Paul Byrne

Dragon ERP

SAP Programme Director Dragon-ERP

IKA DATA (Facility Management and ICT Provider) https://dragonerp.co.uk

Programme Manager for “IKA Data” Partner of Porto Business Services and Total-ERP                                                € 4m
Advised/implemented a portfolio of business transition projects for electronic facilities management application 
Integration of Facility Management Programme with existing SAP R/3 for a large Hotel group client
Client site analysis defining application performance for our partners and their client’s
Co-ordination of user acceptance testing (UAT) across multiple business departments
Defining / negotiating client service level agreements SLA / OLA continuity, incident, problem management 
Data centre disaster recovery, change and configuration management
SAP Portals E-commerce implementation for web based travel and booking service with IKA Data clients	
Implementation of Service-Desk for IKA Data facility management clients
Infrastructure installations and upgrades, with remote monitoring
Introduced programme, project management and ITIL methodologies through PBS PMO
Technical Environment: SAP Portals, Oracle, Archibus FM

SAP NED

Total-ERP

I was bought in to work with Business and IT, System Integration Partners advising on change management best products and building good governance around a programme.  Working with Senior Stakeholders to turn around a challenging SAP S/4 Greenfield organisation within an ambitious timeframe. I defined a viable plan (MVP) to help ensure success, recommending use of SAP Model Company and change management to reduce complexity and increase success within required timelines.
An £8 Billion Carve Out from Unilever embarked on a Greenfield S/4 HANA template implementation, I was bought in to assure the design phase, implement Change Management and Governance on the Programme. Working with multiple System Integration Partners implementing SAP S/4 and a host of SAP products including Integrated Business Planning, Ariba, Concur, HCM, SuccessFactors, PLM, GTS, TPM, MDG, BPC, RM, EWM, Seeburger EDI and SalesForce, Finance, Warehouse, Procurement, Concur, O2C, P2P, S2P, R2R, EWM, MDG, SuccessFactors, Ariba, IBP, Transportation Management, Concur, TPM, BW/4HANA and Salesforce.
The programme needed a certain degree of turn around to get it back on track towards successful delivery, Change Management was key to getting to Business Design Sign Off

Total-ERP - SAP Programme Manager

Total-ERP is a Boutique Consultancy focusing on delivering Digital Transformation, Business Transformation to Clients through successful delivery of SAP ERP and S/4HANA using Global Business Transformation Management (GBMT) Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Prince2 and ITIL.
Strategy Management, Value Management. Programme & Project Management, Risk Management, Business Process Management, Transformational IT Management, Competence & Training Management, Organisational Change Management digital and business transformation programmes.  Delivery and migration from legacy to on HANA On-premise and cloud
Accelerated SAP ASAP, Project Preparation, Blueprint Realisation, Final Preparation, Go Live
Coupa, Ariba, ITGC & ITAC
Implementation of a Fit for Purpose SAP template for recently acquired new Business with previous implementation of SAP. Focusing on business and technical change with legacy implementation issues and poor training, I trained, guided and mentored business users drove the implementation of Master Data Management for integration across PLM and Salesforce

Total-ERP - SAP Global Digital Programme / Manager / Architect

SAP / Salesforce CRM Programme                                                                      
Programme Manager acting as a trusted advisor with clients on SAP programme health checks: 
A Pan European SAP / Salesforce Implementation.  To identify where the programme was against reported status of SAP / Salesforce, to work with business and system integration partners on a plan to get back on track
A global luxury retailer to ascertain whether existing SAP ERP was fit for purpose
A post-acquisition SAP ERP integration of a British multinational food manufacturer  
Technical Environment: Salesforce CRM, SAP Success Factors, Solution Manager, BW, HANA, SD, FICO

Total-ERP - Programme Manager

Working with a Greenfield Client to integrate SAP S/4 HANA with multiple legacy ERP’s systems with Cutover Readiness

