In recent years, I have been part of leading the rollout of SAP in the three Scandinavian countries: Denmark, Sweden and Norway. This is not the first time I have worked on an SAP rollout – on the contrary, I have done it many times before.
The project was delivered on time and significantly under budget, without operational disruptions and with a minimal number of incidents (tickets).
What is truly worth reflecting on is how simple we made it. The method was classic waterfall, where our primary tools were PowerPoint, Excel and Teams, as everything was carried out virtually with minimal travel.
In addition to this simplicity, the project had exceptionally strong governance, with the Group CEO leading the steering committee together with the three Scandinavian managing directors/sponsors. This created unique organisational anchoring, with tight and effective scope control – absolutely no deviation. It was also worth noting that the programme director was highly skilled and very experienced.
If you are interested in hearing more about SAP projects, feel free to reach out to Jon
ERP implementations are among the most extensive transformation projects an organisation can undertake. They are known for being complex, lengthy and costly – and many end up exceeding both budget and timeline. Experience shows, however, that the projects which succeed share one thing in common: a strong and structured preparation phase, where direction, objectives and decision foundations are clearly defined.
An ERP implementation is not only about technology. It directly affects business processes, roles, data and the organisation’s way of working. Thorough preparation is therefore essential to create alignment between business and IT, and to ensure that the programme is anchored at leadership level with clear priorities and realistic expectations.
Why preparation matters
A solid preparation phase gives executive management and IT leadership the opportunity to:
Ensure that the ERP programme supports the company’s strategic goals
Establish a shared decision-making foundation across business and IT
Identify and reduce major risks before the project scales
Validate budget, timeline and resources based on realistic assumptions
Create organisational ownership and clear areas of responsibility
Once implementation begins and the project is fully staffed, costs rise quickly. Changes in scope, strategy or governance at that point often become both expensive and time-consuming. It is therefore crucial to create clarity and alignment early in the process.
Reach out if you are interested in further dialogue
The purpose of further dialogue is to discuss how your company can best structure the preparation of your ERP transformation, and how the decision foundation can be strengthened before a full programme is launched. Topics may include:
How preparation links to the overall strategic objectives
How to balance standardisation with business flexibility
Which experiences from previous programmes can be reused or need attention
How governance and role allocation should be established from the outset
Which approach and timeline best support the organisation’s maturity
The aim is to create a shared understanding of what needs to be in place before entering a full ERP implementation. Well-designed preparation is not about delaying the project, but about ensuring a faster and more successful transformation, where business benefits are realised earlier and with lower risk.