SAP IS-U Transformation, MaKo 2025, and the Workforce Crisis: A Strategic Guide for Decision Makers

1. The Technological Pressure: SAP S/4HANA & MaKo 2025

The 2027 Deadline: More Than Just an Update For decades, SAP IS-U has been the standard for billing and market communication in the DACH region. However, the architecture from the era of centralized power generation is no longer equal to the dynamic demands of the energy transition (prosumers, smart metering). SAP has unequivocally dated the end of maintenance for core applications to December 31, 2027.

Many decision-makers are flirting with "Extended Maintenance" until 2030 (for a 2% surcharge). A strategic error:

• Innovation Jam: There are no new features in extended maintenance.

• Resource Shortage: Those who wait until 2028 will compete with the "Late Majority" for the few remaining consultant capacities at astronomical prices.

The switch to SAP S/4HANA Utilities is mandatory. Its in-memory technology enables real-time processing of smart meter data and offers a modern user experience with SAP Fiori. But whether Greenfield (new implementation) or Brownfield (conversion): The personnel requirement is immense and highly specific.

The Acute Hurdle: MaKo 2025 and AS4 While S/4HANA is the long-term goal, MaKo 2025 forces immediate action. From April 1, 2025, market communication in the electricity sector will be replaced by the BSI-driven AS4 protocol. Email-based EDIFACT messages will then be history.

This requires operating a highly secure Smart Meter PKI infrastructure. Many utilities are outsourcing this to the cloud ("MaKo as a Service"), which, however, entails complex integration projects. The timing is fatal: MaKo projects tie up exactly those experts (SAP IDEX, SAP Basis) who are also needed for S/4HANA.

2. The Personnel Crisis: Why Job Ads No Longer Work

The technology is ready, but the teams are not. The utility industry is suffering from a "double whammy" in the labor market.

The "Silver Tsunami" Around 50% of the workforce in utility companies will retire by 2035. With them, implicit knowledge about historically grown IT systems disappears. At the same time, young IT talents are drawn more to start-ups than to the energy sector, which is often perceived as conservative.

The Skill Mismatch An "SAP Consultant" is not a generic resource.

For MaKo 2025, specialists are needed who combine SAP IDEX, BTP (Business Technology Platform), and cryptography basics (for AS4).

For S/4HANA, architects are sought who can translate old data models (IS-U) into the new world (Business Partner / CVI).

The traditional "Post & Pray" approach—posting a job ad and waiting—is dead. The Time-to-Hire for such niche profiles is often over 6 months. Time you do not have given the deadlines.

3. The Solution: Freelancers as a Strategic Lever

In a project-based transformation phase, permanent employments are often too rigid and too slow. Freelancers offer the necessary agility:

• Availability: Gaps can be closed within days instead of months.

• Expertise: Externals bring "Best Practices" from other utilities and prevent operational blindness.

• Flexibility: You book an expert for the critical migration phase without building up long-term fixed costs.

The Pain Point: False Self-Employment and Compliance Here, the interests of the specialist department (Hiring Manager) and Procurement collide. Procurement rightly fears the risk of false self-employment (Scheinselbstständigkeit). Back payments of social security contributions and criminal consequences for managing directors are real threats.

This often leads to rigid purchasing guidelines that make using freelancers factually impossible or force them into expensive temporary employment models (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung). Specialist departments often react with "Maverick Buying" bypassing procurement—a compliance nightmare.

4. FRATCH: Agility Meets Security

FRATCH resolves this conflict of goals by combining technology with legal certainty. We are not just another headhunter, but a specialized partner for digital transformation.

AI-Powered Matching: Speed and Precision Traditional recruiters work with keyword searches. Our AI understands the context. It knows that an expert for "MaKo Cloud Integration" must implicitly have experience with SAP Cloud Integration (CPI) and certificate management, even if it is not explicitly stated in the CV.

• Result: We deliver precise profiles within 6 to 24 hours.

• Access: Pool of over 10,000 pre-qualified experts, focused on SAP and Energy.

Compliance by Design (Powered by PwC) The strongest argument for Procurement is our partnership with PwC.

Auditing: Every freelancer deployment is checked for risks of false self-employment before the contract begins.

Security: We use legally secure contract templates and define clear structures for deliverables (Gewerke). This transforms the incalculable risk into a managed process.

• Cost Efficiency Through automation, we eliminate the administrative overhead of classic agencies.

• Savings: Reduction of hiring fees by up to 75%.

Transparency: We work with an open markup of 10-15%. You see exactly what the expert receives. No hidden margins.

5. Which Profiles You Must Secure Now

To save MaKo 2025 and the S/4HANA start, Hiring Managers should secure the following key roles now:

• SAP MaKo / IDEX Specialists: Focus on AS4 transition and market processes (supplier change, WiM). These experts are the backbone of compliance by April 1, 2025.

• SAP BTP Integration Architects: For connecting cloud solutions (MaKo as a Service) to the On-Premise IS-U. Without them, systems remain isolated.

• Data Migration Leads (IS-U to S/4HANA): Focus on cleaning Business Partner data (CVI). Poor data quality is the main reason for failed S/4HANA projects.

• Interim Program Managers: Experienced helmsmen who navigate political trench warfare and keep the focus stubbornly on the deadline.

6. Conclusion: Act Instead of Wait

The years 2025 to 2027 will separate the wheat from the chaff. Utilities that act agilely now will master the transformation. Those who remain in rigid structures will be crushed by the costs of maintenance extension and consultant shortages.

For Hiring Managers: Do not wait for the perfect permanent hire. Use the flexibility of the freelance market to secure the critical milestones of 2025.

For Procurement: Do not block access to talent. Use FRATCH as a secure channel to ensure compliance without stifling your company's ability to innovate.

Start now. Upload your project requirements to fratch.io/en/. Our AI identifies the experts who will make your SAP landscape future-proof in seconds—legally secure, transparent, and efficient.