🏗️ Behind Every SAP Project: The Humans Who Make It Work
Saikiran Baradkar🚀
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By Saikiran Baradkar, SAP FICO Consultant & SAP Carrier Mentor | 7-Min Read | SAP S/4HANA Cloud | Change Leadership
🌟 Introduction: The People Behind the Platform
Let’s be honest — most conversations around SAP projects are technical. We talk about configurations, integrations, timelines, and tools. But underneath all of that?
It's people.
No SAP project, no matter how cutting-edge, runs successfully without the right human network.
This edition of the newsletter dives into the unsung heroes and critical roles that form the backbone of a successful SAP S/4HANA Cloud implementation — based on the SAP Activate Methodology.
If you're leading, part of, or even preparing for an SAP project, this human-centric lens is your essential blueprint.
🚦 Discover Phase: The Visionaries Set the Direction
Every journey begins with belief — and in SAP projects, that belief often comes from the Executive Sponsors.
👤 Executive Sponsors (CTO, CIO, CDO)
They see the burning need. They build the business case. They rally the budget. They’re not configuring reports — they’re shaping futures. They engage in early conversations, complete assessments like the Digital Discovery, and drive the final “Go” decision.
🎯 Key Role: Setting the tone, securing commitment, and sustaining internal communication.
Pro Tip: Without their continued engagement post-purchase, momentum dips. Their words carry weight — especially when change resistance arises.
🛠 Prepare Phase: The Architects Arrive
Once the decision is made, it’s time to build the core team.
👩💻 System Administrator (IT Contact)
This role is like the gatekeeper. They control access, provision systems, and link SAP with the internal IT ecosystem. If no one is assigned, the contract signer gets this role by default.
💡 Think of them as the locksmith who holds the key to the digital doors.
👥 Implementation Team (Partner or SAP)
This is the project crew. They include:
Their job? To bring your business vision to life inside SAP, process by process.
Golden Rule: The deeper your scope (e.g. if you're implementing Finance, Manufacturing, and Sales), the more LoB experts you need.
🔍 Explore Phase: Reality Meets Roadmap
Welcome to the beating heart of SAP Activate — the Fit-to-Standard Workshops.
🧠 Customer LoB Process Experts
These are your internal champions. The ones who know how things really work on the ground. They attend workshops, validate what SAP offers, and speak up when the standard doesn't fit.
🎙 “That’s not how we handle invoice approvals in our team,” says Priya, your Finance Officer — and that feedback is gold.
Their feedback shapes how SAP will work in your organization. Don’t underestimate this phase — it’s where misalignment can quietly begin.
🔄 Change Management Team
This isn’t just about training. This team manages emotions, resistance, communication, and adoption.
They work alongside project and LoB teams to:
📣 Without proper change leadership, you risk rejection — not from the system, but from the people who must use it.
If you haven’t already brought in change experts, this is your sign.
🔧 Realize Phase: Builders, Coders, and Movers
Now we get hands-on — configuration, customization, integration, and data migration.
🔌 Integration & Customization Teams
If you’re linking SAP with CRM, HR systems, or third-party tools — this team does it.
🧑💻 Best practice? Let your internal developers handle side-by-side extensions for cost and control.
📂 Data Migration Leads
You can’t launch SAP with empty shelves. These folks move your business data (master and transactional) into SAP, safely and cleanly.
Data is not just numbers — it’s the heartbeat of your business.
🚀 Deploy Phase: Showtime
The system is ready. Now the users must be.
🧍♂️ End Users (aka Consumers of the System)
These are the frontlines. The people who’ll use SAP every day — in procurement, sales, finance, HR, and beyond.
They must be trained, supported, and heard.
📚 You can configure the perfect purchase order process, but if Raj in Procurement finds it clunky, guess what? Adoption suffers.
👥 Project Management: The Coordinators of Chaos
All along the way, Project Managers (Customer + Partner) hold the strings. They:
🔗 They are the glue between executives, consultants, IT, and business users.
🧭 Final Words: Start With People, Not Just Processes
SAP implementations don’t fail because the software doesn’t work.
They fail because people weren’t engaged, heard, or prepared.
So as you begin (or continue) your SAP journey, ask yourself:
Technology is only as powerful as the people who use it.
📩 Enjoyed this piece? Subscribe to this newsletter for more human-centric insights on SAP, enterprise transformation, and leadership.
🔗 Let’s connect — share your own SAP project experience in the comments or DMs.
#SAPActivate #SAPCloud #S4HANA #ProjectManagement #ChangeLeadership #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseSoftware #ERP #HumanCenteredDesign #BusinessChange
Commercial Service Delivery Manager
2moInsightful, thanks for sharing, Saikiran