Most consumers will first encounter a computer, gallon of water, or pair of tennis shoes on the shelves of stores or a company’s website. However, behind each one lies a complex journey from raw materials to sellable product, with hundreds of people involved in each stage of the production-delivery pipeline. It is no wonder, then, that waste and redundancies plague supply chains, leading to cost overruns, errors, delays, and frustration. Enter S.V. Prasad Gandhikota, a Senior Business Consultant at SAP America who has spent over two decades transforming supply chains and enhancing productivity through innovative technology solutions. His expertise in SAP implementations has empowered industries across the United States, Europe, and Asia to stabilize their supply chains by solving mission-critical operational challenges, reducing waste, and eliminating disruptions.
Prasad began his career journey to the top of global supply chain management at the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai, India, where he earned degrees in Science, Technology, and Management. He said that he was drawn to these fields because he had a very ordered, logical mind that could break down challenges into minute steps and create strategies for solving them.
“I also believed strongly that technology held the key to many solutions for business problems,” he remembers. “With the increasing pace of globalization and how interconnected businesses and consumers around the world were becoming, I foresaw the need to dig deep into supply chain processes and perfect them. After all, economies can be disrupted when products from China, for example, don’t get to stores in the United States, so I wanted to use my skills to make the processes more efficient.”
Prasad also holds certificates in Supply Chain Management, Sustainability & Business Innovation, and Leadership in Digital Transformation from MIT and SAP. Equipped with this training, he has been working for over 24 years to integrate manufacturing, procurement, quality assurance, warehouse management, product costing, product lifecycle management, plant maintenance, and sales and distribution. Before joining SAP America, Prasad worked at Conagra Brands Inc., where as the IT Delivery Leader he led technology integration programs for mergers and acquisitions, ERP modernization programs for U.S. and international locations, application management services, and continuous improvement programs.
Prasad’s expertise in SAP implementations and in SAP ECC, CRM, PP-PI, and Oracle PLM, among many others, has taken him from India to the UK and the USA, where he has worked with some of the best-known Fortune 500 companies. As a result, organizations are maintaining their competitive edge in global industries as diverse as textiles, automotives, aerospace and defense, life sciences, consumer products, electronics, mining and construction, and food manufacturing.
At SAP, Prasad combines his technical acumen and knowledge with his deep understanding of people. “I work with some incredibly talented clients, but they are only human. Many are resistant to changing their old ways of working in silos, which prevent departments from working together,” Prasad explains. “Through SAP, I offer the best, most innovative practices, which transition our clients from yesterday’s processes to today’s technology-driven strategies, clearing the way for improved performances in supply chains.”
Prasad’s approach involves seamlessly integrating SAP S/4HANA manufacturing with advanced planning and execution systems. He laughs a little when he says that while this sounds complex, it really comes down to the technological ability to revitalize and optimize end-to-end business processes. Through SAP S/4HANA, Prasad ensures that all aspects of an organization’s supply chain work in harmony, enhancing overall productivity and reducing operational waste.
“One of the biggest challenges I have encountered has been enhancing a business’ ability to forecast and accurately plan for demand,” Prasad reveals. “That has primarily been due to the lack of real-time data as well as shifting seasonal demands and changing consumer behaviors. I overcame this by using SAP APO systems to implement statistical forecasting methods, which leveraged sales history and customer data. As a result, forecast visibility was dramatically improved.”
Prasad’s achievements have earned him recognition, including inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who in America and awards such as the Rockstar of the Supply Chain Award (2023) and the Lifetime Achievement Award (2024) from Food Logistics. He has published scholarly research in the International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology and is a Fellow of SASS, SAIARD, and Nest, and is a peer reviewer at IJEIS, IJISSCM, and AOM.
“I really enjoy mentoring graduate students at the Royal Academy Engineering, where I am amazed by the innovation of the next generation,” says Prasad. “It is especially fun to judge research projects at the University of Michigan, Minnesota Academy of Science, DECA Inc., and FBLA. You would not believe the ingenuity of younger students, who have incredible ideas that will improve society.”
Prasad’s leveraging of advanced technology to master supply chain management has set new benchmarks in the industry. By reducing waste and boosting productivity, his innovative solutions and strategic leadership continue to drive the success of businesses worldwide. By investing in modernized systems, Prasad helps organizations to reduce manual efforts, minimize errors, and significantly boost productivity. This digital core transformation not only enhances operational efficiency but also prepares companies for future challenges and empowers them to capitalize on crucial opportunities.
