The Global Bank SAP S/4HANA Disaster: How a VP’s Lack of Attention to Detail Led to Chaos
James Reynolds, a well-known Vice President at a Global Solution Integrator (GSI), was responsible for leading a high-stakes SAP S/4HANA Greenfield Implementation at a global banking institution.
James Reynolds, a well-known Vice President at a Global Solution Integrator (GSI), was responsible for leading a high-stakes SAP S/4HANA Greenfield Implementation at a global banking institution.
James had everything an executive could want—charisma, confidence, and a commanding presence in boardrooms. He was known for winning deals, inspiring teams, and securing high-profile contracts. However, what he lacked was the deep, detail-oriented focus needed to execute complex ERP transformations.
The SAP S/4HANA implementation at the global bank was highly complex, involving multiple legacy banking systems, significant financial data conversions, and regulatory compliance challenges across multiple regions. However, because James and his leadership team believed that SAP ACTIVATE would cover all the bases, they never created a RACI matrix to define responsibilities across teams.
This one oversight turned what could have been a smooth implementation into a multi-million-dollar catastrophe—causing budget overruns, frustrated consultants quitting mid-project, and reputational damage for both the GSI and the bank.
The Problems That Led to Failure
1. Data Migration Was a Disaster Due to Ownership Confusion
The HANA database required seeding with production financial data, including customer accounts, historical transactions, risk assessments, and loan processing details.
However, no one knew who was ultimately responsible for data cleansing and validation.
The bank’s IT team assumed the GSI’s data migration consultants were handling data validation, while the GSI assumed the bank’s internal finance and compliance teams were doing it.
Result: Data loaded into S/4HANA was riddled with errors, causing incorrect financial reporting, broken reconciliations, and compliance risks. Fixing this added six months and millions of dollars to the project.
2. Regulatory Compliance Teams Were Not Properly Engaged
The bank operated in multiple jurisdictions, requiring compliance with financial regulations across the U.S., EU, and APAC.
Since no RACI matrix had been defined, the risk & compliance teams were not included early enough.
When the compliance team finally reviewed the system, they found major gaps in regulatory reporting capabilities.
Result: The project had to go back to design, causing massive rework and delaying deployment by almost a year.
3. Consultants & Staff Quit Due to Frustration
Without clear responsibilities, hand-offs were constantly fumbled.
The functional consultants were constantly forced to clean up after the technical team, leading to resentment.
The testing phase turned into a blame game, with teams pointing fingers over who was responsible for fixing defects.
Result: Multiple top-tier SAP consultants quit mid-project, forcing the GSI to bring in replacement contractors at double the rate—further escalating costs.
4. The Bank’s Brand Reputation Took a Hit
Due to project delays and compliance risks, the bank was forced to publicly delay its new digital banking initiatives that depended on SAP S/4HANA.
Market analysts downgraded their technology outlook, citing concerns about systems stability and financial reporting accuracy.
Result: The bank suffered a reputational hit, leading to a stock price drop and investor concerns.
The Core Issue: No RACI Matrix, No Clear Ownership
Had James and his team created a RACI matrix at the beginning of the project, many of these failures could have been prevented.
How a RACI Matrix Would Have Prevented These Issues:
Clear Data Migration Responsibilities:
Data validation ownership would have been explicitly assigned, avoiding millions in costly rework.
Proper Compliance Team Engagement:
The RACI matrix would have ensured compliance teams were involved from the start, preventing regulatory issues.
Better Staff Retention & Morale:
Clearly defined responsibilities would have reduced frustration among consultants and internal teams, preventing staff turnover.
Faster Time-to-Market for Banking Services:
A structured RACI matrix would have kept the project on track, allowing the bank to launch new digital banking services faster.
Why an Excel-Based RACI Won’t Cut It in a Complex Banking Project
James and his leadership team didn’t just fail to create a RACI matrix—they also failed to understand that a static, Excel-based RACI would have been useless in such a large, evolving project.
Why Excel-Based RACIs Fail in Large-Scale Banking ERP Projects:
Roles & responsibilities constantly shift as new regulatory requirements emerge.
Multiple consulting firms & subcontractors require real-time visibility into who owns each workstream.
Compliance reviews & financial audits require dynamic updates to responsibilities.
Banking projects involve both business & IT teams—a static spreadsheet quickly becomes outdated.
The Solution: A Dynamic RACI with ezRACI
If James and his team had used ezRACI, they could have avoided these costly mistakes. ezRACI’s dynamic framework ensures:
Real-time updates to responsibilities as the project evolves.
Automated alerts for stakeholders when roles shift or new compliance checks are required.
Integration with the project’s Gantt chart to track dependencies across teams.
A clear audit trail to ensure accountability across data, compliance, and business teams.
Conclusion: Charisma Alone Won’t Deliver a Successful ERP Project
James’s executive presence and charisma helped win the deal, but his lack of attention to detail and governance tools cost millions.
For global banks implementing SAP S/4HANA, it’s not enough to follow SAP ACTIVATE—you need a structured accountability framework. Without a dynamic RACI matrix and clear role ownership, projects will inevitably suffer from scope confusion, compliance failures, and massive budget overruns.
At ezRACI, we help banking institutions and GSIs prevent these costly mistakes with:
Real-time RACI management for evolving projects.
Seamless integration with Gantt charts and compliance workflows.
A centralized platform for tracking responsibilities across finance, IT, and compliance teams.
Don’t let poor governance ruin your SAP S/4HANA project. Start using ezRACI today and ensure your ERP transformation is a success.
Disclaimer: The stories and scenarios presented in this article are entirely fictional and are intended for illustrative purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, organizations, or events is purely coincidental. These examples are designed to highlight common challenges in enterprise project management and the importance of best practices, such as utilizing a RACI matrix for clear accountability.