Turning Around a Global SAP Implementation to Unify People
Project Overview
Following the acquisition of our global communications client, leaders launched a digital transformation programme to unify operations through a single SAP implementation. The programme had to be completed before the 2027 end-of-support deadline for SAP ECC. Despite aggressive goals to expand into new markets and geographies, the client faced significant technical and organisational challenges while transitioning from their legacy Oracle system, including feedback that the benefits were overly technical and not well-understood. This significantly impacted adoption levels and general buy-in, risking the programme go-live.
Afiniti was engaged as a change partner to provide strategic advisory business change capabilities and support the client’s journey to become a single, unified organisation by positioning the programme as a key enabler for their business scaling strategy.
Our Solution
- Quickly established a close partnership with the programme team to solidify change as an integral part of the programme.
- Conducted 37+ stakeholder interviews to capture change impacts, areas of resistance and onward change needs.
- Created a business change strategy to guide both organisation-wide awareness and support impacted end users during deployment.
- Developed a key message framework, engaging visual identity and transformation narrative to tell a consistent, compelling story.
- Built a suite of function-based personas, highlighting the ‘big shifts’ for each persona to help end users understand changes quickly and clearly.
- Designed a central SharePoint-based programme platform, including an engagement toolkit and animation, training materials and a survey to support stakeholder engagement and feedback.
- Created and executed a communications strategy and plan that ensured expectations were set and information needs were met with all stakeholders.
The Differences We Made
“I wanted to thank you all for an amazing effort these past several months. So much has been accomplished and a real difference has been felt like we’ve never felt before, all thanks to the innovation and hard work of you all. Great job!”
OCM Lead, Global Communications Client
Over the 7-month period, we delivered a truly people-focused change approach for this global SAP implementation, driven by strategic communications, targeted stakeholder engagement, active and visible leadership and a sustainable change infrastructure. Some highlights include:
- Granular detail around ‘what’s in it for me?’, based on functional department.
- A responsive feedback loop, enabling all stakeholders to share and receive feedback.
- A recognition system that shifted perceptions of the programme from a solely technical initiative into an engaging, people-first celebration of shared successes.
- Coaching 90+ programme team members on what good business change entails and equipping them to use the programme toolkit, hub and overall change narrative.
- Drove a successful Phase 1.1 Go-Live, including a virtual and in-person launch event, achieving increased levels of adoption and setting strong foundations for future phases.
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