SAP S/4HANA Production Planning Product Specialist

Job Summary

Job Description: SAP APO SME (Advanced Planning & Optimization)

Role Summary

We are looking for a skilled SAP APO Subject Matter Expert (SME) to manage, support, and enhance advanced planning processes across the supply chain landscape. The role involves working on SAP APO modules such as DP, SNP, PP/DS, and GATP, with strong integration to SAP ECC / S/4HANA / IBP ecosystems.

Key Deliverables

• Functional specifications (FS) and configuration documents
• APO planning models & optimization setups
• Incident resolution reports and RCA documents
• Continuous improvement recommendations

Experience Range

• 12–15 years overall experience

Band Suggestion (HCL Context)

• E3/E4 Level (depending on expertise and module ownership)

Key Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

APO Functional Expertise

• Act as SME for SAP APO modules:
• Demand Planning (DP)
• Supply Network Planning (SNP)
• Production Planning & Detailed Scheduling (PP/DS)
• Global ATP (GATP)
• Provide end-to-end functional support and solution enhancements in APO landscape

Business Process Management

• Understand and optimize key planning processes:
• Demand forecasting and consensus planning
• Supply planning and network optimization
• Production scheduling and capacity planning
• Order promising and fulfillment
• Engage with business stakeholders to gather requirements and propose optimized planning solutions

Integration & Data Flow

• Manage integration between APO and:
• SAP ECC / S/4HANA (CIF integration)
• IBP (if hybrid landscape exists)
• Other planning tools or legacy systems
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to:
• CIF queues, master data inconsistencies
• Planning data flows between systems

AMS & Support Delivery

• Handle incident management, problem management, and service requests within SLA timelines
• Perform root cause analysis and implement permanent fixes and improvements
• Drive continuous service improvements (CSI) in APO processes

Enhancements & Projects

• Participate in:
• APO enhancements and rollout activities
• Migration initiatives from APO to IBP / S/4HANA PP/DS
• Prepare functional specifications (FS) and support development/testing cycles

Testing & Documentation

• Support:
• Unit Testing, Integration Testing, UAT
• Maintain:
• Process documentation
• Configuration documents
• Knowledge repository

Skill Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

Core APO Expertise

• 6–12+ years of SAP experience with strong APO specialization (4+ years minimum)
• Hands-on experience in at least 2–3 APO modules (DP, SNP, PP/DS, GATP)

Technical & Functional Knowledge

• Strong working knowledge of:
• CIF (Core Interface)
• Master data (PDS, Locations, Resources, Quotas)
• Planning books, macros, heuristics, optimizer
• Exposure to:
• APO batch jobs and process chains
• Basic debugging/troubleshooting

Integration Knowledge

• Experience with integration to:
• ECC / S/4HANA
• IBP (preferred)

Understanding of end-to-end Supply Chain Planning processes

Other Requirements

Soft Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Good stakeholder communication and coordination skills
• Experience working in global AMS environments

Preferred Qualifications

• SAP APO Certification (DP / SNP / PPDS)
• Experience in IBP transition programs
• Exposure to S/4HANA Embedded PP/DS
• Knowledge of supply chain analytics (SAC)