Why Kenyan/African Companies Should Choose Scale Over SAP
If your goal is to digitize procurement, then choosing Scale over SAP is the smarter, leaner and more relevant choice for your company.
When it comes to digital transformation in procurement, many companies instinctively look toward global giants like SAP. But in 2025, that decision is proving more complicated and far more expensive than many expected. Why should you choose Scale over SAP?
SAP’s push toward its new ERP system, S/4HANA, has created a ripple of delays, cost overruns, and disappointing outcomes. According to a recent study by Horváth, a leading consultancy, over 60% of companies report serious issues during their S/4HANA migration projects.
So what’s going wrong? And more importantly — is there a better alternative for Kenyan businesses?
Let’s unpack the story and explore why more organizations across Africa are choosing Scale over SAP.
What is SAP S/4HANA?
SAP S/4HANA (short for SAP Business Suite 4 SAP HANA) is SAP’s next-generation enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. It’s built to help large organizations manage operations across departments — from finance and procurement to supply chain, HR, and more — in one integrated system.
Key features include:
- A powerful in-memory database (SAP HANA) for real-time processing
- A modern user interface (SAP Fiori)
- Deployment options: on-premise, cloud, or hybrid
- Replacement of SAP ECC, which will no longer be supported after 2027
While S/4HANA is technologically advanced, it’s also complex, expensive, and resource-intensive to implement — making it a risky undertaking for many organizations.
The Migration Headache: What the Research Shows
In Q1 2025, Horváth surveyed 200 SAP customers about their migration experiences. The findings were alarming:
- Only 8% of companies completed their S/4HANA migration on time
- Projects took 30% longer than planned, on average
- 65% reported severe quality issues
- Budgets were significantly exceeded in most cases
Companies cited the following challenges:
- Weak project management
- Poorly defined processes
- Lack of clarity around roles and responsibilities
- Insufficient knowledge of third-party systems and integrations
For companies in Kenya — particularly those without deep IT departments and multimillion-shilling budgets — this approach simply doesn’t work.
Scale: Designed for Simplicity, Built for Africa
Scale is a cloud-based e-procurement platform designed specifically for businesses in Africa — and it’s quickly becoming the go-to choice for organizations that want to digitize procurement without the drama.
Here’s why:
1. Faster Deployment, No Headaches
While SAP rollouts can take months or even years, Scale is plug-and-play. Many customers are fully operational within just a few days. No massive IT teams. No painful transitions.
2. Transparent and Predictable Pricing
Forget million-shilling surprises. Scale offers affordable subscription plans that fit your size and complexity. What you see is what you pay — period.
3. Built with African Businesses in Mind
SAP implementations often assume European or American business contexts. Scale understands local realities — like mobile-first usage, local tax laws, supplier diversity targets, and informal procurement ecosystems.
4. Minimal IT Requirements
With Scale, your procurement team can manage everything without relying on a dedicated SAP team or costly consultants. It’s cloud-based, intuitive, and doesn’t require a server room or deep coding knowledge.
5. Results You Can See
Companies using Scale report immediate gains — real-time visibility, centralized communications, better supplier relationships, and time savings across departments. It’s not about transformation in five years. It’s about impact this quarter.
Side-by-Side: Why Scale over SAP S/4HANA
Let’s put the two platforms head-to-head, with a focus on procurement:
| Feature/Factor | SAP S/4HANA | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Deployment Time | 6–18 months (on average) | 3–7 days |
| Setup Cost | High (consultants, licenses, migration, training) | Low, transparent subscription pricing |
| Ease of Use | Requires training; often complex for non-technical users | User-friendly, built for procurement teams |
| Integration with Local Systems | Complex; often needs customization | API-first; designed to work with local ERPs & Accounting |
| Procurement Focus | Generic ERP with procurement modules | Purpose-built for procurement and supplier engagement |
| Support & Local Context | Global model; less tailored to African needs | Local support team, deep understanding of local realities |
| Scalability | Scalable, but may be overkill for mid-sized firms | Built to grow with you — no unnecessary bloat |
| Cloud-Readiness | Encouraging cloud migration | Fully cloud-native from day one |
| Time to ROI | Long — delayed by complex rollouts | Short — results seen within weeks |
The Bottom Line: It’s Not Who They Are, It’s How They Align
SAP S/4HANA may be a powerful tool, but it wasn’t built with Kenyan or African businesses in mind. From slow deployments and budget blowouts to poor localization, the risks are real.
Scale, on the other hand, offers everything a growing organization needs: speed, simplicity, cost efficiency, local relevance, and quick results.
If your goal is to digitize procurement, work with pre-vetted suppliers, gain real-time visibility, and streamline approvals — without the burden of a global ERP rollout — then Scale is the smarter, leaner, and more relevant choice.
Ready to scale your procurement transformation?
Email us at procure{@}scale.co.ke to get started.
