BALAIAH KOTHA

PMP, ITIL, SAP Activate: Project

Management for SAP S/4 HANA,
Project Delivery Management

BALAIAH KOTHA
Mobile : +91 9849977414
E-Mail/ Skype Id : kothabalu@gmail.com, kothabalu@hotmail.com
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/balaiah-kotha-7b9428b0/
SAP Credly : https://www.credly.com/users/kotha-balaiah/badges

Profile Summary:
Accomplished SAP Program/Project Manager with over 22+ years in SAP
and 14+ years of SAP leadership experience in managing diverse on-shore
and off-shore operations. Recognized for reorganizing and streamlining
operations, implementing cost-effective solutions, and ensuring on-time
delivery of release management deliverables. Expertise in release
management, strategic planning, people management, change
management, and quality improvement. Proven ability to independently
establish technical team operations from scratch. A respected team leader
known for initiating cost containment processes, providing hands-on
training, and building strong teams. Exhibits excellent business acumen,
successfully monetizing business opportunities. Possesses strong
communication and interpersonal skills, with a detail-oriented and
creative approach to problem-solving.

Summary of Qualifications:
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 22 years of
experience in IT and service industries. Proven track record in project
management, process design and improvement, team leadership, and
client support. Results-focused and customer service-oriented, with strong
mentoring skills to maximize productivity and foster cohesive teams in
virtual environments.

Key Strengths:
 Project Management Expertise:
 Managed multiple complex and large-scale projects with life cycles
of 18 months, budgets up to $5 million, and successful delivery
across diverse industries.
 Industry Diversity:
 Extensive experience in energy, Pharma, Shipping, manufacturing,
government, telecommunications, and enterprise environments.
 Senior SAP Certified Consultant:
 Over 22 years of expertise in Project Management, SAP Success
Factors, SAP Basis, Security
 Result-oriented individual with the ability to integrate new ideas for
desired results.
 Innovative Problem Solver:
 Self-driven and cross-functional professional with a proven ability to
identify, analyze, and solve problems.
 Solution Manager Expertise:
 Specialized in Solution Manager installations, maintenance,
configuration, and team leadership.
 Effective Communication:
 Exceptional communicator focused on building strong relationships
with peers and clients.

Education and Training

 Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech), Acharya Nagarjuna University, India, 1995
 AWS online Training, 2018
 PMI Organized Project Management Professional Courses, 2013
 Solution Manager Trained from SAP India, 2010
 Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) – Trained in ITIL concepts and
worked within ITIL processes, 2015.

Certifications
Current Certifications Year Attained
Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified through 2014
Project Management Institute (PMI) – ID: 1697240
Certified in SAP HANA 1.0 - ID: 0011339729 2013
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Foundation Certificate in IT Service 2015
Management - ID: GR750215270BK
SAP Activate: Project Management for SAP S/4HANA 2021

