Leading Botswana mining company cuts SAP refresh costs significantly

High costs and resource-heavy refreshes

Before implementing Data Sync Manager™ (DSM), the company struggled with slow, resource-intensive SAP® system refreshes that relied on full system copies, driving up disk usage and infrastructure costs. Securing sensitive employee and HCM data during these refreshes was complex, and ensuring realistic testing and training environments was difficult. These challenges limited IT efficiency, delayed problem simulations, and increased operational risk.

Our client’s primary business drivers were cost reduction, faster system refresh cycles, and improved data security. They needed a solution that enabled self-managed, secure SAP refreshes while handling complex HR and SAP SuccessFactors data, without disrupting daily operations.

Enabling secure, self-managed system refreshes

Our client chose the DSM Suite to address their test data management challenges. The solution they are using consists of three main components:

• DSM Client Sync for HCM
• DSM Object Sync for HCM
• DSM Object Sync for SuccessFactors Add-on

EPI-USE Labs initially delivered Refresh as a Service (RaaS) for our client in 2021. In 2022, with continued support, the company began performing system refreshes themselves. Since 2023, they have successfully executed system refreshes without our support.

Measurable benefits: faster, secure, and self-managed SAP refreshes

Implementing DSM has delivered measurable benefits for our client.

Client Sync has enabled the consistent creation and refresh of clients across ABAP systems, with simplified data selection through reusable data profiles and automatic handling of custom tables. This has reduced downtime in the transport landscape, making weekend refreshes possible, while achieving significant disk space savings through time-based and company code or enterprise-level data slicing. The elimination of BDLS – replaced by automated in-memory changes – has further streamlined system operations.

Object Sync has supported the inclusion of complex HCM cluster data without system interruptions, empowered teams to resolve issues independently, and strengthened data security through effective masking and protection of sensitive information. In addition, it has enabled seamless data movement across SAP releases and architectures, with the flexibility to extend easily for custom requirements.

Client Sync:

Object Sync:

About our client

The company is one of the largest private sector employers in Botswana, boasting a large workforce of several thousands. Most employees are stationed at mining sites, supported by fixed-term contractors and a team at the Corporate Centre in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital.

The company's mining operations have significantly contributed to Botswana’s economic growth. These operations have helped elevate Botswana from one of Africa’s least developed countries to an international development success story, now classified as a middle-income country.