As SAP analytics platforms mature, many organisations are discovering that reporting challenges are rarely about technology alone — they’re about ownership.

In this session, Mark Hawksbee shares a finance-led perspective on what happens when SAP reporting capability moves out of IT and into the functional team. Through formal RFP evaluation, experience with SAP Analytics Cloud, and the realities of running reporting in parallel systems, Foodstuffs North Island learned that insight cannot be outsourced — the expertise needs to sit with the people who understand the business.

The session explores why technically sound analytics initiatives can struggle when delivery is separated from domain knowledge, and how embedding capability within the business changes speed, trust, and accountability. Attendees will hear an honest view of the trade-offs involved — including new responsibilities that come with business ownership — and the operating model decisions that determine whether SAP reporting actually delivers value in practice.

Key Takeaways:

• Why SAP reporting initiatives often fail not because of the tool, but because expertise sits too far from delivery
• How shifting ownership into the functional team improves speed and trust — while demanding new skills and accountability
• What RFPs and analytics evaluations should test beyond features to ensure reporting truly lands in the business