We recently spoke to some of our SAP Finance and Controlling (FICO) team, solution architects Simon Tam, John Cotton, and Martyn Williams, about their backgrounds and extensive experience in the field and the importance of FICO to us as SAP supply chain specialists.
Simon Tam: “Like many people in the SAP FICO area, I began my career training as an accountant, and I also have postgraduate qualifications in IT management and SAP. My first SAP position was as an internal SAP finance consultant for a large food manufacturer, where I helped roll out its SAP template. I now have more than 20 years of experience designing, configuring, implementing, and supporting FICO across many industries, including FMCG, automotive, chemical, manufacturing, public sector, and non-profit. I worked predominantly within large consultancies and then was a private contractor for five years before joining The Config Team in 2021.
“The FICO team here at The Config Team has about a century of collective experience at senior consultant and solution architect level, so we are well equipped to help our customers get the most benefit out of this area. FICO’s integration with other SAP areas like logistics, sales, and production means that it plays an important role in The Config Team’s projects as an SAP supply chain consultancy. Since I joined the business, I have been collaborating closely with the wider team to help deliver end-to-end SAP and S/4HANA transformations and global templates for many large brands. They have all been challenging projects, but it is very satisfying seeing everything come together at the end.”
John Cotton: “I have been working with SAP for over 20 years. I initially trained for and worked as a chartered accountant, but I have always had an interest in tech and have a master’s degree in computing science, so when the opportunity arose to provide SAP support at my workplace, I took it. I started off in SAP HR and logistics, then moved onto supporting SAP FICO, which has been my primary focus ever since. I have mostly worked for end-user companies, predominantly in the manufacturing industry, which has allowed me to see consultancy from the other side and learn what should be expected to get the best result for everyone. I have also had the opportunity to work for SAP, delivering client site S/4HANA Finance training for a number of prominent organisations.
“Since I joined The Config Team in 2023, I have been heavily involved in delivering a multi-module S/4HANA global template and pilot site implementation for a large packaging company. I see SAP FICO playing a significant role in The Config Team’s projects going forward as more companies look towards end-to-end S/4HANA transformation. You cannot run a supply chain without finance, so having an in-house FICO team like we do here at The Config Team is really valuable. We can ensure our customers get the most out of their SAP systems without the need to engage different providers for their SAP logistics and finance needs, while benefiting from close collaboration and knowledge sharing between all our different module experts.”
Martyn Williams: “While working as an accountant at a major home retailer, I became involved in the selection and implementation of a new financial system, and I found myself really enjoying the project. I later moved on to join a company that was operating SAP in the 1990s, and I have been working in the field ever since.
“My expertise extends across SAP finance and controlling, but I have a particular affinity for controlling because of its relevance to business management and decision-making, offering lots of opportunities to add value to a company’s operations and have great interactions with its end users. I have accumulated over 25 years of experience in SAP FICO and project systems consultancy, primarily in the manufacturing industry, with my early background as an end user providing me with valuable insights into the day-to-day challenges faced by operatives. Over the years I have worked as an independent contractor and within consultancies both large and small, and in 2023 I joined The Config Team for a change in corporate culture.
“It is rare that a company implementing SAP will use logistics alone. FICO is probably the most established and integrated functionality in SAP, with most businesses using it in some way. As an SAP supply chain consultancy, having an internal FICO team allows us to give a complete offering to customers and presents a fantastic opportunity to make logistics implementations easier for everyone involved.”
Contact our SAP supply chain experts today for more information on how our SAP FICO expertise can benefit your operations.