Global finance and procurement core business model transformation operating on a single instance of greenfield SAP S/4HANA and Ariba.
Sector
Retail
Region
31 countries
Engagement
6 years - from programme reset to the last country live
Services
The challenge
A greenfield S/4HANA move at this scale is not a system swap - it is re-laying the foundation a global operation stands on, while that operation keeps running at full speed. The risk was existential: get the governance or the sequencing wrong and the programme could stall for years. Bringing all parties together at the right level of ownership, readiness and speed while adapting to the local cultures and priorities was the other balance to find.
The approach
01
We governed the programme to the retailer's interest, not any vendor's roadmap - strict architectural milestones, clear decision rights, and continuous tracking that made drift visible early enough to correct cheaply.
02
The transformation starts with the ability to mobilise and work as one transformation programme across Group functions, Digital, SIs and markets. Rather than a heroic delivery model, we structured the programme around best practice delivery strategies per stream of work - plan, analyse, design, build, data, test, deploy, train and stabilise - where each party has clear accountability at each stage and leverages automation tools such as zero touch reporting, test automation and (80%+) AI enabled data validations.
03
Knowledge transfer was tracked as a first-class deliverable throughout. Every increment left the retailer's teams more self-sufficient, so systemic autonomy was earned along the way - building trust and confidence throughout the programme.
The outcome
The retailer's S/4HANA foundation was delivered at pace across country releases while increasing the level of maturity and performance - more countries per cluster, better quality, stronger confidence amongst parties. The depth of knowledge and experience built becomes a core asset on top of the programme objectives being met.
“Your ability to connect the dots, challenge constructively, and keep us focused on outcomes has made a lasting impact.”