Six Key Steps to Ensure a Successful Transition to "Business As Usual"

Whether you're implementing SAP SuccessFactors for the first time or expanding your SAP SuccessFactors footprint through the implementation of additional modules, the importance of an effective support strategy and successful transition to BAU is vital to ensure that you continue to get the most out of your investment. With that said, it is all too common for the "Support" topic to get lost in the noise of an implementation project and "put to the side" until nearer the project go-live. This often results in a reactive approach to support, operational inefficiencies and limits the overall utilisation of the product in the long term.

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During your journey as an SAP SuccessFactors customer, you will spend more time in "Business As Usual Mode" than "Implementation Mode". Therefore, it's vital that your transition to BAU and overall approach to Support is a consistent theme from the moment you begin planning your project. As a guide, we have detailed Six Key Steps to Ensure a Successful Transition to "Business As Usual".

Step 1: Identify BAU Stakeholders Early

One of the most overlooked success factors in any SAP SuccessFactors implementation is stakeholder clarity. Knowing who will own the system once it’s live and involving them from the start can make or break your transition to Business-As-Usual.

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This isn’t just about assigning names to roles. It’s about ensuring that the right people are engaged in testing, training, and decision-making, so they’re equipped to support the system long after go-live. It also helps uncover any gaps in skills or capacity that need to be thought through as part of your Project and Transition to BAU plan.

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Questions to ask:

• Who will be responsible for overall system governance and decision-making post-go-live? Consider who will own the roadmap, approve changes, and act as the central point of accountability.
• How will cross-module dependencies be managed? For example, how will Recruiting feed into Onboarding, Core into Payroll and Learning align with Performance and Succession? These touchpoints require coordinated ownership.
• Who will be responsible for day-to-day process execution and end-user support? Think about HR business partners, line managers, and helpdesk teams—who will support users and resolve operational issues?
• Who will manage system configuration and change requests? This could include maintaining workflows, permissions, and adapting the system to evolving business needs.
• What level of support will be managed internally, and what may require external or SAP support? This varies by organisation and depends on internal capability and appetite to build in-house expertise. While every SAP SuccessFactors customer will require support from an SAP support partner, the level and type of support needed will vary significantly based on your internal capabilities, appetite for ownership, and long-term strategy.
• Who owns reporting and analytics—and are they equipped to leverage the available tools? With embedded analytics and predictive insights becoming more central, ensure reporting leads are trained and empowered to drive data-driven decisions.

Why it Matters?

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As SAP SuccessFactors continues to evolve with innovations like AI-powered assistance—stakeholder roles are shifting. By identifying and enabling your BAU team early, you set the foundation for a support model that’s not just reactive, but resilient and future ready.

Step 2: Make Support a Formal Project Workstream

Be proactive and include BAU/Support as a workstream in your project to make sure it is a consistent theme throughout and not an afterthought at the end. If you are evaluating Implementation or Support partners, be sure to ask how BAU is viewed and incorporated into their overall project methodology. Support readiness isn’t a post-go-live activity, it’s a strategic workstream that should run alongside your implementation from day one. Treating it as such ensures that operational continuity is planned, resourced, and delivered with the same discipline as configuration or testing.

This workstream should have its own deliverables, milestones, and stakeholder engagement. It’s not just about preparing for go-live, it’s about setting your team up to operate confidently from day one and adapt to ongoing changes.

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Example deliverables of a "Support" Project Workstream could include:

• A “Move to Support” plan with clear handover timelines and responsibilities
• Support structure documentation defining roles, tiers, and escalation paths
• A service catalogue outlining supported processes and expected service levels

Why it matters:

• Brings structure and foresight to your transition plan. Treating support as a formal workstream ensures it’s not left to chance or last-minute decisions.
• Engages BAU stakeholders from the outset. Early involvement builds ownership, aligns expectations, and reduces friction during handover.
• Surfaces resource and skills gaps before go-live. Identifying gaps early allows time to train, recruit, or engage external support where needed.
• Clarifies support responsibilities and boundaries, Helps define what will be managed internally, what may require partner support, and what falls under SAP’s remit—based on your strategy and capacity.
• Ensures end-user readiness from day one. A well-planned support structure means your teams are equipped to respond to issues, guide users, and maintain momentum immediately after launch.

Step 3: Define Support Activities & Scenarios

Once your BAU stakeholders are identified, the next step is to understand where and how they’ll need support. This means mapping out the types of questions, issues, and requests that are likely to arise; both during the initial transition and in ongoing operations.

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The more granular you are here, the easier it becomes to assign clear support responsibilities and build efficient resolution pathways. This is also where your implementation partner can add real value: by sharing

insights into high-volume support scenarios they commonly see across clients, helping you anticipate and prepare.

