[patja]

I was a project leader on a successful SAP implementation at a DOW 30 firm back in the 90's. This was a third attempt at it, and I think I may be one of the only people who was on the team for attempts #1 and #2 which failed.

One of the simplest things an SAP implementation team can do to promote their success is to strictly limit the number of ABAP developers on the team. Developers are going to develop and while some customization will be needed, with a team of 10 or 20 ABAP developers you are going to generate way more customizations than you will with only 3 or 5 developers. Resource and skill scarcity will drive the discussions of "do we need this?"

More rare is that you also you need an exec sponsor at a CxO level (other than the CIO) who has the intestinal fortitude and leadership skills to tell their employees "we are going to conform our process to what the software offers" rather than the opposite. Your unique methods of fixed asset management and accounting (to take one example) are not where your company needs to invest in being different from every other company, much as your accounting manager who rails "this is how we always have done it because of our special situation" will complain to the contrary unless the CFO is telling them otherwise.