In any SAP S/4HANA transformation, navigating organizational resistance and aligning disparate business units around a unified future-state architecture can derail timelines and inflate costs. Olaf Schoenfelder, a seasoned transformation leader at LeapGreat, recently discussed these challenges and offered a new blueprint: the FrontLoad™ approach.
Executives and enterprise architects face two enduring pressures during digital transformation: mitigate change disruption and accelerate time-to-value. The FrontLoad™ approach directly addresses this by shifting the transformation starting point away from theoretical models toward a hands-on system experience from the outset.
Starting With Reality, Not Imagination
Traditional ERP projects often begin with conceptual blueprints that require extensive imagination. Teams are asked to design the future using whiteboards and documents, long before they see any operational environment. Olaf highlighted the inherent risk: misaligned expectations, unchallenged assumptions, and late-stage surprises.
FrontLoad™ flips this dynamic by deploying a pre-implemented, industry-specific SAP S/4HANA system at project initiation. The system is enriched with real company data, not generic placeholders. That way, a manufacturer of HVAC systems doesn’t waste time navigating templates designed for bicycle production. This immediate relevance accelerates understanding and enables stakeholders to critique and shape the actual system they will use—not an abstract version of it.
“It’s amazing to see the effects when we start a project with a version one of the future reality of the people. It’s so much easier for a human being to start with a version one instead of creating something on a blank sheet of paper.” — Olaf Schoenfelder
Business-Driven From the Outset
One of the central tenets of the FrontLoad™ approach is early and continuous business engagement. According to Olaf, success hinges on putting the business in the driver’s seat. When business stakeholders see their data and processes reflected in the system from day one, they participate actively. They can assess how current practices align with future processes and provide informed feedback.
This inclusive approach helps organizations avoid the siloed decision-making that plagues traditional implementations. Sales, finance, procurement, and regional units all operate from a common visual reference—the running system—enabling cohesive discussions rather than parallel monologues.
Embedded Change Management by Design
Resistance to change is often emotional, rooted in uncertainty and fear. Olaf stressed that FrontLoad™ de-risks this challenge by making the future tangible early on. When users interact with their prospective system environment up front, ambiguity fades. They gain confidence in the transition because they understand what is coming, and why it’s designed that way.
By maintaining an interactive system environment throughout the project, FrontLoad™ creates a continuous feedback loop. Teams can make refinements in real time, based on validated input. More importantly, assumptions and decisions are documented as part of the process. This traceability becomes invaluable during training and handover.
“Often such large transformation projects are IT-driven, but at the end, the business is the customer. If the customer is in the driver seat for such a transformation, you will get the right outcome at the end.” — Olaf Schoenfelder
Quantifiable Gains and Accelerated Timelines
From a project management perspective, FrontLoad™ delivers measurable improvements. Misunderstandings are surfaced early, change requests arrive sooner and cost less, and scope stabilization happens faster. Olaf noted that organizations using FrontLoad™ typically see fewer late-stage revisions because the system evolves alongside stakeholder feedback.
By starting with a version-one system, projects reduce the time spent on exploratory design and increase the time spent on refinement. The business invests its energy where it matters: finalizing configurations that fit, not inventing solutions from scratch.
Enhanced Organizational Readiness
Traditional change management efforts often lag behind system design, creating a disconnect between the technology and its users. FrontLoad™ eliminates that delay. From the first workshops, teams are navigating end-to-end processes in a live system environment.
This creates space for parallel preparation: training development, data migration, and organizational alignment can all begin sooner. More importantly, leaders can assess readiness in real-time, rather than discovering resistance during user acceptance testing.
Rethinking the Transformation Playbook
For C-level executives, the implications of FrontLoad™ are strategic. The methodology doesn’t just accelerate implementation; it de-risks investment. It provides earlier visibility into whether expected value will be achieved and creates an agile environment for iterative improvement.
Olaf emphasized that successful transformations must be centered around business processes, not IT systems. Reports and interfaces are only valuable if they lead to actionable outcomes. By giving shape to business processes early, FrontLoad™ makes it easier to measure impact, course-correct, and ensure the technology truly serves the business.
From System Access to Business Value
LeapGreat’s FrontLoad™ environment includes navigation tools, business process documentation, and embedded guides. These assets allow teams to understand organizational structures, master data models, and business process steps in detail. The outcome is more than faster implementation; it’s a transformation aligned to actual business needs and grounded in operational reality.
In short, Olaf’s experience confirms that enterprise change doesn’t have to be a leap of faith. With the FrontLoad™ approach, SAP S/4HANA programs can reduce uncertainty, eliminate silos, and build organizational confidence from day one.
Ready to Lead With Certainty?
LeapGreat helps enterprises execute SAP S/4HANA transformations that are aligned, accelerated, and de-risked from the start. Connect with us to see how the FrontLoad™ approach can change your transformation journey.
