SAP Import Substitution
4-variant weighted analysis — SG-Trans 93%, 1C TMS 74%, VAG 71%, IT Vectura 61%. 31% out-of-box coverage
What doesn't work
After SAP's exit from Russia, the operator of 140K+ railcars lost support for critical systems (SAP S/4, SAP TM, SAP EM, SAP BW). 31% of SAP TM functionality was covered out-of-box by any solution — the remaining 69% required custom development. Continued SAP use carried licensing and operational risks.
Architectural approach
Architecture design for target solution: 4-variant weighted analysis of replacement systems with scoring criteria. Evaluation across 10+ criteria: functional coverage, TCO, implementation timeline, risks, competency availability. Recommendation with justification for the Board of Directors.
What made it hard
SAP left Russia — support ended, but 140K+ railcars keep moving. 69% of SAP TM functionality isn't covered by any out-of-box solution — every percentage point of customization means months of development. The intuitive 'just use 1C' choice scored only 74% — had to explain to leadership why the less obvious SG-Trans (93%) was better.
My role & contribution
CTO / Technical Director
Personally developed the 4-variant weighted scoring methodology with 10+ criteria. Decomposed SAP TM into 100+ business processes and conducted gap analysis (31% OOTB). Prepared Board justification. Defined zero-downtime cutover strategy.
How it looks
System architecture
How it works
Decomposed SAP TM into 100+ business processes → out-of-box coverage assessment (31%) → gap analysis. 4 variants: SG-Trans (93% final score), 1C TMS (74%), VAG Control (71%), IT Vectura (61%). Each variant scored via weighted model: functionality × cost × timeline × risk × competencies. Parallel system operation during transition.
Why this way
Weighted scoring of 4 variants instead of single solution
Choose the 'obvious' solution (1C) without comparative analysis
Without comparison: the 'obvious' 1C TMS scored only 74%, while the leader SG-Trans scored 93%. Intuitive choice would have led to a solution with −19% score. Weighted scoring revealed a non-obvious leader with better functional coverage.
Selected SG-Trans (93%) over 1C TMS (74%). Transparent justification for the Board of Directors
Results
- 01
- 4 variants with weighted scoring
- 02
- SG-Trans: 93% | 1C TMS: 74% | VAG: 71% | IT Vectura: 61%
- 03
- 31% out-of-box SAP TM coverage
- 04
- 10+ evaluation criteria with weights
- 05
- 140K+ railcars, zero-downtime cutover
Impact on business
Structured selection from 4 variants prevents errors on a ₽B-scale project. Weighted scoring makes the decision transparent for the Board. Gap analysis (69% custom development) sets realistic budget and timeline expectations. Zero-downtime cutover ensures operations continuity.
Algorithms & patterns
Technologies
- SAP S/4
- SAP TM
- SAP EM
- SAP BW
- 1C:ERP
- Integration Bus