The SAP S/4HANA Disaster: How a Missing RACI Matrix Derailed a Media & Entertainment Transformation

The High-Profile SAP Project That Fell Apart

Emma Thompson, a senior SAP Project Manager with extensive experience in the Media & Entertainment industry, was leading a highly anticipated SAP ECC to SAP S/4HANA migration on RISE for a global film and streaming company. The migration was critical—it aimed to unify financial systems, improve rights management, and streamline production supply chain operations across multiple continents.

The stakes were high, and the project had many moving parts: data migration from legacy financial systems, integration with existing content management platforms, and real-time reporting capabilities. Emma followed SAP ACTIVATE to the letter—organizing phase gates, conducting fit-to-standard workshops, and ensuring agile sprints moved forward. However, she made one critical mistake—she never established a RACI matrix to clearly define responsibilities across teams and vendors.

Where It Went Wrong: A Breakdown of Key Issues

Despite all the governance SAP ACTIVATE provided, ambiguity over roles and responsibilities led to significant failures across different workstreams. Here’s what went wrong:

1. Confusion in Data Migration & Rights Management Integration

• The media company relied on multiple subcontractors to migrate legacy content rights and royalty payment data into SAP’s Contract Accounting and Revenue Recognition module.

• However, no one knew who was ultimately responsible for data validation. IT teams assumed the consulting vendor was handling it, while the vendor assumed the internal data analysts were overseeing quality control.

• Result: A huge backlog of unverified and inaccurate financial data, causing delays in revenue reporting and compliance risks.

2. Integration Failures Between SAP & Content Distribution Platforms

• The project included integrations between SAP S/4HANA and the company’s digital distribution platforms to track licensing fees and advertising revenue across streaming services.

• The systems integration subcontractor was supposed to align with the internal IT team, but without a RACI matrix, it was unclear who was accountable for handling API compatibility issues.

• Result: The revenue recognition process stalled, delaying content release payments to production partners, which led to severe contractual penalties.

3. Budget Overruns & Missed Deadlines

• Due to role confusion, several key tasks were duplicated across teams, leading to excessive resource expenditure.

• The finance team assumed they needed a secondary audit of financial transactions, unaware that the consultants had already conducted this step.

• Result: The project budget ballooned 30% beyond estimates, forcing leadership to cut planned enhancements to offset the unexpected costs.

By the time these issues were fully uncovered, the project was six months behind schedule, and the client was considering legal action against Emma’s firm due to contract breaches caused by the system delays.

Why a RACI Matrix is Non-Negotiable in SAP Projects

Had Emma implemented a RACI matrix at the start, accountability would have been clear, and the project would have avoided most of these costly mistakes.

1. Avoiding Role Confusion

• A RACI matrix prevents teams from assuming responsibilities belong elsewhere.

• For instance, the finance team’s role in validating migrated royalty data would have been explicitly documented, avoiding duplicate efforts.

2. Strengthening Communication Between Vendors & Internal Teams

• With multiple specialized consulting firms involved, a RACI matrix ensures that integration responsibilities are clearly defined.

• If Emma had used a RACI, the subcontractor responsible for SAP-to-streaming platform integration would have been fully aligned with internal IT on expectations.

3. Keeping the Project on Budget & Schedule

• By defining who owns each phase of the project, redundant efforts and scope creep can be prevented.

• A structured RACI matrix combined with a visual Gantt chart would have highlighted dependencies and potential bottlenecks before they spiraled into major delays.

The Role of a Gantt Chart in SAP Migration Projects

Beyond defining roles, Emma also failed to utilize a Gantt chart—a critical tool for tracking milestones, dependencies, and deliverables in SAP transformations.

How a Gantt Chart Would Have Helped:

• Identifies Dependencies Early – Ensures teams understand how delays in data validation impact downstream financial reporting.

• Helps Prioritize Tasks – Teams could have tracked parallel efforts to prevent bottlenecks.

• Allows for Real-Time Adjustments – Leadership could have spotted budget overruns early and course-corrected before reaching crisis levels.

Best Practices for SAP Project Success in Media & Entertainment

To avoid the failures Emma experienced, SAP Project Managers in Media & Entertainment must follow these best practices:

1. Implement a RACI Matrix at Project Kickoff – Clearly define who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for every major workstream.

2. Use a Gantt Chart to Track Key Milestones – Align project phases, integrations, and data validation steps visually.

3. Assign Ownership for Vendor & IT Collaboration – Avoid miscommunication between internal teams and external consulting firms.

4. Hold Structured Weekly Governance Meetings – Use the RACI matrix to drive meeting agendas and track progress against milestones.

5. Deploy a Centralized Collaboration Platform – Tools like ezRACI can maintain real-time visibility across teams, vendors, and executive leadership.

Conclusion: A RACI Matrix & Structured Planning = SAP Project Success

Emma’s project didn’t fail because of a lack of expertise or effort—it failed due to a lack of clear accountability. While SAP ACTIVATE provided a structured methodology, without a RACI matrix and a Gantt chart, the project lacked governance, leading to budget overruns, team frustration, and reputational damage.

At ezRACI, we provide pre-built RACI templates, real-time tracking dashboards, and collaborative project planning tools to ensure that SAP transformation projects—especially in complex industries like Media & Entertainment—are executed with clarity, accountability, and efficiency.

Don’t let poor role clarity sink your SAP project. Start using ezRACI today and ensure your next SAP transformation is a success.