The Stress of Starting Without Guidance

I remember joining an SAP project where no onboarding process existed. No introductions, no guidance—just a vague expectation that I’d somehow “figure things out.”

Barely two weeks into my contract, I was suddenly asked to deliver a presentation on core master data for Supply Chain Management—to the end client, no less. Sounds straightforward? Not quite.

💬 There was no template to follow.
💬 No one explained what was expected.
💬 There were no previous examples to reference.

With only a few days to prepare, I had no choice but to cobble something together from scratch. I wasn’t even sure if I was covering the right topics, but there was no time for validation.

Fast forward a few months, and the project had moved into full swing. Then, out of nowhere, the project manager announced the “official” kick-off meeting.

🔴 A kick-off meeting… months after the project had already begun?

What followed was three hours of “death by PowerPoint”.
After 15 minutes, I could already see people switching off, checking emails, or zoning out.

Slides covered the “project way of working,” but these were never reinforced afterwards. No one followed the processes because:

❌ There was no structured Welcome Pack to guide new starters.
❌ No instruction manuals on how to use key project tools existed.
❌ As a result, everyone ended up doing their own thing.

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Why a Welcome Pack is Essential for SAP S/4HANA Projects

The Hidden Cost of Poor Onboarding

Most SAP S/4HANA projects invest heavily in technology, consultants, and methodologies, but one critical element is often overlooked: proper onboarding for new team members.

Without a structured onboarding process, every new starter is left to figure things out alone. This leads to:

🚨 Wasted Time – New joiners spend their first few weeks searching for information instead of being productive.
🚨 Confusion Over Roles – Who is responsible for what? Without clear guidance, tasks fall through the cracks.
🚨 Inefficiency – Instead of following best practices, people develop their own ways of working, leading to inconsistency.
🚨 Frustration & Disengagement – Team members switch off when they feel lost or undervalued.

A lack of structured onboarding doesn’t just affect individuals—it slows down the entire project.

Why Cross-Functional Teams Struggle Without Clear Onboarding

SAP projects involve cross-functional teams—people from different departments (Finance, Supply Chain, IT, HR) who must work together to implement S/4HANA.

But these teams often:
❌ Use different terminologies, leading to miscommunication.
❌ Have unclear decision-making structures, causing delays.
❌ Struggle with collaboration fatigue, due to excessive meetings and inconsistent expectations.

A Welcome Pack solves these issues by ensuring that every new starter understands the project’s goals, roles, and ways of working from day one.

How the Right Onboarding Can Make or Break a Project

Imagine two scenarios:

✅ Scenario A: A Project with a Clear Welcome Pack

• Every new joiner receives a concise but structured guide on:
  🔹 The project’s objectives, key milestones, and governance.
  🔹 Who does what and how decisions are made.
  🔹 A quick-start guide to project tools (Jira, Solution Manager, SharePoint, etc.).
  🔹 Where to find essential templates and documentation.
  💡 Result: New starters integrate quickly, reducing ramp-up time and avoiding costly delays.

❌ Scenario B: A Project Without a Welcome Pack

• Every new joiner struggles to find information and spends weeks asking the same questions.
• Different team members work in silos, leading to inconsistent data, duplicated efforts, and missed deadlines.
• Without clear guidance, meetings are longer and more frequent as people try to realign.
  💡 Result: The project wastes valuable time and resources, leading to delays and frustration.

The difference? A well-structured Welcome Pack.

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A Welcome Pack Could Have Prevented This

My experience made one thing painfully clear:

📌 Cross-functional teams work best when everyone knows their role, tools, and way of working.
📌 A structured onboarding process sets the tone for success in any project.

Had there been a proper Welcome Pack from day one, I wouldn’t have had to waste time reinventing the wheel for my presentation. The team wouldn’t have been misaligned on processes, and the late kick-off wouldn’t have been a desperate attempt to fix what had already gone wrong.

This morning I came across an article—“6 Ways to Make Cross-Functional Teams Work Better”—which laid out key principles for effective teamwork. It made me realise that a well-structured Welcome Pack should be built around these principles.Stage 3: What the SAP Article Covers – A Good Starting Point

After realising how poor onboarding can derail a project, I came across an article from SAP:
“6 Ways to Make Cross-Functional Teams Work Better.”

