Samir Pipalia
London
Summary
Head of Applications / ERP leader with 20+ years’ experience delivering and owning complex application landscapes across SAP Business One, integrations, automation, and eCommerce platforms. Brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise, architecture capability, vendor and stakeholder management, and commercial awareness, with a proven track record of stabilising high-risk ERP environments, leading upgrades, and enabling scalable business growth. Particularly strong at taking ownership of complex issues, driving them through partners and vendors to resolution, and aligning enterprise applications with operational and business needs. Looking to lead application strategy, service improvement, and transformation within an organisation that values both hands-on delivery and strategic ownership.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
SAP Business One Application Manager
Kinly
01.2025 - 02.2026
- Owned and supported a multi-country SAP Business One landscape, with primary responsibility for Norway operations and support across Benelux localisations.
- Led SAP B1 upgrades across live environments, improving platform stability and reducing operational risk.
- Delivered and supported a B2B eCommerce integration between Shopify and SAP Business One, enabling automated order processing.
- Acted as L3 escalation point for complex SAP and BPA issues, taking ownership of the tickets and problems others could not resolve.
- Drove issue resolution across partners and SAP, challenging unsatisfactory responses and maintaining accountability until outcomes met business expectations.
- Worked closely with stakeholders and vendors to support application performance, incident resolution, and ongoing optimisation.
- Enabled Service Desk capability through structured guidance and training for L1/L2 teams, improving support maturity and reducing dependency on senior escalation.
SAP Business One Consultant
KAI Consulting
03.2024 - 04.2024
- Delivered SAP Business One upgrade from v9.3 to v10, including Service Layer, SSL, licensing, and environment setup.
- Installed and managed around 20 localisations and advised on localisation strategy, including UK settings and wider regional considerations.
- Improved performance using DI-API optimisation techniques, including guidance on using No Object rather than UDO where appropriate.
- Compared DI-API, Service Layer, and DTW approaches for different data and integration scenarios, advising on the most suitable design choices.
- Supported an OEM ERP solution for the media and film industry and documented low-level technical differences for the customer’s development team.
- Recommended code quality and packaging improvements, including silent upgrade options and linting approaches for existing VB .NET code.
ERP & Integration Lead (SAP Business One)
Sapphire Systems / Prax Group
07.2022 - 03.2023
- Stabilised a complex oil and gas ERP landscape spanning 38 SAP Business One companies operating across multiple business units and geographies.
- Enabled adoption of standardised best practices, improving process consistency and helping build long-term corporate process documentation.
- Acted as ERP and integration subject-matter expert across SAP Business One (Logistics, Finance, Administration), Boyum, Crystal Reports, BPA automation, and related integrations.
- Served as L3 escalation point, resolving critical ERP and integration issues across business-critical systems.
- Managed stakeholder and vendor relationships across multiple regions, acting as the bridge between business teams, technical teams, and third-party providers.
- Supported business transformation initiatives, aligning ERP capabilities with operational and regulatory requirements.
- Led the Aviation invoicing programme, delivering an IATA-compliant XML invoicing solution in collaboration with MuleSoft developers.
- Project-managed the Downstream Retail / Fuel Card programme, owning delivery timelines and enabling Total and BP fuel card acceptance across SAP B1, MuleSoft, BPA, SQL, and external vendors.
- Delivered and supported SAP Concur integration, automating expense processing and financial reconciliation.
- Stabilised and supported the CBE POS integration with SAP Business One, resolving data flow issues and ensuring operational continuity using SQL and BPA.
- Sapphire Systems as delivery partner, State Oil / Prax as client
SAP Business One HANA Technical Lead
Clubhouse Golf
11.2021 - 06.2022
- Brought in ahead of go-live to stabilise an SAP Business One HANA implementation that had been struggling for an extended period.
- Redesigned the architecture for pick, pack, and dispatch, replacing an underperforming off-the-shelf approach with a bespoke SDK-based solution linked to DPD shipping services.
- Provided BPA performance audit and optimisation guidance, improving reliability and supporting better operating practices.
- Worked closely with the business on infrastructure and architecture issues affecting platform performance and readiness.
- Redesigned Crystal Reports using stored procedures, reducing load times from over one minute to under five seconds.
- Supported design and delivery of print and dispatch documents to a high production standard.
ERP & Integration Lead / Senior Developer
Fast Key Services Ltd
01.2005 - 12.2020
- Played a key role in helping grow the business from a c.£200k turnover company into a multi-million-pound organisation by designing and evolving its core technology landscape.
- Architected and built a bespoke distributed middleware platform using IBM Notes/Domino, comprising modular databases for Customers, Configuration, Suppliers, Sales Invoices, Purchase Invoices, Web Orders, Web Customers, and related operational domains.
- Designed batch-based financial transaction processing between the middleware and Sage Accounts 50, capturing operational activity in the distributed platform while synchronising accounting transactions.
- Designed and delivered a custom eCommerce platform including a web content management and blogging system, enabling the customer to control product content, images, metadata, SEO descriptions, and site structure without developer dependency.
- Implemented accessibility and SEO best practices, including Schema.org structured data, improving usability and search visibility.
