The Unseen Threat Sabotaging Modern SAP Implementations

Large-scale SAP implementation is becoming the main lever of big changes in enterprises in the current digital age, when business runs at a very fast pace. As the process of harmonizing financial operations is actually the alignment of supply chains, and the consistent use of processes globally, SAP remains the core of the engine that powers the enterprise modernization. But with the advancement of the SAP ecosystem, there is one obvious and, perhaps, little talked about issue that is steadily gnawing the success of transformation in various sectors: the inevitability of customizing SAP so that users can work in their preferred way.

The present employees want consumer-level digital experiences, that is simple, easy to use, fast and personalized ones. This expectation makes sense. The problem is that organizations are attempting to restructure fundamental SAP procedures while taking into account individual user practices instead of leading users to SAP standardized best practices. The process of trying to make users happier results in over-indulgence in user customization, deviation of processes and technical debt. These choices jeopardize the systems' integrity, increase project costs, delay deployments and decisions to be reworked time and again in the system - thus, eventually reducing the business value of the SAP program.

The blog explores the reasons why the well-intentioned drive to reflect the user's desires is becoming the silent killer of SAP programs. It warns of the risks of such an attitude to companies, especially a company that is involved in the rollouts to many countries, massive transformations or reliance on external SAP Implementation Services. To the point, it discusses how top management, enterprise architects and the right SAP Implementation Partner can get out of these traps. By moving the programs back to standardized processes, user enablement, and value-based governance, organizations will not only be able to safeguard their SAP investments but also realize the transformational outcomes quicker, more stable and ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌scalable.

SAP is considered to be one of the strongest transformation platforms to an enterprise but to the astonishment of many, many SAP implementation programs fail, come to a halt or even fail to materialize not due to the technology, but due to an attitude that it seems to be so innocent.

In all industries, SAP program launches are frequently are announced by leaders of the digital transformation with such good statements as:

We shall have SAP do just like our people do nowadays.

It is friendly, rational and customer-friendly.

As a matter of fact, this is the strategy that is silently killing millions of SAP Implementations.

This is a detailed recommendation as to why the zeal to imitate the current user styles is always a disaster, adds secret obstacles to SAP Implementation for Businesses, adds technical debt, and inhibits the strategic value that SAP is created to bring.

Understanding the Core Problem

The Illusion of User-Focused Design

Leaders are of the opinion that in the event that SAP screens, workflows and reports are similar to current processes, users will embrace the system more quickly. They believe that familiarity will make it easier and will decrease the cost of training.

However, SAP is not a tool to imitate the habits- it is a platform that is meant to change the processes.

Attempting to fit SAP to suit the behavior of the users now is analogous to purchasing a car of modern luxury and requesting the manufacturer to modify the engine to act more like a 1990 model because the driver feels at ease with it.

This attitude is an instant death knell to any SAP implementation challenges regarding businesses.

Standard SAP Isn’t the Problem — Over-Customization Is

Why Organizations Modify SAP Beyond Logic

The current SAP systems, either ECC or S/4HANA, are constructed using decades of best practices worldwide. They are optimized and compliant, scalable business processes that have gone through thousands of implementations.

However, many organizations insist on modifying SAP because:

“Our process is unique.”
“Users prefer this step.”
“We have done it this way for 15 years.”
“The old software allowed it.”

This leads to heavy over-customization, the silent killer of SAP programs.

The High Cost of Over-Customization

Unnecessary customizations lead to:

endless custom code
inconsistent data structures
broken integrations
expensive regression testing
complex upgrade cycles
dependence on consultants
delayed go-lives
spiraling project costs

What begins as “a small user-friendly change” snowballs into structural damage.

Why This Damages Transformation

Any additional customization pushes the business further off the path of actual transformation and into legacy behaviours.

A competent SAP Implementation Partner will never unwarn:

“ Do not redesign SAP to a broken process. Refit your processes to the SAP standards.”

Users Don’t Need Familiar — They Need Better

The Biggest Misconception in SAP Implementation

Organizations believe SAP implementation challenges users to resist change because the system feels unfamiliar.
In reality, users resist SAP when:

they do not understand the outcome
the purpose of change is unclear
the process feels forced without explanation
leadership communicates poorly

Familiarity is not the issue—clarity is.

Trying to match SAP screens to legacy systems only:

preserves flawed workflows
reduces automation
prevents standardization
eliminates systemic controls

What Users Actually Need

Users want:

fewer manual steps
clearer workflows
automated validations
real-time data
cross-functional transparency

These benefits come from SAP standard—not from customizing SAP to resemble old processes.

User Requirements Usually Reflect Today’s Pain, Not Tomorrow’s Vision

Workshops Often Collect the Wrong Perspective

Most SAP blueprint workshops focus on:

“What do you do today?”
“What does your team prefer?”
“What did the legacy system allow?”

This approach hardwires SAP into outdated operations.

Future-Focused Design Is the Real Need

Effective SAP Implementation Services shift the narrative to:

What should the future operating model look like?
How can SAP standard processes support growth?
Which tasks should be eliminated—not digitized?
How can we reduce manual effort and enforce discipline?

