For those who do not know SAP, it stands for Systems Applications and Products in data processing, and is an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software built to incorporate and organize the key business functions of an organization. SAP is one of the leading global ERP solutions providers in the technology industry and its provided solutions are available and useful to companies of any industry or size. Compared to its competitors’ solutions, SAP systems require less customization, but have the ability to be scalable and agile as well. With the benefits SAP systems provide, customers easily accelerate to a faster Return on Investment (ROI), which is the end goal for any business.
Christopher Carter, CEO of Approyo, is one of the many entrepreneurs making a name for himself within the SAP industry, having over 25 years of experience in the SAP industry, he is a true SAP expert.
Chris’s professional journey began when he studied SAP technology at the University of Georgia Tech, later joining the SAP space after graduating. Today, he has been recognized by SAP Users Group, Hadoop World, Cloud Expo, Forbes Technology Council, and more. Throughout his career, he has made it his goal to learn as much as possible, which led him to become an expert in all things technology related, such as SAP, ERP, cyber security, AI, etc.
Chris went on to own more than one company in his career and was actually in retirement when SAP released its in-memory database platform, SAP HANA. Chris saw an opportunity and jumped back into the business world, opening Approyo in 2013.
A SAP-ling on a Growth Spurt
The biggest challenge Chris faced at the beginning of Approyo’s journey, was getting the company on its feet. At the time, trying to explain the cloud to potential customers when it was a brand-new concept was no easy task. It was the simple issue of lack of knowledge of what Cloud Computing truly is. Closing deals took a hard amount of work and plenty of sales calls. Another difficult task was finding the right talent to hire, as SAP industry experience was not as common back then.
There are plenty of people with IT experience, but not everyone has experience in SAP. Taking the time to shuffle through resumes to find the perfect fit can be difficult for any organization, especially for Approyo that requires a specific skill set to hire SAP Basis Administrators. It takes a lot of patience and passion to build your business from the ground up in today’s business world.
“I would say that I am a Shepherd to help guide customers, staff, and partners, all in one nice, neat person,” says Carter. “There are times when some folks are upset, there are times when people do not get what they want, there are times when we are extremely successful, and there are times when we are all successful together.”
Carter wants to be that person to help guide everyone, driving success no matter what position they hold within his mind or his company. “I’m here to offer advice, to be a shoulder to lean on, to offer guidance until I can really be that conduit to help drive success. No matter if you are in my support staff, part of my executive team, or a partner, I really want to make sure that everyone is happy and successful,” he adds.
Something that many entrepreneurs have in common is – wanting to be their own boss. After graduating from college and getting into his first real job, Carter slowly realized that he did not enjoy being told what to do, especially when he did not agree with the company’s plan of action. This is what pushed Carter to start his own business. He wanted the vision, to create the goals, the purpose, and the success. He wanted to create his own team of visionaries and grow together, and so he took the risk of starting Approyo.
Approyo’s Dynamics
Approyo is a cloud-centric Managed Services Provider (MSP), specializing in SAP technology. The company provides implementations, migrations, and upgrades of any SAP core competency. “With experience ranging from R/3 to the newest, SAP S/4HANA, we digitally transform our customer’s business for the better,” shares the team of Approyo, “‘SAP Made Simple’ is our motto, and we stand by that”.
The company uses SAP platforms to enhance clients’ everyday business processes, with advanced predictive analytics, quick implementations, secure environments, and tailored solutions, to enable better business decision making. Its services include free consultation services, hosting, monitoring, and 24/7 SAP Basis support, as well as large instance projects such as deployments, migrations, and upgrades onto SAP. “Our global team of experts is here to support our customers, no matter what time of day, no matter what industry or size,” says Carter.
Carter and his team have been tirelessly working toward continuous growth at Approyo. Under the guidance of Carter, Approyo is in the process of adding multiple new clients to its customer base, and the team is planning on adding even more throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond. To Approyo, its customers’ success is always a priority.
“We need a team to assist our growing customer base as well and we plan on adding new professionals to our company who can help us with our continuous growth, success, and innovation,” informs Carter.
Chris concludes that to be a great CEO is to continue to try and be better. Whether it is your own professional attitude or skillset, or your company’s practices, you can always try harder to be better and improve yourself. Carter is always trying to learn new things, and he encourages his team to do so as well. He is always in search for new tools, new partners, customers that can add to Approyo’s potential as a whole. A business does not succeed without the team behind it.