When a Toxic Leader Derails an SAP Project

A 5-Step Playbook to Regain Control—Even When You Have No Authority

You check your inbox. Another email about the procurement delays.

You already know what it says. Your team is stuck.

As the project manager for Saption Consulting, the IT service provider leading the S/4HANA implementation at Uniqcorn Beverages, you’re responsible for ensuring smooth project execution. But now, a serious problem threatens to derail progress:

Consultants

The Chaos When Skipping Proper Onboarding

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.

C-suite

The Data Migration Nightmare That Could Have Been Avoided

Introducing the concept of a Target Operating Model (TOM)

“Have you ever stepped into a project and immediately sensed disaster? That’s exactly what happened when I replaced someone who had burned out… only to realize I was on the same path.”

I walked into the project full of optimism, but that didn’t last long. My task? Deduplicate 10,000 business partner addresses.

The catch? Excel was the only tool.

Consultants

Data Cleaning for Beginners

Where Do You Start with Data Cleaning?

You’ve just been handed a dataset and told to clean it up before it can be used for reporting, analysis, or migration. There’s just one problem—you’ve never done this before.

Maybe you’re a project manager overseeing an IT system migration, and your team tells you the data needs cleaning before it can be loaded. Maybe you’re a data analyst trying to build a dashboard but keep running into errors because the numbers don’t add up. Or maybe you’re an SAP consultant working on an ERP implementation and hearing phrases like “deduplication,” “data validation,” and “standardisation” for the first time.

At this moment, you likely have a lot of questions:

What does ‘cleaning data’ actually mean?
How do I know what needs fixing?
What’s the right order to follow?
How do I avoid making the data worse?

If this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.

C-suite

Achieving the Impossible

What SAP Professionals Can Learn from DeepSeek

When DeepSeek launched its breakthrough AI model, it sent shockwaves through the tech industry. A small, scrappy startup managed to dethrone giants like OpenAI, achieving the same performance at a fraction of the cost. What made DeepSeek so disruptive wasn’t just the technology—it was the radical approach: focusing on what mattered most and cutting out everything else. Their achievement raised a vital question: Do we overestimate the importance of size, resources, and complexity in achieving success?

Consultants

Structured Documentation and Change Management

A Critical Component of SAP ERP Success

According to a report by Prosci, 70% of projects fail due to poor change management, and a study by PMI found that lack of proper documentation is one of the top reasons for project delays. In the context of SAP ERP implementations, structured documentation and effective change management are essential for ensuring project success and reducing the risks of rework and misalignment.

Consultants

Team Dynamics and Collaborative Communication

Enhancing Success in SAP ERP Implementations

According to a study by Deloitte, 73% of executives consider effective team dynamics and collaboration critical for project success, yet 39% of employees feel that their organisation does not foster a collaborative work environment. In complex projects like SAP ERP implementations, ineffective collaboration can significantly impede progress and lead to costly errors.

Consultants

Role and Responsibility Clarity

The Key to Streamlining SAP ERP Implementations

A report by the Harvard Business Review found that 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional, failing at least three out of five key criteria, including alignment on roles and responsibilities. Another study by Gallup highlighted that only about 50% of employees know what is expected of them at work. In large-scale projects like SAP ERP implementations, this lack of clarity can lead to missed deadlines, duplicative work, and increased friction among team members.

Consultants

Mastering Information Management and Prioritisation

Optimizing Communication in SAP ERP Projects

According to a McKinsey study, the average employee spends 19% of their workweek searching for information and another 14% on internal communication. This means that over one-third of the time is spent on finding information or dealing with ineffective communication channels, directly impacting productivity. In large-scale SAP ERP projects involving multiple teams, poor information management can quickly lead to confusion, inefficiencies, and missed deadlines.

Consultants

Avoiding Ambiguity and Assumptions

How Clear Communication Can Transform Your ERP Implementation.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), 56% of all project failures are attributed to poor communication. This figure underscores the critical importance of clarity in communication, particularly in complex projects like SAP ERP implementations, where teams are diverse and project scope is vast. Miscommunication—whether due to ambiguous phrasing or unchecked assumptions—can derail timelines, expand budgets, and compromise project success.