Implementing SAP S/4HANA is often seen as a massive IT project – a task for tech teams to install, configure, and roll out. But SAP S/4HANA is more than just a piece of software to plug in and run. To truly succeed, the project must extend far beyond the IT team, embedding itself into an organisation’s culture, leadership, and even reward structures. 

From my own experience working with organisations on SAP projects, I’ve seen first-hand that success lies in building an ecosystem where people from a range of business areas collaborate and contribute to its long-term success.

What’s the key to SAP S/4HANA success?

Put simply, a successful SAP project comes down to the people involved at every stage. SAP S/4HANA technology is designed to unify processes, data, and insights across an organisation. But for this to work, your people need to be just as connected. When departments operate in silos, or when the SAP team is physically and culturally isolated, the project is destined for setbacks.

Take, for example, a scenario I encountered where the SAP project team was housed on a separate floor, away from their regular colleagues. They went from seeing their peers at the water cooler every day to forgetting each other’s existence. The physical disconnect of putting people on different floors – separated by lifts and doors – hindered communication and collaboration. Team members stopped seeing themselves as part of the wider organisation and their eventual reintegration into the business became a daunting challenge because they’d lost touch with the day-to-day realities of their peers.

A solution for this is to foster cross-departmental buy-in from day one. Keep project team members with their teams for the day-to-day, and use boardrooms and breakout spaces for dedicated project time, but keep project team members engaged with their home departments so they can communicate regularly about how the transformation is moving forward – and how it benefits everyone.

How can organisations manage talent effectively during an SAP S/4HANA project?

One of the biggest pitfalls in SAP projects is the way organisations handle talent. In my experience, it’s common for senior leaders to remove high-performing employees from their regular roles and dedicate them entirely to the project. But while this might seem logical, it can have unintended consequences, for example, employees could get overlooked for promotion (out of sight out of mind) or feel disconnected from their original role.

From what I’ve seen over the years of helping organisations with SAP projects, the most successful organisations plan for the entire talent lifecycle of the project. This means:

• Having a clear strategy for reintegrating project team members into the business. Better still, think about how to use the skills they’ve developed during the project – perhaps in a new role or team.
• Ensuring leaders at all levels understand (and can clearly explain) why the project is happening, what it means for their teams, and what’s in it for everyone. Being clear about potential challenges – like temporary increases in workload – builds trust.
• Identifying respected, up-and-coming leaders in each business area to act as change champions. Free up their time to bridge the gap between the SAP team and their colleagues. This role shouldn’t be a side project – they need the time and space to be effective.
• Embedding change management and training from day one, not bolted on as an afterthought. Make sure teams impacted by the project are regularly and consistently kept up to date with the project status – this keeps everyone on the same page. 

How do leaders incentivise top talent to get involved in an SAP S/4HANA project?

Simply put, you’ve got to make it worth their while. We’re all familiar with the way corporate bonus and compensation structures work, but these can be a roadblock to SAP success. Many reward systems incentivise siloed thinking – with bonuses tied to individual performance – which conflicts with the collaborative ethos needed for an SAP project to work. 

In my experience, the most successful projects are the ones that motivate people by rewarding their success in their project role. For example:

• Show people that working on the project won’t get in the way of their career plans – let them know how it can boost their careers. Make sure their project successes are celebrated and provide clear pathways for their post-project roles. 
• Drive the right behaviours by taking a look at your bonus schemes. Are they promoting collaboration or reinforcing silos? If leaders fear losing their best people to the SAP project because they’ll be sidelined afterwards, they’re less likely to get behind it.
• Make a clear plan for after the project rollout. One of the worst practices I’ve seen is organisations pulling top talent into an SAP project only to leave them in limbo when it ends. A plan for where these people will slot into the business post-project should be in place from day one. Without it, you risk demoralising your workforce and struggling to attract the best talent in future.

When employees see the project as a career risk rather than an opportunity, they may not invest fully in its success. So plan carefully to avoid breeding resentment or disillusionment. The idea is to make the SAP project a stepping stone to growth, not a career dead-end.

An ecosystem of people

Treat the project as a business-wide initiative, not as just an IT upgrade happening behind closed doors to be sprung on the wider organisation when they least expect it. Successful projects – the ones that go relatively smoothly before, during, and after rollout – are the ones with strategic people (and change) management at the core. 

After all, transformation isn’t just about systems – it’s about an ecosystem of people. When they’re empowered, engaged, inspired, celebrated, and aligned, your SAP S/4HANA project can unlock incredible potential for your organisation and the careers of everyone involved.