Implementing SAP SuccessFactors can be a career-defining opportunity for business leaders, in which they can transform the operations and the culture of their organization. But large-scale transformations also pose significant risks. Such an immense undertaking can easily slip off track, resulting in tremendous stress, scope creep, abandoned timelines, ballooning budgets, employee turnover, and ultimately, failure to meet the initial objectives. After leading teams through countless transformations, we’ve identified five keys of SAP SuccessFactors implementations that will help businesses ensure their success.

1. Engaging a broad team

In practice, SAP SuccessFactors will touch every function, team and level in your organization. Businesses succeed when they look beyond management within Human Resources to devise a better solution. A successful implementation involves a diverse cross-section of your organization to not only engage multiple perspectives but to also empower your employees to influence meaningful change.

2. Prioritizing the experience more than the technology

There is a huge difference between a system that works and a business solution and a further difference between a business solution and a positive employee or client experience. Most businesses lack the technical expertise in-house to implement SAP SuccessFactors so they focus on identifying a technology partner to fill in the gaps. But in reality, they need a holistic partner who can help them create positive outcomes. When businesses get too into the technical weeds and lose sight of the big picture experience they’re creating, they end up with a new tool, not an organizational transformation.

3. Enlisting help, rather than trying to do it all yourself

An SAP SuccessFactors implementation is not a small responsibility to tack on to an employee’s job description on top of their normal day-to-day role. In addition, it requires expert insight to navigate a complex transformation from start to finish. Organizations that refuse to enlist the right help will suffer from burn out, stress, resource drain, employee turnover, low morale and will ultimately result in ineffective solutions.

4. Having a long-term roadmap

Throughout the weeks, months or even years that it takes to complete an implementation, it is easy to lose sight of the objectives or deviate from the plan. This is most common when the implementation encounters a major obstacle or when the challenges of the project have eroded morale. Organizations need a long-term roadmap to turn to in difficult times, providing a clear  vision of success and how to get there, no matter what.

5. Preparing your organization for drastic change

People don’t like change, and it is not easy to navigate. Large-scale organizational change requires thoughtful, comprehensive change management to prepare, engage and equip your employees throughout every stage. Businesses that fail to plan or allocate resources to manage change will see culture rifts, disengagement, and ultimately failure to adopt new systems and processes.

If you need help implementing these keys to success in your own SAP SuccessFactors implementation, Intrizen can help. #WeAreIntrizen