- Delivered integrations with Royal Mail and DPD APIs, enabling automated fulfilment, tracking, and shipping workflows, and implemented Google Shopping integration to broaden online sales channels.
- Engineered a highly complex product modelling algorithm that condensed millions of product permutations into structured records while preserving relationships across product ranges, key combinations, and variants.
- Designed advanced key-to-lock relationship models including master keys and removal (fitter) keys, and built a fully configurable bespoke lock design capability allowing the customer to control product options such as cams, extra keys, and master key configurations through the back end.
- Led migration from the bespoke platform to SAP Business One (SQL), re-engineering business processes and integrations to support a more scalable operating model.
- Managed procurement, licensing, and vendor relationships for SQL Server, SAP Business One, BPA / TaskCentre, Boyum, SSL, email services, AWS hosting, and related technologies via distributors and partners.
- Supported software licensing requirements across Domino, SAP, and associated platforms, and advised on hardware acquisition and infrastructure decisions aligned to business growth.
- Led selection and implementation of backup and recovery capabilities, including Symantec Backup Exec 15 for Windows Servers, to improve data protection and business continuity.
- Owned day-to-day IT operations alongside development, including printer and endpoint setup, ESET antivirus implementation, Lotus Notes upgrades, maintenance, and general operational support.
- Hired and managed subcontractors across design and Java development, providing technical direction, quality control, and delivery oversight.
- Provided strategic support beyond technology, including helping the business with trademark registration direction and identifying opportunities for R&D tax credits.
IBM Notes / XPages Developer (Contract)
Pramerica (Prudential Financial)
11.2011 - 01.2012
- Contributed to the early adoption of XPages within an enterprise IBM Notes/Domino environment in the Ethics and Law team.
- Developed and enhanced applications within a structured financial services environment.
- Supported transition from classic Notes applications towards more modern web-based frameworks.
IBM Lotus Notes Developer / Test Engineer
Show Business Software Ltd
06.2001 - 12.2004
- Built early foundation in enterprise application development and support using IBM Lotus Notes/Domino.
- Worked across testing, bug fixing, feature enhancement, and production issue resolution in structured delivery environments.
- Developed forms, workflows, and database logic while gaining direct experience of business requirements and enterprise system design.
Education
BEng - Software Engineering with Professional Pathway
City University London
IBM Certified Advanced - IBM Lotus Notes & Domino Developer
IBM
SAP Business One SDK - English Training
SAP
BratislavaSkills
- ERP & Application Ownership
- SAP Business One (SQL & HANA)
- Integration & Automation (BPA, APIs, Service Layer)
- Application Strategy & Transformation
- Stakeholder & Vendor Management
- Incident & Escalation Management
- ECommerce & Digital Integration
- Service Desk Enablement (L1–L3)
- Boyum
- SAP Concur
- Java (Spring, Hibernate, JSF)
- C#
- VBNET
- VB6
- IBM Notes/Domino
- LotusScript
- XPages
- BPA / TaskCentre
- DI-API
- Service Layer
- REST/SOAP APIs
- XML
- JSON
- MuleSoft
- Microsoft SQL Server
- SAP HANA
- Crystal Reports
- Data modelling and performance optimisation
- HTML CSS
- JavaScript
- SEO
- Schemaorg structured data
- Shopify integrations
- Google Shopping
- AWS (S3, SES)
- SSL
- Web hosting
- Email systems
- Back-up
- Endpoint and infrastructure support
Accomplishments
- Helped scale Fast Key Services from a c.£200k turnover business into a multi-million-pound organisation by designing and evolving its core ERP, eCommerce, integration, and operational systems.
- Stabilised a complex oil and gas ERP landscape spanning 38 SAP Business One companies across multiple business units and geographies.
- Led delivery of business-critical programmes including IATA-compliant aviation invoicing, downstream retail fuel card enablement, and SAP Concur integration.
- Owned resolution of the most complex SAP Business One and BPA incidents at Kinly, escalating through partners and SAP until business expectations were met.
- Led migration from bespoke systems to SAP Business One and designed high-complexity product and lock/key modelling capable of handling millions of combinations.
Leadership & Delivery Capabilities
- Stakeholder & Business Engagement
- Vendor & Partner Management
- Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
- Communication Across Technical & Non-Technical Teams
- Team Enablement, Mentoring & Quality Oversight
- Ownership & Accountability in High-Pressure Environments
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
linkedin.com/in/pipalia
Timeline
SAP Business One Application Manager
Kinly
01.2025 - 02.2026
SAP Business One Consultant
KAI Consulting
03.2024 - 04.2024
ERP & Integration Lead (SAP Business One)
Sapphire Systems / Prax Group
07.2022 - 03.2023
SAP Business One HANA Technical Lead
Clubhouse Golf
11.2021 - 06.2022
IBM Notes / XPages Developer (Contract)
Pramerica (Prudential Financial)
11.2011 - 01.2012
ERP & Integration Lead / Senior Developer
Fast Key Services Ltd
01.2005 - 12.2020
IBM Lotus Notes Developer / Test Engineer
Show Business Software Ltd
06.2001 - 12.2004
BEng - Software Engineering with Professional Pathway
City University London
IBM Certified Advanced - IBM Lotus Notes & Domino Developer
IBM
SAP Business One SDK - English Training
SAP