration is required, and how much your organisation is willing to adopt standard SAP process rather than replicate existing ways of working. That last factor moves the number more than any other. We scope and price properly before quoting.

Which SAP supply chain modules does Dragonfly specialise in?

Extended Warehouse Management, Logistics Management, Integrated Business Planning, Enterprise Asset Management, Production Planning, Sales and Distribution, Materials Management and Logistics Execution. Our consultants also cover SAP Business Technology Platform, data migration using SAP BODS, LSMW and the Migration Cockpit, and integration through SAP Integration Suite.

Do you work with organisations outside the UK?

Yes. Our head office is in Reading and we have delivery centres in India and Dubai. Our consultants have delivered projects across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including multi-country rollouts spanning the UK, USA, China and Vietnam.

What happens after go-live?

We transfer knowledge throughout a project rather than at the end of it, so your team can operate and develop the system independently. Where ongoing application management is required, our partnership with Invenio provides proactive Application Management Services aligned to SAP’s roadmap.