What are the Key Elements of Successful SAP S/4HANA Projects?

Today, we conclude our three-part conversation about a large-scale SAP S/4HANA implementation project with high stakes and a tight deadline. In the first part of our conversation, we spoke with Inga Prangishvili, Deputy Director of the Information Technology (WBS) branch of the JSC Georgian Railway, who explained?how to select an SAP supplier mid-project. And in the second part of our conversation, both Inga and Igor Bordak, Project Director on the IBA side, talked about what happens when you?inherit problems and how to solve them under difficult conditions.

To wrap up our conversation, we spent some time with Igor, who shares the two essential elements for a successful SAP S/4HANA implementation project. He also explains how knowledge and communication helped his team and their client achieve goals and exceed expectations.

Executive Sponsorship

Any IT project is impossible without Executive involvement and support. Georgian Railways S/4HANA implementation is no exception. From the early days of IBA’s involvement to the final delivery and transitioning to Operations, the project had the full support of the client’s leadership and their involvement in every stage of the project restart. This is what ultimately made this project a success.

Understanding the Project Landscape and Creating an Action Plan

For an eleventh-hour project like this one, Igor notes it is important to come in prepared with as much information as possible. Once the project begins, Igor acknowledges, it is imperative to understand the history of what went right – and what went wrong, in the past. Developing a firm understanding of what works, what does not, and why, helped him and his SAP specialists come up with an action plan that enabled them to meet all the client’s goals without missing the project deadline.

Igor’s approach is helpful to consider. It can be tempting to skip the step of information collection and jump right into action. When the deadline is as tight as this one, it can also be tempting to apply a triage mentality and start working right away to solve problems as they appear.

But?operating without an action plan is the wrong way to go. As Igor and his team saw over the course of the project, it became easier to do their jobs because they started armed with accurate, actionable information about what problems they needed to solve.

As Igor says, the goal was simple: “complete the project and help the customers.” So, armed with that plan, they worked on meeting their goal.

?“Georgian Railways appreciates the collaborative partnership we were able to build with IBA Group,” according to Inga.

Key Elements of a Successful SAP S/4HANA Implementation Project

Igor identifies two things that made the successful project possible, despite the challenges and deadlines. The first, he explains, is?successful change management. The second, is a?well-prepared customer team. As Igor points out, a knowledgeable team on the customer side enables the overall success of a project.

These elements, Igor says, are necessary in all successful SAP S/4HANA implementation projects. However, they are especially important in a project like this one, in which the client is a large company with complex demands and no time to waste. And when, as in this case, the SAP supplier is stepping in mid-project.

Read?the continuation by the link. For more insights on SAP S/4HANA integration and migration best practices, and automation news,?explore the IBA Group Blog.