SAP Programme Delays: Governance, Not Skills, is the Problem

The most interesting SAP work right now isn't S/4HANA. It's the work happening before it: cleaning the data, sorting out the custom code and working out what's actually sitting in the ECC estate before anyone signs off a programme. Two things have changed: 1) The 2027 deadline stopped scaring people. Extended maintenance runs to 2030 if you pay for it. Plenty of boards have done the sums and decided they'd rather pay for a few more years than start a programme they aren't ready for. 2) AI made bad data expensive. Everyone's been told the good stuff needs S/4HANA and a clean core. What gets said less often is that it also needs master data that isn't full of duplicate vendors and twenty years of workarounds. You can migrate dirty data very quickly. It's still dirty when it arrives. So the conversation has moved. Less "when do we go", more "what state are we actually in". #KES #SAP 💡

When critical SAP workflows break, it's rarely just an IT problem. It can impact payroll, reporting, supply chains, and customer experiences. That's why orchestration matters. This white paper looks at how organizations can streamline SAP operations, improve visibility across workflows, and create a more reliable foundation for business-critical processes. Worth a read if you're navigating complex SAP environments. https://lnkd.in/eA6N3Dja #SAP #WorkflowOrchestration #ITOperations

One of the hardest words in an SAP implementation is "standard." Everyone agrees with fit-to-standard in principle — until a business team sees the actual SAP standard process and realizes it doesn't match what they've been doing for years. The first reaction is almost always "can we change this?" And that's really where the discussion starts. Not every difference between the existing process and SAP standard is a problem worth fixing. Sometimes the old process exists because the business genuinely needs it that way. Sometimes it exists because that's simply how the previous system was built. And sometimes it exists because someone made a call ten years ago and nobody's questioned it since. The real challenge isn't convincing the business to accept standard — it's figuring out why the current process diverged in the first place. If there's a genuine business reason, address it properly. If there's a regulatory or operational need behind it, don't ignore that. But if the honest answer is "we've always done it this way," that's usually not a strong enough reason to bolt on another customization. Fit-to-standard was never about forcing the business to change everything. It's about having the discipline to tell the difference between what's actually worth changing and what isn't. That distinction is where good SAP consulting earns its keep. #SAP #SAPImplementation #FitToStandard #S4HANA #SAPConsulting

When critical SAP workflows break, it's rarely just an IT problem. It can impact payroll, reporting, supply chains, and customer experiences. That's why orchestration matters. This white paper looks at how organizations can streamline SAP operations, improve visibility across workflows, and create a more reliable foundation for business-critical processes. Worth a read if you're navigating complex SAP environments. https://lnkd.in/g3Zb39pM #SAP #WorkflowOrchestration #ITOperations

A technically correct SAP solution can still fail if the users do not trust it. That is the part of transformation that is easy to underestimate. You can configure the process correctly. Complete the testing. Migrate the data. Go live on schedule. But if users do not understand the new process, confidence drops quickly. They create workarounds. They return to spreadsheets. They avoid features they are unsure about. Support requests start increasing. User adoption is not something to think about after go-live. It starts much earlier. Users need context. They need practical training. They need to understand what is changing and why. And they need support when the real work begins. A successful SAP implementation is not only one that goes live. It is one people can actually use with confidence. #SAP #S4HANA #ChangeManagement #UserAdoption #ERPTransformation #SAPConsulting #ASAPStaffing

Sometimes the most interesting SAP work is the part nobody outside the project ever sees. The late-stage configuration tidy-up. The cutover dress rehearsals. The quiet weeks stabilising BAU after everyone else has mentally moved on. For SAP professionals, that "hidden layer" is often where judgement, experience and calm heads matter most. At ERP Resource Base, we spend a lot of time talking to consultants and hiring managers about these less-visible phases of the SAP lifecycle, because they shape which skills really sustain a career - and which profiles stand out for future programmes. Which part of the SAP lifecycle do you think is undervalued, but absolutely critical to getting things right? #SAP #SAPCommunity #ERP #ERPResourceBase

Your SAP S/4HANA migration is only as strong as the people behind it and by 2027, the best analytics talent will already be taken. Hire too late, and you risk delays, rework, and reporting issues that can derail the entire programme. Click to read the full blog and find out which SAP specialists you need, and when you need them. > https://lnkd.in/dUzAnbiT #REDGlobal #SAPS4HANA #SAPRecruitment

Six phases. Twenty+ years. The same lesson every time. The that go well are not the ones with the best configuration. They are the ones that stayed honest in Explore, took data migration seriously, and treated go-live as a rehearsed event rather than a surprise. Made this one-pager to explain SAP Activate to business stakeholders who do not live in SAP every day. Which phase do your programs usually underestimate? #SAP #S4HANA #SAPActivate #

One thing I learned as an SAP S/4HANA Key User during go-live:   Not every improvement request can be solved by changing the system.   "During testing and go-live support, there were times when users requested changes to make certain screens, reports, or processes more user-friendly.   As Key Users, we worked closely with consultants to understand the requirements and explore possible solutions.   Sometimes the answer was:   ✅ System enhancement   But sometimes the answer was:   ❌ Not technically feasible ❌ High development effort ❌ Standard SAP limitation   One lesson stayed with me:   Technology is always a balance between business needs and technical possibilities.   Not every good idea can be implemented immediately.   But every discussion is an opportunity to better understand the process and identify areas for improvement.   Being a Key User taught me that successful implementations are not just about systems.   They are about collaboration, communication, and finding practical solutions together.   #SAP #S4HANA #KeyUser #P2P #ProcessImprovement #DigitalTransformation

Is your S/4HANA migration just a costly lift-and-shift of yesterday’s technical debt? Many organizations treat their SAP ECC custom code like an attic—they box it all up and move it to the new house without ever checking what’s inside. Moving forward without a deliberate keep, retire, replace, remediate, or redesign strategy means you are paying a premium to preserve unnecessary complexity. Every piece of legacy code you drag into S/4HANA exponentially increases your testing scope and future maintenance burden. If custom code lacks a clear disposition owner, your transformation is already carrying dead weight. To ensure your transition actually delivers value, leadership must ask: • What evidence proves readiness? • What is blocked or still unknown? • What business-critical scenario could still fail? Stop paying S/4HANA prices to maintain ECC-era clutter. Demand accountability for every custom object before it crosses the threshold. From Jeffrey L. Hoekstra Consulting Agency LLC https://lnkd.in/gjk5qMkU #SAP #S4HANA #SAPTransformation #CIO #TechnicalDebt #EnterpriseArchitecture #DigitalTransformation