SAP Global Template Demystified: Executive Message and Buy-in

When it comes to the implementation of an SAP Global Template, you have to be clear. You have to be bold. You have to shout it from the rooftops! Otherwise, you may end up hosting a lame party that people cannot wait to abandon.

Executive Buy-In: You need it to make the hard decisions stick. If not, the local crown prince may just decide to go on a software spending spree, while the king of a tiny ivy tower far, far away thinly veils a tantrum. Don’t get me wrong–it is not about dictating, but rather rallying support from the leaders of your organization.

Executive Message: Make it visible that the Global Template is at the core of your future business strategy. It’s not an “IT thing” that levels somewhere on the nice-to-have layer of your decision process. Achieve this by including C-suite executives in important milestones of the Global Template rollout, like the start of fit-gap sessions, key user acceptance testing dates, and the go-live. Allow the whole enterprise to see that you and key leadership speak with one voice.

SAP Global Template Meeting with Executives

I have experienced many times that the missing buy-in and participation of executive leadership results in local operations running astray. These unnecessary occurrences of leaving the chosen path to Rome never end in happiness. We all want to be recognized as independent thinkers, believing that only our own way is the way to go. In reality, the most successful companies find an acceptable level of standardization without ever abandoning diversity!

Ultimately, it is on you, the program director or Center of Excellence leader, to communicate the need for buy-in and participation to the executives. They are busy without you, even more busy when you come along with your ideas. Don’t throw random or generic sound bites about the necessity of a Global Template and see if it sticks. Make your touch points with executives meaningful so they can relate to the tasks at hand:

  • Be mindful of their time as their day has only finite hours! Schedule interactions in accordance with their availability. You do not want to compete with board meetings or annual budget sessions. Nurture positive relationships with executive assistants as they are the wonderful magicians that make things happen!
  • Be precise in what you need from them; prepare a specific executive summary of anything you want to convey. If you cannot summarize it, you may not have fully grasped it yourself–how can you expect them to weed through a hundred pages to figure out how to support you?
  • Be aligned with the company strategy on all levels. Don’t ask for funds that have not been budgeted except for rare, immediate needs. Understand the business’ direction to avoid asking for help that will not be supported by leadership. If you want to change directions, build alliances, and don’t be surprised if it takes more time than anticipated.

The point is that you need to acquire buy-in to keep things moving! When charged with building a Global Template, it is part of your job description to be the glue between the deciders and the doers. So be that link, the building block that manages up and downward. 

In our next installment of the Global Template blog series we will discuss the heart of the operations–the people that make it happen, the stakeholders, and those who are most impacted. If you’re looking for support with an SAP Global Template rollout, contact our team and see how Vortex Consulting can be a critical ally in the process.

SAP Global Template Demystified

Welcome to the first in a new series on the Vortex Consulting blog. Join us over the next few months as we explore the ins and outs of SAP Global Template.

It isn’t about configuration. It isn’t the business process. Nor is it about documentation. It is about all of that and much more. An SAP Global Template (“GT”) is a blueprint to success, a holistic view of all elements of your SAP journey!

To achieve the promise of cost savings, rapid deployment, efficient support, and a solid return on investment, the breadth of standardization must cross the enterprise as a whole, including people, process, and systems.

The challenge is that many consultants, and firms, attempt to give guidance about SAP Global Templates, but only a few truly understand it. When embarking on the exercise, many people quickly realize the complexity and either give up or go only part way. To avoid this frustration and expenditure, you need to plan a GT like a major project, then embed it into your business strategy and long-term deployment plan(s). Finally, it has to be supported with expertise and experience, either in-house or through external advisors.

Vortex Consulting SAP Global Template Guide

Today’s post is the first in a new blog series we are launching. In the coming weeks, we will explore the underpinnings of an SAP Global Template and touch on the topics that need to be considered for standardization. And yes, it’s all about streamlining and standardizing to avoid reinventing the wheel in endless blueprinting sessions. With the concepts we will explore, your team can develop the software fabric that will allow for rapid, agile deployments. This strategic activity will generate acceptance in the organization with a right-sized overall SAP environment that supports the business vision and strategy.

Elements of an SAP Global Template that we will explore in upcoming blog posts:

SAP Global Template Elements

All these elements need to be considered in the context of already existing enterprise IT and business structures. None of them can be seen as a stand-alone effort. Each is a critical part of the foundation that can support the weight of future SAP deployments. When done right, an SAP Global Template can turn a possible burden into an IT strength, leading to a deep acceptance throughout the organization as it generates a “common language” for the deployments of the SAP package across the entire fleet.

Before we end this post, let me take a moment to drill deeper into the idea of a “common language.” This is not a question of whether English is your worldwide project language. It is one of the single most important success factors of your SAP journey. You need to create a dictionary of SAP Global Template business terms and take the utmost care to teach it, reiterate it, and defend it! Yes, you need to defend it until it becomes ingrained into the business DNA! Why? It is difficult enough to bridge a potential gap of languages, cultures, and countless other variables when rolling out an SAP road map across the enterprise. You should not add the unnecessary complications of debating if you refer to a division as a “group” or a “business line.” Clarity minimizes confusion and could literally save millions in wasted dollars.

It is the clarity of thinking strategically, speaking with the vocabulary of convergence, and the holistic inclusion of all aspects that makes an SAP Global Template successful. And you can be the designer of this thriving system, with the help of your trusted advisors. 

Check back next week for the second post in this series, and be sure to follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest news from the Vortex Consulting team.