Total-ERP – Programme Cutover Manager

Working with Athene / Aegon / Athora and Generali Group Business and IT to build a change team to deliver a Financial Transformation Programme.  Working with Senior Business Stakeholders to understand the challenges of implementing SAP S/4 Hana Finance.  I recommended Change Management process for S/4 Hana for Procure to Pay, Real Time Consolidation, Group Reporting in a Greenfield organisation within an ambitious Merger and Acquisition Program
Technical Environment: SAP ERP, S/4 Hana Finance, Procurement, Concur, Oracle Hyperion Financial Management

Total-ERP - SAP Programme Management Architect

Total-ERP - SAP Business and Change Transformation Programme Architect
Working with Tata Consulting Services TCS as Programme Architect for a large Global Retail and Manufacturing organisation leading an integration Infor M3 and SAP Finance and Procurement to gain efficiencies of multiple ERP systems across supply chain, S&OP. I recommended procurement of SAP SLO, Concur, Success Factors and built an S/4 Proof of Concept 1610
Technical Environment: SAP ERP, S/4 Hana, Salesforce, Success Factors, Concur, Oracle Hyperion Financial Management

Total-ERP - SAP Business and Change Transformation Programme Architect

Bluetrail Analytics Inc.

Advisor to The Board of Bluetrail Analytics

Total-ERP - Non Executive Director

Radius 1 Consulting GmbH

Business transformation starts with leadership transformation. If you, as a leader, can’t change, then your company can’t either.  We help leadership teams change, and in doing so help bring about the change that your company requires.  Today's business leaders are facing an environment with an increasing volatility – with change as the only constant parameter. To deal with permanent volatility, leaders and organizations have to mindfully develop core attributes such as agility, speed, resilience, a clear focus on people and change, being more innovative than customers expect while being socially and environmentally committed.

A business transformation leads the way to develop these core attributes, which ensure sustainable competitiveness and business impact.

Our team has 20+ years of holistic, transdisciplinary business transformation consulting and implementation experience for global organizations – both in consulting and line function.

Total-ERP - SAP Programme Transformation Partner

Tata Consultancy Services

Working with Global Clients on a Programme to implement SAP S/4HANA Consumer Packaged Goods Business. Moving from complex Heterogeneous environment to an all SaaS S/4HANA BW4/HANA with Warehouse significant Management in UK, France and Spain
Working with Client to design, integrate and implement SAP S/4 HANA Technical and Business Processes and Design Principles of ERP within organisations to help consolidate multiple ERP and legacy systems for one version of the truth

SAP Engagement / Delivery Manager

Ardagh Group

Leading Business and IT Teams to gain ERP Sarbanes–Oxley Compliance and Change for Ardagh Group Global Manufacturing after IPO ensuring controls are implemented and maintained people were trained in new process across all global divisions on multiple ERP landscapes systems across Finance, Procurement and operations, ERP Upgrades.
I recommend and implemented fit for purpose policies and procedure, GRC, ERP Maestro, Blackline, SAP Workflow, Production

Total-ERP - SAP Programme Transformation Manager

UK Power Networks

Total-ERP Program / Project / Release Manager
Delivering Business Transformation with UK Power Networks, the company which delivers power across London, the East of England and the South East undergoing significant change, as part of that change I lead Programme health-checks within the Business Transformation Program and advised on corrective action

Total-ERP - SAP Project Digital Manager

British Gas

CENTRICA / BRITISH GAS delivering SAP CRM in one of the UK's largest SAP CRM migrations
Working with On-Shore and Off-Shore Partners and Teams to deliver a single view of Customers through One British Gas. I managed financial, Governance, Service Transition, Business Transformation engaging and reporting to multiple Stakeholder groups. Data Warehouse, Big Data, Analytics through Hadoop and HANA Proof of Concept

ARYZTA

ARYZTA - Cuisine de France / Delice de France / Hiestand
Managing global teams and Consultancies to deliver an SAP global template to five business across Europe
Working with Clients investing to improve ensuring successful business transformation through project delivery and business benefit realisation. Managing change and communications

Total-ERP - Global Digital Programme Manager

Leading Dragon ERP's SAP Programme with a focus on meticulous delivery, I leverage my expertise in business project management and M&A due diligence to excel in complex environments. The transformational IT management skills honed over decades empower our team to deliver cutting-edge solutions and drive effective change management.

