An Interview with the Head of EPAM’s SAP Competency Center, Dmitry Frydliand

Through our expertise in SAP solutions, EPAM helps our clients digitally transform in the cloud, unlock substantive business innovations and create new growth opportunities that put them ahead of their competition. We use SAP products to implement faster business processes that result in simpler client interactions.

We sat down with Dmitry Frydliand, Head of the SAP Competency Center, to learn more about EPAM’s SAP practice.

What are the priorities of the SAP Competency Center at EPAM?

We have four significant domains or departments within the SAP Practice.

1. Historically, we are an engineering company that assists clients in building and expanding their software. We have extensive knowledge in this area. So, our top priority is the SAP Technology Department, where we have hundreds of experts dedicated to cutting-edge SAP technologies. Additionally, we are pioneers in SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform) and collaborate with our clients and SAP itself to develop side-by-side extensions based on this platform.
   
   
2. Our second department focuses on SAP Customer Experience. Our team guides clients through digital transformation to power engaging customer experiences across sales, services, marketing and commerce.
   
   
3. We provide traditional consulting services. Currently, our focus is on transitioning from SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA. We also offer various services related to SAP product implementation, including S/4HANA, ECC, digital supply chain and others.
   
   
4. We provide services related to data and analytics. Our team handles implementation and support services in this area, including consulting around products such as SAP BW/4HANA, Hybrid Data Marts, SAP Analytics Cloud reporting and SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.

Based on that, what do SAP specialists do at EPAM?

Two of the departments mentioned above are part of development, and the other two are related to consulting. Therefore, our specialists are divided into developers and consultants based on their skills. In the SAP world, developers primarily focus on technology and engage in system development, mainly using ABAP or Java. They have limited interaction with clients. On the other hand, consultants often don’t have a technical background but possess a strong business understanding. They customize the system, interact with clients, understand their needs and provide tailored solutions.

What’s the SAP community at EPAM like?

About ten years ago, there was limited knowledge available on the web about SAP. In response, some EPAMers created SAP Tech Talks, which started as a small internal community for knowledge-sharing sessions. Then, approximately four to five years ago, we transformed this community into an external platform and established SAP Tech Talks.

At EPAM, we have a rich tradition of knowledge-sharing. We conduct online sessions almost every Friday, and in some EPAM locations, we even organize offline meetups. Five years ago, we started as a completely offline community. However, as many EPAMers relocated to different countries, including myself, we transitioned into an international online community.

Why should an SAP developer or consultant join EPAM?

The number one answer is to join the people. If you want to work with best-in-class professionals who help build SAP products and people with significant experience and knowledge of the software, then EPAM is the right choice. And it's not only limited to the SAP practice itself, as most projects are now very complex, and we have people from other practices and areas.

Another important aspect is the diversity of projects and geographical locations. At EPAM, we serve customers from around the world, each presenting unique challenges. If you aspire to work in a global company and engage in global business, EPAM is undoubtedly the right choice.

When I joined EPAM five years ago, my first assignment took me to Kazakhstan, a country I had never visited. Soon after, I found myself visiting a customer in New York, followed by a business trip to meet an Australian customer just a week later. Currently, I travel once a month. This flexible and optional travel schedule lets you decide when and where to travel.

Within a large company like EPAM, there are abundant opportunities for career relocation. Thanks to EPAM, I could relocate to Spain and now reside on the Costa del Sol. This is another fantastic benefit of being part of a global company with a strong SAP practice.

Furthermore, EPAM is a large company with nearly 60,000 employees worldwide, yet we still operate with a startup mindset. There are ample opportunities for professional growth and the chance to initiate new ideas within the company. In addition, there are standard benefits and bonuses, remote work options, learning and certification support and much more.

What specific skills and expertise of SAP consultants and developers are we looking for now?

We are looking for various types of solution architects in business and technology domains. Secondly, we need consultants specializing in SAP sales and distribution, SAP material management and SAP digital supply chain. Lastly, we seek technology experts, especially those focusing on SAP BTP and SAP Fiori.

We welcome our future colleagues to join EPAM’s SAP Practice. Choose your location and apply today.