Last Thursday’s Configure IT Done: S/4HANA Do’s & Don’ts event brought the Sydney SAP community together for an evening of candid, experience-led storytelling about what it really takes to deliver S/4 transformations under pressure. Senior leaders from Whitehaven Coal and Suntory Oceania shared two very different journeys, underscoring a common truth: with clear non‑negotiables, strong leadership and genuine trust, even the most demanding programs can be delivered.
A full house for real S/4 stories
Hosted by Precision Sourcing, the session welcomed an invite-only audience of SAP leaders and practitioners from across Sydney who were looking for more than theory or vendor slides. The goal was simple: unpack real programs, real challenges and real lessons from two of the most significant S/4HANA initiatives in Australia. The energy in the room reflected what the Configure IT Done Community has become known for—open, honest discussion and a willingness to share battle scars as well as successes.
When time really matters: Whitehaven Coal
Kicking off the evening, Nick Zafiris from Whitehaven Coal walked through a 26‑week greenfield S/4 implementation, triggered by Whitehaven’s acquisition of a mine from BHP. He explored how the team built the business case, stood up the program and delivered one of the fastest and largest S/4 projects of its kind in Australia, all while keeping operations running. The story highlighted how clarity on scope and outcomes becomes non‑negotiable when you have a hard deadline and zero tolerance for slippage.
NICK'S KEY THEMES CENTRED ON:
Defining a tight, business‑owned set of non‑negotiables to guide every trade‑off.
Using authentic, visible leadership to keep teams aligned and confident during intense time pressure.
Structuring the program to empower decision‑making and avoid bottlenecks when every week counts.
Transforming a whole business: Suntory Oceania
On the flip side, Matt Dixon and Cameron Berkman from Suntory Oceania shared their experience delivering a multimillion‑dollar, four‑year transformation program. Their initiative combined a major S/4HANA rollout with the build of a new, state‑of‑the‑art facility at Swanbank as part of a broader $600M transformation and the launch and scaling of a $1.5B joint venture. This was a business‑wide change agenda where technology, operations and commercial strategy all moved together.
MATT AND CAMERON UNPACKED:
How a $40M IT program was aligned with wider corporate objectives so SAP was clearly seen as a growth enabler, not a back‑office cost.
What it really takes to manage a $30M portfolio and a 100+ person team over several years while keeping delivery on time and on budget.
The decisions they would approach differently next time, especially around sequencing, stakeholder engagement and governance across plant build and system build.
Inside the Configure IT Done Community
This event sits within the broader Configure IT Done Community, founded by Precision Sourcing as a gathering of Australia’s most experienced thought leaders in the SAP domain. It is an invite‑only network designed to give senior practitioners a trusted space to share expertise, insights and real‑world strategies that drive growth and innovation in SAP technology and implementation. Each session is crafted to address real delivery challenges—whether that’s S/4HANA, SAP Signavio or SAP Business Technology Platform—and to give attendees practical ideas they can apply in their own organisations.
Beyond the content on stage, the value of the night came from the conversations around it. Attendees had the chance to ask direct questions, compare notes on their own journeys and build connections with peers facing similar decisions. The consistent feedback from these events is “more of this”: more honest stories, more lessons learned and less generic commentary. Configure IT Done answers that by keeping the focus firmly on lived experience and hindsight shared in the room.
Get inspired, get informed, let’s get IT done
The standout message from the night was clear: whether you are racing a six‑month deadline or steering a multi‑year enterprise transformation, success hinges on people—leadership, trust and alignment—more than any tool or template. With time pressure, a bit of chaos and agreed non‑negotiables, teams can deliver outcomes that look impossible on paper. If you want to be first to hear about future sessions, or you are interested in speaking, you can register your interest by contacting sap@precisionsourcing.com.au. And as always with Configure IT Done, the ethos remains the same: Get Inspired, Get Informed, let’s get IT Done.
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