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Things to consider:

• Which processes are most likely to generate user queries? (e.g., onboarding workflows, performance review cycles, learning assignments)
• Which activities are time-intensive or prone to error? These may include permission changes, data corrections, or report generation.
• What recurring scenarios or HR Cycles will require structured support? Think annual compensation cycles, quarterly performance reviews, or new hire onboarding.
• Are there seasonal or business-specific peaks in activity? For example, graduate recruitment periods or compliance reporting deadlines.
• What can be pre-emptively addressed with self-service tools? Consider creating user guides, FAQs, or how-to videos for common tasks.

SAP SuccessFactors is a cloud-based solution that evolves continuously. With bi-annual releases introducing new features, workflows, and UI changes, your support scenarios will shift over time. That’s why this step shouldn’t be static—it should be reviewed and updated as part of your release management cycle

Step 4: Create a Service Catalogue

In this step, your objective is to create a centralised Service Catalogue.

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A Service Catalogue is the backbone of a structured support model. It defines what support is offered, how it’s delivered, and who is responsible—bringing clarity, consistency, and accountability to your Business-As-Usual operations.

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Rather than handling issues ad hoc, a well-crafted Service Catalogue enables your teams to respond methodically, track performance, and continuously improve service quality. It also helps set expectations across the business and ensures that support activities are aligned with your internal capabilities and strategic goals.

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How to make a start?

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Start by revisiting the support activities and scenarios identified in Step 3. For each one, define:

• The service provided (e.g., troubleshooting login issues, updating permissions, configuring workflows)
• The responsible party (internal team, support partner, or SAP)
• Expected response times or SLAs
• Channels for request submission (e.g., ticketing system, email, chatbot)
• Self-service resources available (e.g., user guides, FAQs, how-to videos)

This catalogue should be centralised, accessible, and reviewed regularly, especially in line with SAP SuccessFactors’ bi-annual release cycle, which may introduce new features, workflows, or support needs.

Your implementation or support partner can be invaluable here. They’ve seen what works (and what doesn’t) across industries and configurations, and can guide you on:

• Common high-volume support scenarios and how to streamline them
• Structuring support tiers
• Aligning services with your internal structure and maturity level
• Building scalable models that evolve with your business

Step 5: Assign Support Responsibilities

Once your support activities and scenarios are defined, the next step is to assign clear ownership. This is where your overall support strategy comes into play—balancing internal capability with external expertise to create a model that’s both efficient and scalable.

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There’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some organisations choose to build robust in-house HRIS teams and manage most support internally, giving them full control and agility. Others adopt a more outsourced model, partnering with experts to handle configuration, release management, and ongoing enhancements—freeing internal teams to focus on strategic HR initiatives like workforce planning, employee experience, and talent development. Many organisations land somewhere in between, evolving their support model over time as internal capability grows or business needs shift.

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What we have seen during our time supporting organisations with SAP SuccessFactors is that this does not have to be set in stone. It may be a strategic area you wish to review on a regular basis to ensure that you are supporting your system in the most efficient manner in line with business needs. For example, we work with organisations who are very self-sufficient and handle all HRIS Administration (Level 1) internally and only require our support for Configuration (Level 2). On the flip side, we work with organisations who utilise our services for all Levels of Support as more of an Application Managed Service (AMS) model.

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There is no right or wrong approach. What matters most is that every support activity has a clearly defined owner, and that all BAU stakeholders understand the boundaries of their responsibilities. This clarity reduces duplication, improves response times, and ensures that your system is supported in a way that aligns with your operational goals.

Step 6: Support Set Up and Communication

A successful transition to Business As Usual relies on more than just assigning roles—it depends on clear, accessible, and well-structured communication. All BAU stakeholders should understand how to engage with the support model and what their role is in maintaining it.

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This step is about creating a seamless experience for both end-users and support teams. Whether someone needs help resetting a password, navigating a workflow, or raising a configuration issue, they should know exactly where to go and what to expect.

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Key Considerations:

• Define communication channels for each type of support scenario. Depending on the issue, resolution paths may include:
  
  • How-To Guides hosted on internal portals
  • Walkthrough videos or embedded WalkMe guidance
  • Direct contact with the HRIS team or support desk
• Tailor channels to your company’s culture and structure. Whether your organisation prefers collaborative, informal support or structured ticketing and SLAs, your communication model should reflect how your teams work best.
• Introduce support tools early—ideally during Hypercare. Familiarity breeds confidence. By embedding support tools into the final stages of your project, users are equipped to navigate BAU from day one.

Ready to strengthen your support strategy?

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At EX3, we help organisations make a seamless transition to Business As Usual with flexible support models tailored to your needs. From on-demand consulting and system admin augmentation to full Application Managed Services. Whether you're just starting with SAP SuccessFactors or evolving your landscape, EX3 can provide the expertise, tools and continuity you need to maximise your investment for the long term.

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Book a meeting today and let’s talk about how EX3 can support you.

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