At first glance, it seemed like the perfect guide to solving the onboarding challenge. It outlined six key principles that help teams collaborate effectively. These principles form a strong foundation for a Welcome Pack.

Here’s a breakdown of what the article covers and why it’s useful:

🔹 1. Adjust Business & HR Processes – 📌 Clear Role Definitions

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Ensures everyone understands who does what in a cross-functional team.
• Helps new starters navigate organisational structures.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Include a team structure overview—who to contact for what.
✅ Provide a clear RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).

🔹 2. Track Work Against Clear Goals – 📌 Project Alignment

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Keeps cross-functional teams focused on business objectives.
• Ensures that work is tied to measurable outcomes.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Provide a high-level overview of the project’s goals, scope, and success criteria.
✅ Include a roadmap with key milestones so new starters understand where the project is heading.

🔹 3. Properly Staff Teams – 📌 Managing Workload & Resources

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Prevents teams from being overloaded with cross-functional responsibilities.
• Helps avoid burnout by ensuring proper resource planning.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Set clear expectations for each role—what workload is realistic?
✅ Provide guidance on managing workload conflicts within the project.

🔹 4. Implement Project Management – 📌 Structured Workflows

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Ensures projects don’t lose momentum due to unclear workflows.
• Provides structure to keep cross-functional teams aligned.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Explain which project management tools are used (Jira, Solution Manager, MS Teams).
✅ Provide a simple process guide on how tasks and issues are tracked.

🔹 5. Train in Soft Skills – 📌 Effective Collaboration

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Enhances communication, negotiation, and adaptability in cross-functional teams.
• Helps reduce miscommunication between departments.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Include basic team collaboration guidelines (e.g., meeting etiquette, documentation expectations).
✅ Provide links to any soft skills training resources available within the organisation.

🔹 6. Build Trust – 📌 Team Culture & Communication

💡 Why it’s useful:

• Encourages teams to be open and honest, which improves collaboration.
• Helps avoid silos where departments don’t share information.

💡 How it applies to a Welcome Pack:
✅ Reinforce a culture of open feedback—how issues should be raised and addressed.
✅ Encourage cross-team engagement (e.g., informal meetups, buddy systems for new starters).

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The SAP Article Provides a Great Foundation—But It’s Not Enough

The article does a fantastic job of laying out key principles for improving teamwork. If you’re creating a Welcome Pack, it’s a valuable reference point.

But here’s the issue:

🚨 It doesn’t cover all the practical details new starters need.
🚨 It focuses on high-level principles, not the day-to-day guidance required for an SAP S/4HANA project.

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What’s Missing? The Extra Elements Needed for a Complete Welcome Pack

The SAP article provides a strong foundation, but to create a truly effective Welcome Pack for an SAP S/4HANA project, we need to fill in the missing gaps.

Here are the extra elements that should be included to make the Welcome Pack practical, actionable, and easy to use.

1️⃣ Project Overview & Context 📌 The Big Picture

The first thing any new starter should understand is: What is this project about, and why does it matter?

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 Project purpose – Why is the company moving to S/4HANA?
🔹 Scope – What’s included in the project? What’s not included?
🔹 Key phases & milestones – What stage is the project in, and what comes next?
🔹 Definition of success – What does a “good” implementation look like?

💡 Why this matters:
📌 New team members often join mid-project. Without context, they waste time figuring out what’s happening instead of contributing effectively.

2️⃣ Project Tools & Systems 📌 Where & How Work Happens

One of the biggest frustrations for new starters is not knowing which tools the project uses or where to find key information.

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 Project management tools – Jira, SAP Solution Manager, MS Project, etc.
🔹 Collaboration tools – Teams, Slack, SharePoint, Confluence, etc.
🔹 Document repositories – Where to find specifications, process flows, and templates.
🔹 Login/access instructions – How to request access to critical systems.

💡 Why this matters:
📌 Without clear instructions, new starters waste hours searching for documents or struggling with access requests.

