An underestimated success factor in SAP S4/HANA EWM projects: the people behind the processes
When introducing a warehouse management system with SAP, the first things that come to mind are processes, master data, and system architecture. That’s understandable! But as SAP EWM and change management experts, we see time and time again that it’s not the technology that determines success, but acceptance in the warehouse. Even an optimally designed SAP S/4HANA EWM will fail if the people who work with RF devices, Fiori apps, and physical material flows on a daily basis are not on board.
Why good technology alone is not enough: acceptance beats architecture?
EWM projects rarely fail because of the software. More often, the problem lies in understanding roles, communication, and usability. In everyday life, this means:
- Pickers experience more clicks and error messages instead of noticeable relief.
- Shift supervisors lack transparent control information.
- Key users are involved too late and cannot empower the team.
The result is workarounds, shadow processes, and declining data quality. This is exactly the opposite of what EWM is supposed to achieve. Addressing acceptance from the outset improves the planning of logistics processes, stabilizes KPIs, and accelerates the learning curve during go-live.
From practice: Where EWM implementations encounter real challenges in the warehouse
In many projects, the journey begins with positive expectations: transparency, less searching, reliable inventory. However, the first test with real items shows how stubborn old habits are. One team continues to rely on paper lists even though RF tasks are available. Another consistently ignores handling unit (HU) scans “because it’s faster.” After two days, gaps appear in the inventory view – not because SAP EWM is “wrong,” but because the system reflects operational reality.
This is where change management becomes concrete. As a project manager or warehouse manager, you see the process map; your teams see the next shelf, the next scan, the next interruption. If we don’t bring these perspectives together, we lose momentum and trust. A warehouse that feels the benefits develops energy – one that only feels the burden looks for detours.
Change management in the warehouse: How to ensure acceptance
We don’t start change at the end with training, but at the first workshop with user roles from the field. A forklift driver describes how he moves pallets under time pressure; a picker shows how she holds the scanner while wearing gloves; the shift supervisor explains when she really needs information. These observations flow directly into process and mask design.
We then build up a user network. The main users are not “power users on the side,” but visible multipliers with time slots and mandates. They test real scenarios, moderate training sessions, and document disruptions and learning effects. This creates a cycle of feedback, decision-making, and adaptation—even before the go-live pressure builds.
Tests take place where work will later be carried out: in the warehouse. We check RF paths in the cold zone aisle, practice scanning angles at the least popular parking space, simulate dead spots, and see how well tasks are resumed after an interruption. During the hypercare phase, we remain available and responsive: clear escalation paths, daily shop floor meetings, visible key figures. This sends a signal: “You are not alone – we solve problems while they are still small.”
User-friendliness as the key: RF screens, multilingualism, and the learning curve in everyday life
Whether SAP S/4HANA EWM is perceived as a help or a hindrance is decided in a fraction of a second. Scan-first design reduces typing and operating errors: scan first, then only type where there is no barcode. Large, high-contrast buttons are not a “nice-to-have” when wearing gloves, but a productivity factor. It is also important to display clear error messages with the next action to be taken (“Scan the HU again at storage location X” – instead of cryptic codes).
Multilingualism is a reality in many warehouses. A consistent glossary with descriptions of terms such as document, task, handling unit, or storage location shortens the training period and reduces training costs. We work with short, repeatable learning units directly at the workplace and supplement them with one-pagers in the team’s main languages. We also don’t forget about the hardware: battery life, shock resistance, scanning performance, ergonomic mounts. User-friendliness doesn’t end at the edge of the screen; it continues in the hand.
The business case: How change and UX influence SAP EWM costs
When talking about costs, the focus is often on licensing and project perspectives. In everyday reality, however, costs arise elsewhere: with every additional click, every minute spent searching, every query that interrupts the flow. High user-friendliness and a practical training concept have a compounding effect. The result is lower error rates, faster task completion, and greater inventory transparency.
Three levers directly contribute to benefits: process simplicity (standard where possible, special logic only with clear added value), on-the-job training (with champions instead of one-time training in a seminar room), and data discipline (consistent scanning, well-maintained storage locations, robust and flexible storage topology). Those who invest here will see the returns every day – in performance and satisfaction and, depending on the company, also directly with customers.
Migration from SAP WM/SRM to EWM: A step-by-step approach to a stable go-live
The transition from SAP WM/SRM or another warehouse management system to SAP S4/HANA EWM rarely succeeds as a “big bang” project. We begin with a gap analysis of everyday logistics: Which WM habits have become dear to us but are now hindering progress? Which EWM process chains solve the problem more easily? Which historically grown structures can be eliminated? Instead of engaging in lengthy debates, we test critical processes in defined zones and scenarios. We start with simple processes in order to achieve initial successes quickly and demonstrate added value. We always keep the overall goal in mind. This allows users to comprehend and understand the changes.
We test data migration not only technically, but also functionally: Do HU structures fit on the shelves? Are storage locations maintained in such a way that RF paths remain logical? At the same time, we pay attention to the most important KPIs, such as throughput times, first-time resolution rates, and error rates. Shift supervisors are given a clear role as “EWM owners,” while the IT and process teams define clear escalation paths. This creates a learning system that builds stability as volume ramps up – exactly the dynamic that makes SAP EWM so powerful.
Sustainable changes in warehouses do not come about through technology alone, but above all through the involvement of the people who work with it every day. Change management means building acceptance, taking working methods into account, and anchoring knowledge where it is needed. As a team of LOGSOL experts, we contribute our experience from numerous projects in the field of digital transformation: from warehouse planning and process design to implementation in SAP S/4HANA EWM – ensuring that your warehouse team actively supports the change.