At the heart of my approach is a commitment to stakeholder relationship management, ensuring alignment across departments and with system integration partners. My tenure at Porto Business Services was marked by successful business transitions, including a significant integration for a large hotel group, reflecting a deep understanding of organisational dynamics and a passion for driving innovation within the SAP landscape.

Secure By Default": SAP S/4HANA 2025

With each release of SAP S/4HANA, more robust security settings are seamlessly integrated, helping customers benefit from enhanced protection without additional effort. 🔐 

Below is a list of new “Security by default” settings with the latest SAP S/4HANA 2025 release. 👉 

✅ Add support for TLS1.3 for web-based interfaces of SAP S/4HANA in addition to TLS1.2
✅ Adjust the security log of ICM to make it machine-readable for easier integration into SIEM solutions
✅ Disable support for SAP logon tickets while still accepting SAP Assertion Tickets
✅ Configure a Report-only Content Security Policy (CSP) for faster introduction of a Content Security Policy as second level of defence for S/4HANA
✅ Disable the outdated ICM content scan interface as dedicated checks have been introduced in browser-based applications against Cross Site Scripting (XSS) and input validation.

Check out all the details in this blog published by Björn Brencher in the first comment below.
Thanks Sean D Silva for this share 

#SAP #S4HANA #RISEwithSAP #CloudERPPrivate #SAPBusinessSuite #Security

Paul Byrne Dragon ERP Co-Founder

With over 25 years of experience in delivering complex and challenging SAP S/4HANA programmes across various industries, I am a SAP Programme Director at Dragon ERP, a leading provider of enterprise resource planning solutions. I am passionate about helping clients transform their business strategy, structure, culture, and processes through effective change management, value management, risk management, and governance.

My core competencies include stakeholder relationship management, business process management, transformational IT management, competence and training management, and organisational change management. I have a proven track record of advising and implementing business transition projects for various clients, such as a large hotel group, an airline, and a carve-out from Unilever. I have also successfully managed multiple system integration partners and vendors, ensuring alignment and quality of delivery. I hold several credentials in SAP Global Business Transformation Management, MSP, Prince2, and BTM².

Program Manager at SAP | SAP S/4HANA Expert | SAP Brand Ambassador | Public Speaker

*** "Secure By Default": SAP S/4HANA 2025 ***

With each release of SAP S/4HANA, more robust security settings are seamlessly integrated, helping customers benefit from enhanced protection without additional effort. 🔐 

Below is a list of new “Security by default” settings with the latest SAP S/4HANA 2025 release. 👉 

✅ Add support for TLS1.3 for web-based interfaces of SAP S/4HANA in addition to TLS1.2
✅ Adjust the security log of ICM to make it machine-readable for easier integration into SIEM solutions
✅ Disable support for SAP logon tickets while still accepting SAP Assertion Tickets
✅ Configure a Report-only Content Security Policy (CSP) for faster introduction of a Content Security Policy as second level of defence for S/4HANA
✅ Disable the outdated ICM content scan interface as dedicated checks have been introduced in browser-based applications against Cross Site Scripting (XSS) and input validation.

Check out all the details in this blog published by Björn Brencher in the first comment below.