3️⃣ Governance & Decision-Making 📌 Who Has the Final Say?

One of the biggest pain points in SAP projects is unclear decision-making—who approves what? Who can escalate issues?

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 Decision-making authority – Who has the final say on key areas?
🔹 Escalation process – How to raise risks, issues, and roadblocks.
🔹 Approval workflows – Who signs off on major deliverables?
🔹 RACI Matrix – Who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed?

💡 Why this matters:
📌 Without clear governance, bottlenecks occur, and teams waste time waiting for approvals.

4️⃣ Key Stakeholders & Team Directory 📌 Who to Contact for What

Cross-functional SAP projects involve multiple teams—IT, business users, consultants, and external vendors. A new starter needs to know who is who.

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 Steering Committee members – Who sets project direction?
🔹 Project Leadership – Program Manager, Functional Leads, Technical Leads.
🔹 Cross-functional teams – Finance, Procurement, HR, Supply Chain, IT, etc.
🔹 Contact details – Emails, Teams channels, preferred communication methods.

💡 Why this matters:
📌 New joiners don’t know who to go to for what. This section eliminates unnecessary delays in getting the right information.

5️⃣ Expectations & Ways of Working 📌 How the Team Operates

Every SAP project has unspoken rules—meeting etiquette, response times, and documentation standards. Make these explicit in the Welcome Pack.

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 Onboarding checklist – What a new starter should do in their first week.
🔹 Meeting norms – Are meetings recorded? What’s the expected prep?
🔹 Collaboration guidelines – Expected response times, chat vs. email usage.
🔹 Documentation rules – How should decisions be recorded? Where?

💡 Why this matters:
📌 When expectations are clear from the start, it prevents miscommunication and frustration.

6️⃣ Lessons Learned from Past Projects 📌 Avoiding Mistakes & Leveraging Best Practices

Every SAP project comes with lessons learned—why repeat mistakes when you can learn from them?

✅ Key elements to include:
🔹 What went wrong in past SAP implementations?
🔹 What worked well?
🔹 Tips for navigating common challenges (e.g., data migration, UAT testing, scope creep).

💡 Why this matters:
📌 Every project has hidden pitfalls—help new starters avoid them before they happen.

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The Complete Welcome Pack: Bringing It All Together

📌 The SAP article covered team collaboration principles, but to create a truly effective onboarding guide, you need:

✔ A clear project overview
✔ Governance & decision-making guidelines
✔ Project tools & systems overview
✔ A stakeholder & team directory
✔ Practical instructions on ways of working
✔ Lessons learned from past projects

A properly structured Welcome Pack isn’t just a document—it’s a powerful tool that ensures:
✅ New starters integrate faster
✅ Teams work consistently
✅ Less time is wasted on miscommunication & inefficiency

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How to Build an Effective Welcome Pack (Step-by-Step Guide)

Now that we know what needs to be included, the next challenge is how to structure and implement the Welcome Pack effectively. A poorly designed Welcome Pack can be overwhelming, ignored, or forgotten.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating one that is practical, easy to use, and actually helps new starters integrate quickly.

1️⃣ Step 1: Gather Essential Information 📌 Lay the Foundation

Before creating the Welcome Pack, gather all critical project details.

✅ Key actions:
🔹 Interview project leads to define key objectives & milestones.
🔹 Collect existing documentation (RACI charts, governance models, templates).
🔹 Identify which tools are used for communication, collaboration, and project tracking.
🔹 Compile an up-to-date list of key stakeholders and contacts.

💡 Tip: If information is scattered, start with a simple Google Doc or Confluence page and refine it over time.

2️⃣ Step 2: Structure the Welcome Pack Clearly 📌 Keep It Concise & Actionable

The biggest mistake? Making it too long or too complex.

