Ralf Stoll
#OneMHPTeam
For 25 years, Ralf's professional life has revolved around SAP – in Sales, in Business Development and since the beginning of 2019 at MHP within the Partner Management. Ralf found his way to us through his network, with one clear focus: to further expand the partnership between SAP and MHP. In his private life, Ralf puts a lot of energy into his family-owned agricultural and forestry small business – especially into the keeping of Irish highland cattle, the creation of an association for the rescue of wild animals by drone and soon into its own farm store. One thing is for sure: Ralf will never lack ideas and variety in his life.
Hi Ralf, first things first: What exactly is SAP Partner Management and what does your typical workday look like?
"It is my concern to intensify our partnership with SAP and to be the contact person for our colleagues when it comes to our cooperation with SAP. To be precise, my role at MHP is settled right between consulting and sales. The biggest part of my job is to work with our sales and consulting teams to come up with the best licensing configuration for our customers. My position is a great chance for me to contribute my experience and network from 25 years in the SAP environment at a strong SAP implementation partner like MHP."
SAP has been with you for a quarter of a century – what excites you about MHP?
"I simply studied SAP from the beginning on. Since then, I continued to deepen my knowledge about SAP and was able to work a variety of positions in different companies. The passion for SAP has remained over all these years, other ERP solutions have been of less interest to me. Why should that be? When I started my career, SAP was on everyone's lips and was the ERP system par excellence. That’s why I knew early on that if I sell something, it would be SAP. I have not shaken this decision since then: I spent ten years working directly for SAP and then worked as a consultant on SAP implementation projects. I have now been part of MHP for 2,5 years to further develop our SAP Partner Management."
This must be a new role even for you being very experienced in the SAP world – what motivates you about Partner Management?
"I am the interface between our customers and SAP - that excites me a lot, because that means I'm close to what's going on in the market and get to know a lot of interesting people. It's also very versatile in terms of content: In the collaboration, you get to know all the processes, from strategic alignment to the implementation of the software rollout. I find it exciting to conduct an individual site assessment together with our customers and evaluate how processes can be brought to the next level through new software. The most exciting thing is that I see what digitization can do and what added value it can bring."
What does an optimal software integration look like to you?
"It is crucial that the change within the company is prepared thoroughly and that all stakeholders are being included for a successful project or a smooth introduction. New software cannot achieve anything if the changes are not supported by employees and the organization. Even during the initial inventory analysis with the customer, this is an important topic that I always plan for and address.
This also applies to our team: Here, too, it is important to define goals together and ensure that everyone is aware of their own task and the desired end result. Beyond that, I also encourage our team to think not only in terms of their own tasks and processes. It is always worth looking left and right and questioning how one's own work fits in with the end result and, above all, with the work of one's colleagues."
That sounds like a lot of sharing and exchanging - how do you find your personal balance to everyday life at MHP?
"My work-life-balance starts as soon as I pull into the courtyard driveway at our house. My family and I run a small forestry and agricultural farm in Bavaria on the side. We keep Irish highland cattle and manage the farm extensively - sustainably and organically.
What is produced on the farm in small quantities will be marketed in the future through a farm store. We are currently building store and restaurant space where we sell and process our own food, such as beef and eggs, as well as products from neighboring regional farms.
At home, my head is in another world and I unconsciously switch off from my professional issues. In general, one could almost speak of a different mindset."
Agriculture and consulting - what do you see as the greatest added value from this unusual combination?
"Working on our farm gives me a certain groundedness. It also helps me stay grounded in my professional projects and not lose sight of the big picture.
I believe that our industry can learn a lot from agriculture. Just by putting time pressure or additional resources into a project doesn't necessarily change the end result. Some things just take time. Wheat doesn't grow any faster if you pull on it. Of course, this should not become an excuse for dawdling or wasting resources but should ensure a balanced consideration of all influencing factors."
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Is there a project from the past years that you are especially proud of?
"Yes, both professionally and privately there are some. However, my personal highlight is the co-founding of the association "Wildtierrettung Ries Mitte e.V.". Our goal is to save as many wild animals as possible, such as fawns, curlews and lapwings, from being killed by agricultural mowing equipment. We use drones and thermal imaging technology to search for the wild animals and bring them to safety from the mower.
This example shows how digitization is also generating opportunities and added value in this area that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago. Through the association, we also work together with universities and share our experience with manufacturers of agricultural harvesting machinery. The goal here is that in the future, farmers will be provided with information before mowing as to when and in which areas the risk of "mowing out" is highest (AI), so that reliable technology on agricultural machinery can be used to react in time."
And finally: What is your personal goal for the next few years?
"I want to be able to help shape change - and thus offer added value to MHP and our customers. Thanks to the openness and dynamism within MHP, I continue to see many opportunities for me - and for all MHP employees - to help shape major transformation topics. For me, this means that I am looking forward to continuing to drive SAP forward at MHP and, of course, at our customers."