Relevant Project Experience

NOV 2022 – Aug-

Virtuoso consulting , 2023
Ref. #1 SAP Projects
Onsite
0 Years 9 months
Project Type SAP Projects
Role SAP Project Manager – Implementation - Onsite (Oman – Muscat)
 Respons  Customer Business Transformation & IT
ibilities Initiatives:
 Successfully implemented initiatives for Customer Business
Transformation and IT, demonstrating accountability for
enterprise-wide and global project delivery.
 SAP Implementation Expertise:
 Led SAP S/4 HANA greenfield implementation projects focusing
on modules including FICO, HCM, Success Factors, Ariba and
SAC
 Successfully completed the implementation of SAP Analytics
Cloud (SAC)
 Methodology Proficiency:
 Applied SAP Activate methodology to develop project
deliverables, ensuring strategic alignment through Project Charter,
Project Plan, Stakeholder Engagement, and Kick-off meetings.
 Best Practices Integration:
 Implemented SAP best practices for customer fit-gap analysis,
aligning solutions with business requirements.
 Effective Communication and Leadership:
 Managed project communication, timelines, and technical issues,
facilitating sub-teams, setting project goals, and motivating teams
to peak performance.
 Budget Management:
 Tracked project costs, managed external resources, and ensured
adherence to project budgets.
 Integration and Collaboration:
 Integrated efforts across functional teams, coordinated with
interdepartmental managers, and aligned service plans for customer
engagement.
 Risk Management and Scope Control:
 Analyzed risks, established contingency plans, and managed scope
changes, ensuring successful project outcomes.
 Agile Proficiency:
 Demonstrated understanding of Agile principles and collaborated
effectively with teams using a mix of Agile and Waterfall
methodologies.
 Service Management and Improvement:
 Led day-to-day service management activities, improving
application support processes, and establishing benchmarks for
productivity and efficiency.
 Mentorship and Leadership:
 Provided coaching and mentorship in project management
practices, fostering a high-performance project environment.
Technical  SAP S/4 HANA 2021, SAP Success Factors
Tools/Databas
e/Skills Used  PMP, ITIL, Program/Project/Change Management
 NOV 2021 – JUL
Ref. #2 SAP Projects Microexcel INDIA 2022
0 Years 8 months
Project Type SAP Projects
Role SAP Service Delivery Manager, People manager
 Respon  Strategic Responsibility:
sibilities  Accountable for People-specific, Customer, Financial, and
Operational Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
 Solution Roadmaps:
 Develop and implement solution roadmaps, ensuring successful
introductions organization-wide and with customers.
 Diverse SAP Roles:
 Extensive experience with Fortune 500 clients in Energy, Pharma,
and Telecommunications in roles such as SAP Program Manager,
SAP Project Manager, SAP Change Control Manager, SAP
Transition Manager, SAP S/4 HANA Project Manager & SAP
Release Manager.
 Application Development Management:
 Manage application development, software delivery lifecycle, and
development and administration.
 Service Plans Alignment:
 Create and align Service Plans for customer engagement, focusing
on "Integrated E2E Application Lifecycle Management" and
"Integration Validation."
 SAP Project Planning:
 Expertise in SAP Project plans, including estimation, budgeting,
and forecasting.
 ERP SAP S/4 HANA:
 In-depth understanding of ERP SAP S/4 HANA business solutions
as a Project Manager.
 Procurement Scenarios:
 Verify the functionality of Purchase Requisitions, Request for
Quotation Proposal (RFQ RFP), and Purchase Orders, executing
procurement scenarios.
 Stakeholder Collaboration:
 Effectively communicate and collaborate with stakeholders (IT,
Business, System Integrators) to solve problems, drive decisions,
and deliver results.
 Large Team Management:
 Manage large teams (50+), monitoring progress and reporting.
Work on support projects with monitored SLAs.
 Release Management:
 Manage the release schedule for products and services.
 Continuous Improvement:
 Work on continuous improvement, analyze current processes for
optimization and conduct monthly P&L analysis and client billing.
 Pre-sales and Negotiation:
  Participate in pre-sales discussions and negotiation
meetings.
 Agile Environment:
 Experience working in an Agile delivery environment,
handling multiple projects simultaneously.
 Project Management Skills:
 Sound Project and Program Management skills, utilizing
SAP Activate, Agile methodologies, and tasks in each phase.
 Change Management:
 Well-versed in Change Management principles to drive
organizational change for business process and system
transformation.
 Global Project Planning:
 Plan and manage global and regional business blueprint
workshops, fit/gap analysis, and blueprint and functional
specification documents.
 Technical Expertise:
 Provide technical expertise and business knowledge for
new systems and enhancements.
 Application Support Enhancement:
 Improve application support processes, services, and
standards based on best practices.
 KPI Reporting:
 Establish benchmarks and report on KPIs and metrics for
team productivity and efficiency.
 Client Interaction:
 Suggest solutions to customers based on best practices,
actively participate in day-to-day service management activities,
and actively engage in client interaction.
 People Management:
 Actively participate in recruiting efforts, actively drive
teams through process-driven areas to improve customer service,
and manage teams in an aggressive approach toward project
management.
 ABAP Factory Model:
 Build ABAP factory model to support clients in the
leveraged model.
Technical  SAP S/4 HANA 1909 and NON-SAP Projects
Tools/Databas
e/Skills Used  PMP, ITIL, Program/Project/Change Management