A forward-thinking process blueprint is the foundation of long-term SAP success.

Over-Fitting SAP to User Habits Reduces Adoption Later

The Irony Few Leaders Expect

Companies believe that in the case SAP is similar to existing processes, it will be adopted better.

However, SAP implementations do otherwise.

When SAP becomes overly customized, it becomes:

slower
confusing
cluttered with unnecessary fields
harder to learn for new employees
expensive to maintain
vulnerable to errors

Less Customization = Better Adoption

Basic, standardized systems are less difficult to train and implement.

The optimal SAP implementation challenges is not the one that is comfortable on Day 1-

it is the one that enhances the business on Day 1000.

Trying to Please Everyone Creates Process Chaos

The Hidden Danger of Accepting All Requests

Every department claims to be “different.”
Every user group requests minor tweaks.
Every manager pushes for “just one more field.”

When leaders accept every request, SAP becomes a patchwork of conflicting:

workflows
approval chains
data definitions
process variants
reports
custom screens

This breaks enterprise-wide consistency.

Winning Implementations Require Discipline

To avoid process chaos, organizations must enforce:

global templates
cross-functional standardization
strict governance
exception control boards
minimal customization policies

True transformation requires tough choices—not universal accommodation.

Leadership Often Blocks Transformation Without Realizing It

When Good Intentions Cause System Damage

Leadership often says:

“Let’s avoid disrupting users.”
“Keep SAP simple by making it look familiar.”
“We don’t want people to struggle.”

However, this unintentionally destroys opportunities for standardization and automation.

What Successful Leaders Do Instead

Executives who drive SAP success:

support process owners
challenge legacy practices
empower standardization
communicate the WHY behind the change
stop unnecessary customization at the source

SAP transformation is less about software ability and more about leadership maturity.

User-Centered Design ≠ User-Imitated Design

The Biggest Design Philosophy Mistake

Firms mix-up user-centric and user-imitated.

However, real user-centered design is to allow users to give outcomes in a more effective way, not producing the replication of their old-fashioned processes.

How True User-Centric SAP Works

Instead of asking:

“How do you work today?”

Ask:

“What outcomes do you need?”
“Which steps can SAP automate?”
“How can SAP simplify your day?”

Good design does not preserve the old customs; it does not maintain them.

It is here that a good SAP Implementation Partner will be able to make the difference-led the user towards more intelligent, future oriented processes.

SAP Was Built to Transform, Not Imitate

When SAP Becomes a Mirror of Legacy Processes

There is an important reality that organizations must learn:

When SAP is a duplicate of what you had in place, your business will be running just like it was before.

This means:

No innovation
Minimal automation
Poor data visibility
Higher manual effort
Zero competitive advantage

SAP is strategic investment - nor a modernization of old procedures.

The Real Reason SAP Implementations Fail

Across global projects, the pattern is consistent.
SAP implementations fail when organizations:

cling to the past
resist standard processes
fear user resistance
prioritize convenience over capability
customize excessively
avoid process discipline

Technology doesn’t fail.
Mindset fails.

The number one enemy of SAP transformation is the desire to “match today’s user ways.”

How to Protect SAP Programs from User-Driven Over-Customization

A Proven Consulting Framework

To safeguard your SAP Implementation for Businesses, implement the following strategy:

Step 1: Declare Fit-to-Standard Non-Negotiable (Except for Compliance)

This locks the foundation in place.

Step 2: Establish a Strong Process Governance Board

Reject non-value-adding change requests.

Step 3: Train Users on Future-State Process Thinking

Shift thinking from “what we do today” to “what SAP enables.”

Step 4: Eliminate, Simplify, Automate

Before you configure SAP:

eliminate unnecessary steps
simplify the sequence
automate using SAP tools

Step 5: Work with a Strong SAP Implementation Partner

Good partners follow governance.
Weak partners say yes to everything.

Step 6: Anchor Leadership Sponsorship

Leaders must protect the system from over-customization.

SAP Creates the Future, Not the Past

SAP implementations do not fail because SAP is rigid.
They fail because organizations try to force SAP into old, inefficient molds.

Adapting SAP to today’s user habits may seem reassuring, but it comes with several downsides. It:

increases cost
delays go-live
blocks automation
weakens governance
damages adoption
reduces ROI
limits future scalability

To win with SAP, businesses must stop trying to recreate the past and start building the future.

Need‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ an SAP Implementation Partner Who Can Deliver Real Transformation?

If you want an SAP Implementation Partner that goes the extra mile to do the right things, not changing the system more than necessary, and giving you processes that are ready for the future, 2iSolutions is the one to assist you.

We are competent in:

Fit-to-standard SAP implementations

SAP Implementation Services for SMEs & enterprises

Turning non-productive processes into automated workflows

Providing stable, scalable, upgrade-friendly SAP systems

👉 Are you prepared to create a future-proof SAP ecosystem?

Hiring 2iSolutions for a consultation is the right ‌ ‍ ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌move.

Why Enthusiasm to “Match Today’s User Ways” Is Killing Many SAP Implementations