Most SAP transformations appear successful at go-live. The real test comes later, when data quality begins to slip, reports are questioned, and the business gradually loses confidence in the system it just invested heavily in.

Based on hands-on experience delivering S/4HANA migrations and supporting organisations after go-live, this session examines what consistently breaks once project teams step away. It explores how unclear data ownership and decision-making, rather than technology, determine whether SAP becomes a stable business capability or an ongoing source of rework and risk.

This is an experience-led discussion for executives who want to protect long-term value from SAP by addressing the organisational choices that matter most after implementation.

Key Takeaways

• SAP value erodes after go-live when data ownership remains an IT responsibility rather than a clearly defined business accountability.
• Organisations that explicitly shift responsibility for data quality and decision-making into finance and operations sustain trust in reporting and reduce the need for repeated remediation.
• Executive choices around governance, ownership, and accountability have a greater impact on long-term SAP outcomes than platform features, tools, or implementation methodology.