The hidden risk in SAP and SaaS projects: Ignoring digital adoption
A personal journey into SAP
Twenty years ago, I began my career as a billing representative in a chemical company. The organization was using a custom-built ERP solution that had been in place for many years. It ran on an AS/400 system, where we navigated between screens using simple function key commands. Readers from my generation will know exactly what I mean. My routine was clear: all billing tasks had to be completed by the end of the week, since the system only allowed invoicing once per week. That made Fridays especially hectic, particularly at month-end.
About a year into my role, the company decided to implement SAP ERP. As a key user, I was invited to attend a training course. The training lasted a full week and covered nearly everything SAP could do. Unfortunately, my own area (billing) was only briefly addressed, as the consultant had a full agenda. By the end of the week, I was overloaded with information but still unclear on how to carry out my daily work in SAP.
Then came cutover. And all hell broke loose. I had forgotten most of the training and was completely lost. Tasks that had previously taken hours were now taking days, not to mention the time lost due to bugs and misunderstandings. I became extremely frustrated and longed for the simplicity of the old AS/400 system. I wasn’t alone, many of my colleagues felt the same.
We had the technology at our fingertips, but no one truly knew how to use it. It was like owning a powerful tool without the manual.
Thankfully, my manager quickly recognized the issue. She asked if I would be willing to revise the training materials and make them more practical. I spent weeks reworking the onboarding approach, creating step-by-step guides to support users in their daily activities. At the time, there were no digital adoption tools, so everything was done in Word and PowerPoint. I built a sort of internal knowledge base that we shared with colleagues. This significantly improved adoption and led to better data accuracy in the system.
In the process, I gained a much deeper understanding of SAP’s sales and billing processes. I also discovered that SAP allowed invoicing at any time during the month, which completely transformed how I organized my work. I optimized my daily billing activities, became an SAP enthusiast and that eventually marked the beginning of my career as an SAP consultant. But this early experience has always stayed with me.
The pattern repeats itself
Two decades later, ERP systems have evolved with sleek user interfaces and even AI capabilities. Yet, the same story keeps repeating.
Organizations invest in SAP or other SaaS solutions with high expectations: streamlined processes, better insights, improved performance. But despite extensive planning, budgeting and technical execution, one crucial factor is still too often overlooked digital adoption.
Why is that? Because it’s hard to quantify. It doesn’t appear in Gantt charts or milestone reviews. To many stakeholders, it feels intangible, soft or “fluffy”, especially compared to tasks like data migration or system integration.
But the truth is simple: a system not adopted by its users is a system that fails.
Digital adoption is about more than just logging in. It means employees know how to use the tools effectively in the context of their daily work and ideally, even enjoy the improvements it brings. Adoption involves changing habits, not just learning where to click. That takes time, structured support and a thoughtful strategy.
Too often, user enablement is crammed into the final weeks of the project, limited to a few training sessions and some static PDFs. By then, users feel overwhelmed, resistance is high and the real value of the new system is either delayed or never fully realized.
This isn’t just a change management issue. It’s a business risk. Poor adoption leads to low data quality, inefficient processes, overwhelmed support teams and missed ROI targets. And the more complex the platform, the greater the risk.
Building adoption into the core
through clear communication & involvement
via digital guidance, e-learnings and support
with adoption analytics and feedback loops
The good news? Digital adoption can be embedded into the project from the very beginning. With the right tools, like digital adoption platforms, and a mindset that treats user experience as a core success factor, organizations can ensure true transformation.
It’s time we stop treating adoption as a nice-to-have and start recognizing it for what it really is: the foundation for value realization in any Enterprise SaaS investment.
Connect with your specialist in Digital Adoption
Jeroen Baetens
