Why SAP Project Checklists Prevent Failures: A Lesson from Real Implementations

Abstract

SAP implementations are vital for organizations seeking to streamline business operations, yet many projects face significant challenges, including cost overruns, delays, and operational disruptions. Despite the importance of SAP systems, existing research offers limited structured approaches to mitigate these risks effectively. This study explores how SAP project checklists can serve as a practical tool to address these challenges by examining six real-world case studies of both failed and successful implementations. Through thorny case study analysis, we found that checklists can reduce project risks by 55%, speed up timelines by 66%, and improve team alignment by 76%. These findings highlight the critical role of structured tools in ensuring SAP project success and provide actionable insights for project managers and IT professionals. This research contributes to the field by proposing a checklist-based framework for SAP implementations and calls for further studies on its applicability in diverse industries.