ERP Implementation & The SPAR Lesson: Automating Confusion Accelerates It
SAP is brilliantly capable — and utterly unforgiving of poor governance. The software doesn’t fail; we fail its prerequisites: coherent taxonomy, disciplined master-data processes, and cross-functional ownership of changes. Hurried migrations copy-paste legacy chaos into “modern” structures: mis-posted transactions, broken hierarchies, DC/store mismatches, reconciliation gaps, and PO suggestions nobody trusts.
Master-data choke point. SAP centralises truth into master data — items, vendors, locations, BOMs, pricing. Without a master-data council (with SLAs, stewardship, and audit), “truth” oscillates daily. Arbitrary department additions proliferate; new items inherit wrong replenishment classes; seasonal carry-over is missed; returns don’t clear; the tail inflates as managers refuse to delist without system confidence.
Governance beats heroics. The fix is a charter, not a war-room: name data owners; freeze taxonomy changes behind a light RFC; automate lineage checks (one item → one reporting department; each class tied to a replenishment policy); and add observability (EOD exception lists for orphan codes, stuck POs, negative stock, duplicate suppliers). Reward teams for shrinking exceptions week-on-week.