C-Suite Strategies for Leading Business Transformation on the Journey to SAP S/4
Last week, Investigo Directors, Terry Dawson and Richard Brook hosted an exclusive roundtable event at the Great Northern Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio, bringing together 16 senior executives from across the SAP and enterprise transformation landscape. The evening offered a rare opportunity for open dialogue among C-Suite leaders who are at the forefront of driving complex business transformations.
o Guz Dhami - Programme Director, Bauer Media Group
o Vanshikrishna Suvarna -Group Chief Information & Transformation Officer, Britvic plc
The discussion touched on several important considerations for companies navigating their SAP S/4 journey, from weighing the business case to the challenges of securing long-term sponsorship. Key points included the balance between cost and value, the potential for alternative solutions, and the importance of real business data in demonstrating transformation benefits.
The key takeaways and strategies for success
As SAP’s end-of-support deadline for ECC systems nears, many organisations are questioning whether a full move to S/4 is truly necessary. For some, the decision is driven more by technical timelines than strategic value, with the business case often hard to justify. There’s also speculation that SAP could revise its position, or that alternative support for ECC may emerge, prompting many to reconsider the urgency of migration.
Rather than committing to a full-scale transformation, some businesses are exploring a more flexible approach, retaining their SAP core and integrating modern, modular solutions around it. This allows them to adopt technologies like AI, IoT and cloud services gradually, without the disruption of a wholesale system overhaul. At the same time, transformation success depends not just on technology, but on strong executive sponsorship, clear alignment to business goals, and early, data-driven wins to maintain momentum.
Cloud adoption adds further complexity. While SAP’s RISE programme offers a defined path forward, it also introduces regular upgrade cycles and key decisions around cloud models. For some, delaying full cloud migration until the benefits are clearer may be the more pragmatic choice. As organisations move away from traditional ERP models, the trend is shifting toward a modular, agile future where the strategy behind the transformation matters just as much as the technology itself.
The Key Questions
Why do over 60% of transformations underpinned by SAP have such poor outcomes?
SAP transformations frequently underdeliver due to unclear business goals, weak executive sponsorship, fragmented teams, and underestimation of the time and resources required. Success depends on strong leadership, a clear case for change, integrated planning, and early independent oversight. Without the right internal team and long-term commitment, even well-funded programmes are at risk.
What is the view of the panel about clean core and the time it will take to really get there? Do the panel have a view on Idocs migration to webservices in a large enterprise transformation?
The panel emphasised the importance of achieving a clean core in enterprise transformations, with one view suggesting a three-month upgrade cycle and leveraging SAP BTP to maintain a clean core. While the business side pushes for more streamlined processes, the complexity of recoding customisations into BTP can be a challenge, with some organisations taking up to six months to complete this process.
On the topic of Idocs migration to web services, it was noted that while some integrations are possible, others remain complex and may still require traditional Idocs. The shift towards using whitelisted APIs is ongoing, but certain use cases still necessitate fallback to Idocs. As innovation in this area accelerates, the challenge remains to balance modern solutions with legacy integration protocols.
What strategies have you used to help the C-suite truly align around standard processes?
Successfully aligning the C-suite around standard processes requires clear communication and a focus on business outcomes. It's important to use language executives can relate to and avoid technical jargon, ensuring the problem is framed in a way that speaks directly to their priorities. Standardisation should be seen as a tool to achieve specific goals, such as gaining a competitive advantage, rather than an abstract pursuit of "best practices" or "platinum processes."
Process mining software, when used effectively, can showcase current "as-is" processes and compare them to best practices using real business data. This approach makes the conversation more tangible and relevant, offering valuable insights that drive alignment. By focusing on real data and clear, relatable insights, organisations can successfully engage the C-suite in the need for standardised processes, ensuring everyone is on the same page and focused on the right outcomes.
If you're navigating your own SAP S/4 journey and would benefit from strategic input, get in touch with Terry Dawsonand Richard Brookto join future roundtable discussions or explore tailored insights for your team.