#SAP #S4HANA #RISEwithSAP #CloudERPPrivate #SAPBusinessSuite #Security

SAP Programme Director Solution Architect | M&A Due Diligence, Business Project Management

SAP Concur was already an awesome Product by adding Joule is just gets better or more Awesomer

*** Activate Joule in SAP Concur - a Step-by-Step Guide ***

With the activation of Joule in an SAP Concur system, an SAP customer will be able to manage their expense-related activities, such as creating reports, editing expense reports, creating new attendees, viewing expense details, etc. 📲 

With the latest release, SAP Concur Booking Agent is also available to all our SAP Concur customers. This Agent will enable users to search for and book flights directly. 🛩️ 

Here is a blog authored by Nagesh Caparthy for SAP customers & partners with the step-by-step details for activating Joule with an SAP Concur system. ⬇️ 

#SAP #SAPConcur #travel #AI #SAPBusinessAI #Joule

SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit - latest innovations released with 2025 FPS0

Several new features have been introduced in the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit with the 2025 FPS0 release. 

Thanks for sharing Sean D Silva

*** SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit - latest innovations released with 2025 FPS0 ***

Several new features have been introduced in the SAP S/4HANA Migration Cockpit with the 2025 FPS0 release. 🎁 

Some of these include features like Sequence Information View, easier access to message information, Server group assignment, Job management, Correction File after simulation, Event-based rules (LTMOM), and more. 🏅 

Check all details in the blog below. ⬇️ 

#SAP #S4HANA #Data #RISEwithSAP #SAPBusinessSuite #S4HANAMigrationCockpit

“None of us is as smart as all of us” - Ken Blanchard 

Ain’t that a fact Aidan McCullen

Workshops, Keynotes, Events and Round Tables on Change, Innovation and Mindset. Thinkers50 Innovation Award Winner. Author. Host of The Innovation Show. Lecturer. Board Director. Co-Founder of The Reinvention Summit.

“None of us is as smart as all of us” - Ken Blanchard

Under normal conditions the brain is neatly partitioned specialist regions, tight circuits, well-trodden paths.

Researchers studying psilocybin have shown that under psilocybin, those partitions quieten. Regions that rarely “speak” to each other begin to connect. Old pathways reopen and new ones appear. The brain becomes a network again, not a map of fenced-off territories.

This rewiring doesn’t add anything new, it just allows what was already there to connect.

And the same is true of organisations.

Most companies still run on an architecture designed for a steady business environment. For such execution of a competitive advantage, fixed silos, clear boundaries and predictable handovers work (they still do when you are running such a system). 

This model works well until reality stops matching that org chart. 

When environments cycle faster than structures can adapt, intelligence gets trapped inside silos. 

Exploration happens “over there”. Exploitation (operational expertise) happens “over here”. Insights surface in one unit but die before they are heard in another. Someone spots a shift early but can’t get heard. Someone else has the ability to respond but never hears the signal.

Now AI shows up!

The workflow starts to change. Tasks that used to belong to one team drift into another. Steps that once needed a chain of command can now be done by one.
Decisions move closer to the edge of the organisation because the capability sits there now.

The old siloed division of labour that kept everything orderly becomes a blocker.

AI doesn’t follow the old boundaries, but most orgs still do!

If psilocybin loosens the rigid pathways in the brain, AI does something similar inside organisations.

Check out our conversation on The Innovation Show X with thanks to Kyndryl featuring Sangeet Paul Choudary, Alexander Osterwalder and Howard Yu recorded live at Thinkers50 where these brilliant guests were awarded Thinkers50 recognition and well deserved too!

Excellent Opportunity to hear Aidan McCullen speak.
He doesn’t do ‘Death By PowerPoint’ engaging, interactive sessions where everyone learns
Great choice of speaker Dr. Mark Bloomfield hope you all have an awesome event

AI | Transformation | Board Advisor | Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School | Keynote Speaker

Thrilled to announce my first guest speaker for the upcoming Cambridge Judge Business School MBA elective, Future-Ready Organisations: Orchestrating AI-Driven Disruption (aka AI & Other Disruptive Technologies): Aidan McCullen!

Aidan hosts The Innovation Show podcast, is the author of Undisruptable, co-founder of The Reinvention Summit which Forbes ranked among the top five leadership events of 2025, and a Thinkers50 award recipient. 