✅ Recommended structure:

🟢 1. Introduction & Project Overview
📍 Purpose of the project
📍 High-level scope & milestones
📍 Success criteria

🟢 2. Key Roles & Responsibilities
📍 Organisational structure
📍 RACI matrix (who does what?)
📍 Decision-making & escalation process

🟢 3. Tools & Systems Guide
📍 List of essential tools (Jira, SAP Solution Manager, Teams, Confluence)
📍 How to request access & where to find training

🟢 4. Ways of Working
📍 Meeting etiquette & documentation standards
📍 Expected response times & communication guidelines

🟢 5. Key Stakeholders & Contacts
📍 List of team leads & subject matter experts
📍 How to reach them & when to escalate

🟢 6. Lessons Learned & Best Practices
📍 Common pitfalls & how to avoid them
📍 Case studies from past SAP projects

💡 Tip: Each section should be short, to the point, and easy to navigate.

3️⃣ Step 3: Use Templates & Standardisation 📌 Make It Plug-and-Play

A Welcome Pack should be easy to update and reuse across projects.

✅ Best practices:
🔹 Use pre-made templates for roles, governance, and tools.
🔹 Provide one-page quick-reference guides instead of long PDFs.
🔹 Create a FAQ section for common new starter questions.
🔹 Use visuals & diagrams to simplify complex processes.

💡 Tip: Keep a centralised template on SharePoint or Confluence to ensure everyone is using the latest version.

4️⃣ Step 4: Make It Easily Accessible 📌 Don’t Let It Get Lost

If new starters can’t find the Welcome Pack, they won’t use it.

✅ Best practices for sharing the Welcome Pack:
📍 Pin it to the top of Teams/Slack channels.
📍 Include it in onboarding emails for new starters.
📍 Host it on a centralised SharePoint/Confluence page.
📍 Mention it in project kick-off meetings & refresh sessions.

💡 Tip: Assign a dedicated person (PMO or Team Lead) to maintain it and remind teams to use it.

5️⃣ Step 5: Keep It Updated & Relevant 📌 Evolve with the Project

A static Welcome Pack quickly becomes outdated and ignored.

✅ How to keep it relevant:
🔹 Quarterly review process – Assign a project member to check for updates.
🔹 Feedback loop – Ask new starters what was missing or unclear.
🔹 Live FAQ section – Address common challenges as they arise.

💡 Tip: Add a “Last Updated” date on the first page to make it clear when it was last reviewed.

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🚀 Final Thought: A Welcome Pack is More Than a Document

A well-structured Welcome Pack is not just a static file—it’s a living guide that sets the project up for success.

📌 It ensures new starters integrate faster.
📌 It creates alignment in cross-functional teams.
📌 It saves hours of wasted time on repetitive onboarding questions.

💡 A good Welcome Pack doesn’t just inform—it empowers teams to hit the ground running.

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Conclusion – The Power of a Well-Designed Welcome Pack

Starting a new SAP S/4HANA project without a structured onboarding process is like building a house without a blueprint—people will figure things out, but at the cost of time, efficiency, and frustration.

I’ve experienced firsthand what happens when onboarding is neglected:
🚨 New starters waste days (or weeks) trying to find basic information.
🚨 Roles and responsibilities are unclear, leading to misalignment and delays.
🚨 Teams end up working in silos, each using their own methods.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

The Key Takeaways

✅ Cross-functional teams work best when everyone knows their role, tools, and way of working.
✅ A great onboarding experience sets the tone for success in any project.
✅ A well-structured Welcome Pack eliminates confusion, increases efficiency, and fosters team alignment.

The SAP article “6 Ways to Make Cross-Functional Teams Work Better” provides a strong foundation, but an effective Welcome Pack must go beyond these six principles.

By incorporating clear governance, project-specific guidance, tool instructions, and real-world lessons learned, teams can reduce onboarding time and improve collaboration from day one.

Make Onboarding a Priority

If you’re responsible for onboarding new team members, ask yourself:

🔹 Does your project have a clear, structured Welcome Pack?
🔹 Is essential project information easy to find, or do new starters waste time searching?
🔹 Are team members aligned on governance, tools, and ways of working?

If the answer to any of these is no, it’s time to create (or refine) your Welcome Pack.

💡 Investing a few hours in building a structured Welcome Pack now can save weeks of wasted time later.

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Final Thought

📌 The success of an S/4HANA project doesn’t start with go-live—it starts with how well you onboard your team.

Make the Welcome Pack a priority, and you’ll set your project up for success before the first task even begins.