Mar 2009 – May

Ref. #3 – SAP 2021
DXC Technology INDIA
Projects
12 Years 2 months
Project Type SAP and NON SAP projects
Role SAP Project Manager/Project Delivery, People manager
 Respon  SAP S/4 HANA Project Manager/People
sibilities Manager:
  Led end-to-end project delivery, defining and optimizing
implementation processes and best practices.
 Team Management and Process Enhancement:
 Managed diverse projects with technical teams, enhancing
efficiency and ensuring adherence to SLAs.
 Developed and refined delivery processes to streamline
project execution.
 Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement:
 Oversaw day-to-day operations of the Implementations
team, serving as a key point of contact for client escalations.
 Focused on driving organizational change by leveraging
feedback data and managed software release planning.
 Resource Forecasting and Coordination:
 Forecasted engineering needs, managed service and change
requests, and coordinated with internal and external teams.
 Collaborated with professional services and engineering for
deployment and post-production activities.
 Effective Communication and Optimization:
 Proactively communicated with stakeholders on changing
priorities, implementation schedules, and scope boundaries.
 Organized and communicated new product releases and
maintenance schedules, contributing to project optimization.
 Environmental Consulting and Project Delivery:
 Coordinated with teams for projects, changes, incidents,
and orders as an environmental consultant.
 Led project delivery for yearly and monthly releases, AIX
and Windows upgrades, and SAP upgrades.
 Change Management and Outage Planning:
 Reviewed daily changes as a change manager, obtaining
necessary approvals.
 Coordinated with client managers for outage planning of
releases and upgrades.
 IT Service Management (ITSM) Expertise:
 Designed, implemented, and executed ITSM processes,
chairing Change Advisory Board (CAB) meetings.
 Coordinated change building, testing, and implementation,
ensuring adherence to schedules.
 Process Improvement and Training:
 Developed reports assessing process KPIs for effectiveness
and compliance.
 Created documentation and conducted training sessions for
ITSM processes, incorporating corrective actions based on
feedback.
 Proactive Process Enhancement:
 Implemented actions to improve process maturity levels,
aligning with the Capability Maturity Model.
 Analyzed and enhanced KPI reporting in collaboration with
internal and external stakeholders.
Technical  SAP S/4 HANA and NON-SAP Projects
Tools/Database
/Skills Used  PMP, ITIL, Change Management

Feb 2008 – Dec

Ref. #4 – nLeague 2008
Georgia, USA
services inc.,
11 months
Project Type SAP Upgrade Project
Role SAP BASIS Technology Consultant Lead Role
Responsibilities  Upgrade project Road Map and project preparation
 Oversaw BASIS upgrade activities
 SAP Security post-upgrade activities
 Managed system backup restores and recovery
Technical  SAP ECC 5.0, SAP ECC 5.0, SAP 4.7, BW 3.5, CRM 3.0, APO 3.0, Solution
Tools/Database Manager 4.0, AIX 5.1 UNIX, Oracle 9i.
/Skills Used

Ref. #5 – Bayer Crop Jan 2006 – Feb 2008

Mumbai, INDIA
Sciences 2-year, 1 month
Project Type SAP BASIS Support Project
Role SAP BASIS Offshore Lead Role
Responsibilities  Primary support resource to handle BASIS activities
 Handling priority tickets and on-call support
 Week-end/Monthly server maintenance activities (ECC, PI, EP, and
BI)
 Coordinating between HP, IBM, and other teams to maintain and run
all SAP servers without fail
 Alert handling ECC, PI, and BI
 Handling SAP Database activities and performing Oracle upgrades
 Managing Solution Manager 7.0
 Configured and managed Solution Manager Diagnostics and EWA
Technical  SAP ECC 6.0, CRM 5.0, MII EHP1, HP UNIX, LINUX, Windows and
Tools/Database Oracle
/Skills Used

Sep 1999 – Jan

Ref. #6 – ePlanet 2006
SriLanka
Business systems
5 Years 3 months
Project Type Implementation Support
Role SAP Technical Consultant
Responsibilities  Re-constructed Websites with updated functionality
 Extracted the information from various Landscapes to the Browser
using Web
 By using Model View Controller, implemented both static and dynamic
 Websites
 Created Business Server Pages, Views, Application Classes, MIME
Objects and Themes
 Using Themes, customized BSP applications
 Maintaining SAP R/3 authorization objects
 Create R/3 roles, users, and assign users to the roles
 Lock users, Portal authorization
 Maintaining SAP R/3 and External Landscapes in Portal
 Integration between NWDS and Enterprise Portal
 User management in R/3 including creating, changing, copying, and
deleting users
Technical  SAP 4.7, Web AS 6.3, Oracle
Tools/Database
/Skills Used