7 Project Planning Tips to prepare for SAP, S/4HANA and ERP Programmes

One thing that’s a given for your S/4HANA migration (or any ERP Programme) is that you’re going to need a plan. Easy right?

But before you dive into MS Projects to assign roles and set deadlines, you should pause a moment to think about what the function of a plan is at this early stage.

After all, we all know these plans will inevitably change - so it’s safe to say the SAP Project plan you create today isn’t really about setting hard dates.

So why plan at all if it’s just going to change?

At this point in your S/4  Programme a good plan will serve 2 vital functions.

It helps you to think

Where are we now and where do we want to end up? What kind of skills do we need on an S/4HANA migration project and when will we need them? What dependencies are there?

These are the kind of questions this early stage plan will flush out.  It will help you to think long-term and decide what you can do today to set up for future success.

It helps you communicate

The first tool you have in your communication toolkit is your SAP business case. This tells people why the project matters.

The second tool in your communication toolkit is your SAP Project plan. This tells people how you’re going to get it done. 

The Project plan you write at this early stage shouldn’t be complex and iron clad - it needs to be high level, highly visual, and something you can use when you’re explaining the Programme to the wider business. 

So what kind of plan do you need?

You should start every SAP Project with a plan on a page (PoaP). This should be visual and easy to understand; the starting point for further more detailed planning. 

• You should aim to roughly plan in the key SAP Project phases and stage gates.

• You should know when key activities like training and testing will take place so you can have environments and data available. (A hint here - both training and testing should probably start way earlier than you think).

• You should know the key work streams and the key milestones so you can map in dependencies.

Any further detail will come later.

And remember - keep your plan on a page live. Keep updating it as things change and you can keep using it as a communication tool.

Even when you have your final highly detailed Project plan your PoaP is still a powerful overview of status and what’s next.

Once you get the go ahead for your S/4HANA migration programme (or any ERP programme), it can be tempting to jump in right away and start appointing people for the first phase of your Project - be it Solution Architects, Project Managers or even instructing the procurement team to choose a Systems Integrator.

And while it’s normal to want to make good early progress, you’ve got to think long term. 

The SAP Programme you’re planning could run for years - so getting a few weeks headstart won’t make much difference. 

Thinking long term, your first Project hires should be your core Project team. This includes leadership to govern, business people to clarify the asks, and PMO to control.

Getting the PMO in place early will set you up for long term SAP Programme success. 

Not only will these people manage the programme plan and risks and dependencies - they are the ones who look beyond the horizon - taking steps today that set you up for future success. Often, these are the kind of things other people just wouldn’t consider at this early stage. 

They’ll also help you understand the required roles in your SAP Project plan and get the right people in at the right time.

While other people will come and go on your Programme — or become the star performer for a certain phase — your SAP Project team is the backbone.

They’re the ones who will be there through thick and thin, leading the way, looking to the future. 

They’re the first people you should be recruiting onto your Programme.

In the SAP Success Report we discovered that a high adoption focus is the most important thing when it comes to running a successful ERP programme. 

But adoption is about SAP training and change management, right? Doesn’t that all happen after go-live?

This is what your SI might have you believe (more on them later) - but it isn't the truth.

If you want to drive adoption on your SAP Programme you’re going to have to take matters into your own hands. 

If you want people to truly adopt and use your SAP system as intended then adoption needs to start on day one.

So what can you do today to drive a high adoption focus on your Programme?

• Engage the business early in the programme, co-opting them onto the Programme team and involving them in decision making
• Getting, strong confident Programme sponsorship from a senior business figure like the CEO or CFO
• Get the messaging and communication on the Project right. Invest in a high value communication strategy to really sell the benefits of the Programme to the business
• Create ‘space’ for Project change roles - don’t just add them to someone’s day job.
• Choose and implement SAP training tools early so you can show people the system as soon as possible.

By focusing on adoption from day one, you show business people the benefits of the project and they don’t just see it as another nuisance.

This is key to getting business buy-in, and eventual programme success.

Find out more about adoption strategies in our ERP and SAP Change management and Training Guide. 

At some point, you’re going to have to bring in a Systems Integrator to deliver your Programme. This is always a scary thought as it means handing over the reins to someone external.

But there are things you can do today to choose the right SI and make sure the relationship runs as smoothly as possible.  

The first question you’ve got to ask yourself is “what help do I need”?

If you fail to ask this question you can easily end up with an SI running every part of your Programme - using a land and expand approach until they make up the majority of your programme team.

This isn’t the right approach - your SI exists to deliver your ERP Programme but they shouldn’t run the show.

So ask yourself - what do you need from an SI?

Do you need them to do the planning - or do you want them to support you on your Project plan?

If they give you a plan, how do you know if it’s accurate and achievable?

Do you want entire teams filled with their people - or do you want to use a blended approach and keep your people involved every step of the way?

Do you want them to help design business processes or should they stick to the tech side of things?

At the end of the day It’s your solution, your processes and your people - you need to be clear on the ‘asks’ of your delivery partner and challenge their responses.

One of the best things you can do in the early stages of a Programme is to get some independent advice from a company who has been there before. 

You need an independent advisor —  a trusted ally who can help you choose a vendor that is the right cultural fit for your business.

They will be able to tell you where you have gaps in your team, what roles you should hand-off to an SI and what you should keep in house.

And, they can help you manage that vendor relationship going forwards. 

Your SI can be your best friend or your worst nightmare on a Project. Don’t walk blindly into an SI relationship - take steps now to find the right partner.

We’ve already talked a little bit about which roles you should fill first on your ERP Programme.

One role that’s vital to fill early on  - but often gets left too late - is that of Data Migration Manager.

But why should we be thinking about data migration so early? After all, we don’t even have a system to put the data in yet. 

Your SAP system is only as good as the data it’s built on, so a comprehensive and joined up data strategy is vital to the success of your Programme.

A Data Migration Manager will take ownership of this data strategy - and they need to start working on it straight away. 

For example, what do you need to do with the data? Will you "lift and shift" or are you doing a data cleanse? A data cleanse will take more time. 

If you’re running an S/4HANA migration the decision to take a greenfield, brownfield or bluefield migration approach will also have a massive effect on your data strategy.

And remember, you can’t just take it for granted that your SI’s data tool will solve all your problems. This is a product they’re trying to sell to you. You should treat any claims they make as those of a salesman, not a friend. 

Data is the new oil — it’s your most valuable business commodity. It’s your responsibility to get your data strategy right so start thinking about it on day one.

Do this by appointing an expert data migration lead.