Professional Services

The client, a high-tech energy firm, faced significant challenges during a complex carve-out and global ERP transformation involving the migration to a single SAP S/4 HANA instance. The primary objective was to complete the carve-out before the expiration of a transitional service agreement (TSA) while standardizing operations across over 60 countries and harmonizing data from more than 30 legacy systems. The initiative aimed for an anticipated annual cost savings exceeding €150 million, all while navigating the macro shifts in the energy sector towards clean and renewable energy.

During the transformation, the client encountered severe distress, with the program's complexity overwhelming multiple experienced system integrators. This led to significant disruptions, including a temporary shutdown of factories during the initial go-live phase, putting the TSA exit at high risk. In response, the client engaged we to provide leadership in de-risking and recovering the program. A senior team of ERP turnaround experts identified critical issues and implemented necessary actions to restore progress. They restructured the delivery approach from a two-wave launch to a five-phase rollout, allowing for incremental implementations tailored to the specific complexities of each jurisdiction.

The de-risking process involved establishing stringent governance, transparency, and disciplined execution reporting through Power BI. This approach clarified accountabilities across various stakeholders, including country leads and workstream managers. The team’s hands-on experience with customer and product data facilitated informed decision-making for each country-specific rollout, fostering a unified mindset under pressure.

Ultimately, the program was successfully delivered within the agreed timelines, achieving a go-live across all 60 countries without disrupting factory operations. The transformation resulted in the migration of 30 ERP legacy systems to a single platform in 57 countries over 30 months, the harmonization of 1,250 work processes, and the training of 6,750 employees. This case exemplifies how technological harmony can be achieved on a global scale, realizing substantial business benefits that initially seemed unattainable.