Björn (Stark) Stark-Interim IT Director

Carve-out of a globally used S/4HANA system for a US group in the water industry. Separation of all parent company data, setup of independent operational capability, and move to a new data center with adapted interfaces and authorizations.

Industry: Water, wastewater & waste disposal

Task description:

• Cross-functional leadership and steering responsibility for architecture, technical delivery, operational transition, and service governance of the IT infrastructure (servers, M365 / SAP Grantor / SAP BTP solution).
• Leading a 45-person team with responsibility for scope, schedule, quality, and resources.
• Coordination of IT, business teams, management, and external service providers.
• Definition of technical guidelines for development, test management, integrations, release, and transport processes.
• Introduction of SAP Cloud ALM & Tosca AI for test and defect management, setup of CI/CD and quality gates, and steering of cutover, try-runs, go-live, and hypercare.
• Framework for ITSM connection, provider management, and structured handover to operations and AMS.

Highlights:

• Stabilized the transformation through clear governance, operating model, and run/AMS structures.
• Secured operational readiness through cutover/try-run control, operations documentation, runbooks, support concept, ITSM-related incident, change, release, and support processes, as well as a structured transition into steady-state operations.

Task description:

• Overall steering of the S/4HANA carve-out and data center move from Sweden to Ludwigshafen as IT and SAP program and project manager.
• Responsibility for scope, budget, timeline, quality, and risk management.
• Coordination of IT, business teams, multiple service providers, and operations organization.
• Ensuring stable IT operations in parallel with migration, cutover, and go-live.
• Establishment of a test strategy in SAP Cloud ALM, steering of system, integration, and regression tests, as well as handover to AMS and operations.

Highlights:

• Carve-out and infrastructure transition without relevant operational interruption within the defined maintenance window.
• Clean data and authorization separation using a copy-and-delete approach.
• Complete AMS/operations documentation including test, risk, and cutover overview.

Selective carve-out of a production company from ECC to SAP RISE S/4HANA Private Cloud with a mix-and-match SDT approach. Combination of greenfield best-practice design and selective data transfer, supplemented by BTP, SAC, and test automation.

Industry: Mechanical engineering

Task description:

• End-to-end program management as SAP program and project manager.
• Definition of the target architecture on RISE, selection and steering of implementation partners.
• Moderation of fit-to-standard / fit-gap workshops, setup of a globally usable template.
• Design of the SDT strategy and alignment of migration objects.
• Introduction of SAP Cloud ALM and Tricentis for test management and regression testing.
• Planning of cutover, dry runs, and hypercare.
• Ongoing risk and stakeholder management up to the steering committee.

Highlights:

• Built a future-proof RISE platform with a clear template.
• Established test automation as the standard.
• Developed a blueprint for further rollouts across the group.

Migration of a non-SAP landscape to S/4HANA AWS Public Cloud. Focus on purchasing, sales, master data, and BOP/ATP functions for a growing pharma company.

Industry: Pharma

Tasks:

• Managed the rollout of the public cloud solution.
• Selected and fine-tuned best-practice processes, moderated fit-to-standard workshops.
• Designed the selective master data migration and BP/CVI structure.
• Coordinated configuration, testing, and go-live planning.
• Built the operations organization, including the roles and authorization concept.

Highlights:

• Successful move from a mixed non-SAP landscape to a standard S/4 Public Cloud setup.
• Simplified system landscape and faster introduction of new processes and products.

Conversion of an ECC system to S/4HANA 2022 RISE Private Cloud for a global pharma group. Integrated solution with HCM, GTS, Central Finance, and Salesforce connection, rollout in more than 27 countries.

Industry: Pharma

Tasks:

• Program and project leadership across multiple country waves.
• Coordinated the technical conversion and business harmonization of finance, logistics, and compliance processes.
• Worked closely with country organizations, SAP, and hyperscalers.
• Managed integration, UAT, and regression tests.
• Responsible for cutover planning, go-live approvals, and hypercare setup.
• Built a global template and governance structures for future rollouts.

Highlights:

• Successful S/4 conversion in a regulated pharma environment.
• Consistent global template with clear governance.
• Significantly better transparency in finance and reporting.

Brownfield conversion of an ECC system to S/4HANA for a financial institution. Integration of RE-FX/IFRS 16, FSCM, and setup of a BP/CVI structure, extended by a mobile app via REST API.

Industry: Banks

Tasks:

• Overall project leadership.
• Planned and managed the technical conversion and business adjustments.
• Introduced new RE-FX and IFRS-16 processes, extended FSCM functions.
• Built the business partner structure.
• Coordinated development, test teams, and business units.
• Carried out Readiness Check 2.0, planned cutover and hypercare.
• Ensured regulatory requirements and management reporting.

Highlights:

• Stable go-live in a regulated environment.
• Improved mapping of leasing and loan processes.
• Successful integration of a mobile customer app via standard REST interfaces.

Greenfield implementation of S/4HANA on Azure Private Cloud for a global automotive supplier. Global rollout in 38 countries with Fiori and ML scenarios and harmonized logistics and finance processes.

Industry: Automotive

Task description:

• Program control as SAP program and project manager.
• Definition of a global template, alignment with plants, country companies, and OEM interfaces.
• Coordination of process harmonization, customizing, and data migration (Migration Cockpit).
• Building a global test organization, controlling integration and end-to-end tests.
• Planning rollout waves, cutover, and hypercare concepts.
• Regular reporting to management and steering committees.

Highlights:

• Establishment of a reusable global template.
• Successful integration of Fiori and ML scenarios.
• Significantly improved transparency in supply chain and finance.

Brownfield conversion of an ECC system to S/4HANA 1809 with the introduction of RE-FX, HCM, and BP/CVI as well as mobile solutions via web services/REST for a customer in real estate and public services.

Industry: Real estate, land, and housing

Task description:

• Project lead for the conversion.
• Definition of target processes in the real estate and HR areas.
• Building a consistent BP structure and adapting the authorization concept.
• Coordination of technical conversion, customizing, tests, and cutover.
• Control of development and connection of mobile applications via web services/REST.
• Transition into stable operations.

Highlights:

• Fast transition to S/4HANA with extended functions.
• Successful introduction of mobile services for field service and property management.
• Clean BP structure as a base for further digitalization.