When You Realize You’ve Chosen the Wrong System Integrator (SI)

Every SAP transformation begins with optimism. There is a sense of momentum, a vision of modernized systems, streamlined processes, and better business outcomes. Yet too often, companies find themselves deep into an S/4HANA program realizing that the chosen System Integrator (SI) was not the right fit.

When that happens, the results can be costly and frustrating: timelines slip, budgets expand, users lose confidence, and the solution fails to meet business needs. According to Matt Dunn of Pyxis Group, “The first sign of trouble is rarely the first problem. By the time leadership starts asking questions, the root issues such as design misalignment or weak change management are often deeply embedded in the project.”

Common Warning Signs

Some early indicators that the wrong System Integrator may be leading the effort include:

• Overly rigid templates that ignore real business needs

• Inexperienced teams making key design decisions

• Limited business engagement that leads to poor adoption

• Unclear ownership between the business and the SI

• Reactive project management that focuses on issues rather than prevention

  
  

How to Correct Course

All is not lost when an SAP program starts to go off track. The key is to take a structured and objective look at what is truly happening.

“An independent assessment can often do more in four weeks than another six months of firefighting,” says Gopee Ravipati, who leads large-scale SAP efforts for Pyxis Group. “A third-party perspective brings clarity, identifying whether issues stem from configuration decisions, program governance, resource competency, or misaligned expectations.”

Here are a few immediate actions that can help reset momentum:

1. Commission a rapid health assessment. Focus on scope, governance, design integrity, and change readiness.

2. Re-establish program governance. Empower business leaders to make decisions, not just review presentations.

3. Reevaluate the delivery model. Consider supplementing or rebalancing SI resources rather than fully replacing them.

4. Refocus on end-state value. Reconnect the team with the original goals of efficiency, insight, and enablement.

The Path Forward

When a large-scale ERP program begins to falter, the solution is not always to start over. The right approach brings back clarity, objectivity, and accountability. With the right partner guiding the turnaround, organizations can regain control and deliver the transformation they originally envisioned.

At Pyxis Group, we have seen that the right approach, built on experience and honesty, can turn even the most challenging implementations into success stories.

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