Accenture Energy.

Tools

SAP and ABAP.

Team

1 manager and 5 developers.

My Role

Developer.

Duration

7 Months.

During my tenure as a consultant at Accenture, I undertook a project focused on renewable energy. The primary objective was to develop innovative SAP functionalities aimed at aiding our client in their efforts to minimize their carbon footprint.

Upon embarking on my consulting journey with this oil and gas company, I became aware that the client faced a pressing requirement for skilled professionals capable of programming and maintaining their internal SAP systems.

  • Unfortunately, their existing software infrastructure was deemed obsolete and lacked the essential features necessary to effectively support their overarching objective of curbing their carbon footprint. Recognizing the imperative need for a technological overhaul, the client sought a substantial infusion of new functionalities to align their operations with their sustainability aspirations.

    Complicating matters further, the client confronted a scarcity of ABAP developers, exacerbating their challenges in realizing their environmental goals. Consequently, they were fervently seeking programmers equipped with the requisite skills and expertise to propel their sustainability initiatives into the next phase of implementation.

The client faced the challenge of an outdated software infrastructure that could not align with their sustainability objectives

A scarcity of ABAP developers added to the client's difficulties in implementing environmental initiatives.

The need to introduce change within a century-old company posed additional challenges since it had a lot of legacy code.

Client teams became more agile and data-driven, enabling faster and more informed decision-making.

Manual processes that once consumed significant resources were automated, allowing teams to focus on strategic tasks

SAP S/4 served as the foundation for the rapid implementation of industry-specific technologies, further enhancing the client capabilities in the evolving energy landscape.

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The client's objective was clear: harness their century-old legacy to transition into a more technologically advanced era. Utilizing my existing programming skills, I embarked on a journey to master ABAP, the SAP programming language, with the goal of supporting our development team.

  • This endeavor allowed me to identify and tackle intricate technical challenges, ensuring the smooth integration of SAP S/4 into the client's established IT landscape. Initially assigned to a junior project manager role within the consultants' team, I found myself in the position of advocating for my transition to a developer role. Despite my limited knowledge of ABAP at that time, I emphasized how my skills could be a valuable asset to the understaffed development team, ultimately securing my place in the role.

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In the Accenture Energy collaboration with OXY, I assumed an important role by harnessing my technical expertise, well-honed problem-solving abilities, and adept data management skills.

  • My contributions proved instrumental in surmounting the intricate challenges associated with aligning our client's operations with sustainability objectives. Simultaneously, my journey as an ABAP Developer underscores my unwavering commitment to personal growth and effective collaboration. Through a proactive learning path dedicated to mastering ABAP, I not only sharpened my individual skills but also actively engaged with senior developers, highlighting the potent combination of continuous learning and teamwork in attaining sustainable solutions.

The project user journey began with the client identifying gaps in the SAP system, and pinpointing the unmet needs that impacted efficiency. Once identified, they would communicate these requirements to project managers to ensure the development team understood the enhancements. My team then analyzed the specifics, estimated the timeline, assessed the complexity, and coded the changes. This collaborative journey was crucial for meeting user needs and implementing solutions effectively within SAP.

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Upon receiving a task, my responsibilities involved coding custom tables and modifying the user interface (UI) of existing applications. Designed to align with specific business requirements, this solution empowered users to improve processes, elevate data management, and simplify operations within the SAP ecosystem.

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Through resourcefulness and leveraging recommendations from peers, I quickly gained proficiency in ABAP, and within the first month, I was actively designing customized UI changes and receiving positive feedback from both colleagues and clients.

  • Knowing SQL was helpful, but ABAP was still different enough and the actual materials to learn it weren’t as abundant. Fortunately, my peers recommended a book and I found an online course. By the end of the first week, I was already paired programing with a more senior coworker and solving small bugs. During the first month, I was already working on designing small changes to the UI that would help the client’s specific needs. I was using ABAP to create those customized experiences, ultimately receiving good feedback from both my coworkers and our clients.

The case study highlights my journey from a Junior ABAP Developer to a crucial contributor to a project focused on sustainability. It demonstrates how my adaptability, technical skills, and commitment to personal and professional growth enabled me to excel in a challenging environment.

  • As a programmer at Accenture, I successfully led a client's digital transformation and SAP S/4 implementation, demonstrating my technical expertise and problem-solving skills. These skills and insights are invaluable as I consider future roles in technology and innovation-driven fields such as User Experience (UX) design.

    Despite the project's high client satisfaction, it was impacted by the unexpected challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainties in the oil and gas industry. The project had to be cut short due to these external factors. However, there is a belief that given more time, Accenture and the team could have made an even greater impact in advancing the client's sustainability goals.

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