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In "Filling the Holes in Your S/4 Business Case," presented at the Next Generation SAP Enterprise Architect Forum 2024, Stuart Browne of Resulting IT offers a fresh perspective on building compelling business cases for SAP S/4HANA implementations. Through an engaging blend of storytelling, historical innovation lessons, and user-centered design principles, Browne emphasizes the critical importance of aligning technology projects with strategic business objectives, the power of narrative to bridge complex technology and business value, and the necessity of simplifying communication to unlock stakeholder support.
Highlighting innovative visual tools and the significance of emotional engagement, Browne's talk advocates for a customer-centric approach that prioritizes understanding and addressing the real-world needs of end-users. By focusing on the business value, involving end-users early, leveraging the power of storytelling, and aligning closely with corporate strategy, organizations can navigate the challenges of SAP business case creation and ensure their technology investments drive meaningful innovation and competitive advantage.
Stuart presented with no slides - just some props.
Key Themes
The talk advocates for a customer-centric approach to building business cases, underlined by strategic alignment, the value of storytelling, and the need for simplicity in conveying complex technical solutions.
- The Role of Emotional Engagement: Stuart highlighted the importance of connecting with the audience on an emotional level. This aspect can be emphasized more in your analysis by noting that understanding and leveraging the emotional drivers behind stakeholders' decisions are critical for securing support for SAP S/4HANA projects.
- The Innovative Use of Visual Tools: The use of hexagons as a metaphor and practical tool for visualization in building business cases was a unique point in Stuart's presentation. It might be worth mentioning how innovative visualizations can aid in simplifying complex ideas and engaging stakeholders.
- The Historical Perspective on Innovation: The detailed exploration of the history of drills served as a metaphor for technological evolution and innovation. This analogy underpins the importance of seeing beyond the tool itself to its application and impact. Your analysis could highlight how historical perspectives on tool evolution can provide insights into current technological implementations.
- The Need for Strategic Business Cases: The talk underscored the necessity of creating business cases that are not just tied to the technical aspects of SAP S/4HANA but are deeply integrated with the strategic objectives and competitive advantages of the organization. It might be beneficial to explicitly state that strategic alignment should drive the formulation of business cases, rather than starting with the solution (S/4HANA) and working backward.
- The Importance of Predicting Future Trends: Stuart discussed using tools like Wardley Mapping to predict how technology evolves from a custom product to a commodity. This approach to understanding and anticipating the future trajectory of technological solutions could be highlighted as a recommendation for building forward-looking business cases that align with long-term strategic goals.
Main Recommendations
These recommendations are designed to help attendees build compelling, strategic, and user-focused business cases for SAP S/4HANA implementations.
- Focus on Business Value: Prioritize projects that clearly contribute to strategic business objectives.
- Engage End Users: Involve end users early in the project to ensure solutions meet their needs and to foster adoption.
- Use Storytelling: Leverage the power of narratives to communicate the benefits and impact of the project to stakeholders.
- Simplify the Message: Make complex technical details accessible and relatable to a non-technical audience.
- Demonstrate Quick Wins: Identify and highlight early successes to build momentum and support for the project.
- Align with Corporate Strategy: Ensure the business case is directly linked to the organization's strategic goals and competitive advantage.
- Emphasize Innovation: Highlight how the project will drive innovation and long-term value for the organization.
Remember:
"Learn how to think differently about your S/4 journey to build better executive commitment.” - Stuart Browne
Watch Stuart’s Entertaining YouTube video: Here
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Photos from Stuart's Talk
