From the archive · June 2025
S/4 – The Real Risk isn’t the technology. It’s the HOW...
First published on LinkedIn. sapperment is the canonical archive of this article.
S/4HANA Transformation for Executives – In 5 minutes or less
Forget theory. This whitepaper breaks down what actually works in the field:
Episode 1: "Why Now?" – A Straight Talk on Urgency & Opportunity
Meet my digital twin (yes, with or without the accent 😉) as we kick off MISSION: S/4. In just 5 minutes, we unpack why S/4HANA is not just another IT upgrade—but a strategic decision point for your entire business.
The 5 RISKS that threaten almost every S/4HANA program
1. Budget Overruns Many programs underestimate cost drivers—especially in licensing, change management, and extended support. Without a clear value architecture, budgets drift from business outcomes toward technical firefighting.
2. Delays Timelines slip when strategy and execution are disconnected. Delays aren’t just about bad planning—they often stem from unclear ownership, late-stage redesigns, or lack of decision frameworks early on.
3. Technical Complexity ECC systems with decades of custom code create fragility. Migrating to S/4HANA requires more than a technical cutover—it demands rethinking integration, data structures, and legacy processes.
4. Low User Acceptance Even the best platform fails without adoption. Many S/4HANA projects don’t plan for structured enablement, stakeholder alignment, or embedded change support—leading to post-go-live friction and shadow processes.
5. Missing Business Value Going live is not the goal—value is. Without a business-case-driven roadmap, measurable KPIs, and governance beyond IT, many transformations fail to deliver ROI, relevance, or resilience.
Coming up next:
Cloud, On-Prem or Hybrid? We’ll break down the three key criteria for your operating model—and what CFOs and CIOs should consider when balancing cost, control, and innovation.
Written by Andreas BORN · Back to the sapperment library