His career spans professional sport to becoming one of the most thoughtful voices on innovation and organisational renewal. Few people understand reinvention as deeply or as practically.

In our first unit, we explore the intelligence shift and the rise of AI agents, autonomous systems and the emerging agent economy. We examine the structural forces reshaping industries, the new patterns of value creation and the compounding potential of early, thoughtful innovation. At the centre of this exploration sits a pivotal question: what enables some leaders to translate insight into decisive action while others hesitate?

This space between awareness and initiative is where meaningful progress is created. It is also where Aidan’s work on permanent reinvention provides exceptional guidance and momentum, challenging leaders to evolve continuously rather than react only when change becomes unavoidable.

Our participants are in for a real treat!

#AI #PermanentReinvention #NavigatingDisruption

A Wise Man once said

There are two kinds of People in this World 

Those who put you down - Get rid of them from your life and those who lift you up - Surround yourself with these people

Oh that was me, I said that Wouter 😎

There are two kinds of People in this World 

Those who put you down - Get rid of them from your life and those who lift you up - Surround yourself with these people 

Paul Byrne

Big News from Anaplan, Iver van de Zand  
Paul Byrne ‘you raise a critical concern that the industry needs to be mindful of. Vendor certifications can absolutely feel like a "money grab" if not handled thoughtfully. Becky O'Connor and Anaplan

To build on Iver's response, our primary goal with the program improvements was to ensure our certifications are an objective measurement of an individual's Anaplan knowledge. This required us to introduce objective, proctored exams, which unfortunately incur a direct cost.

We are committed to avoiding the "money grab" model, which is why Anaplan is covering the costs for all of our users' first attempt at the certification exam this year. As Iver mentioned, we've also extended the exam recertification cycle to two years, respecting our experts' time and reducing their costs.

Finally, we have ensured all of our on-demand training materials are completely free and accessible to everyone, so all users have the ability to learn and master Anaplan, regardless of their certification level.’

Anaplan - Vice President Product Management fostering Connected & Enterprise Planning - TopVoice sharing best practice and insights on Planning & Data

#GoodToKnow on Anaplan certifications - What happens if you miss the Anaplan recertification deadline?

Maintaining your Anaplan certification is crucial for validating your expertise and staying current with the platform's latest advancements. Missing the recertification ⏰ deadline means you will lose your certification status and need to start the certification process over from the beginning.

📜 This article outlines the recertification path for each certification level if your certification has lapsed.

by Becky O'Connor

https://lnkd.in/ej_amUWn

#anaplan #certification #learn #anaplanacademy

If you want to stay updated on the latest Anaplan Best practices, please FOLLOW me. Unfortunately, I am at the max. of the number of LinkedIn connections and cannot take more. Go here to FOLLOW me: https://lnkd.in/eRsuBdF2
 
If you want to stay updated on Anaplan best practices, consider below links:
*Anaplan Anapedia: https://help.anaplan.com/
*Anaplan Community: https://lnkd.in/eQEcRTrC
*Anaplan LinkedIn community: https://lnkd.in/edy5XxcG  
*Anaplan Blogs: https://lnkd.in/ethceVTC
 *Anaplan Planual: https://lnkd.in/eS2vZtCC

Doing More Damage than Good Block all AI browsers for the foreseeable future: Gartner
From The Register

Bringing Order To Chaos by Gordon Tredgold 

Finding your Why

AI-led tech slide extends into third day as Oracle, Broadcom fall

https://lnkd.in/dDijKCtJ

Is it an AI a Bubble or Not?
Overvalued Shareprices of AI Companies

I love the term ‘Capex Trap’ Jan Baan , David Hilcher  
I did a Poll during the week asking if it is an AI Bubble or not.
I bet you can guess which way the Poll is going

https://lnkd.in/ddzPhMSM

Founder & Chairman @ Rappit | Software Industry, Enterprise Software

David Hilcher has correctly identified the warning signs flashing across the market. In his analysis of the current "AI Narrative," he identifies the classic symptoms of a late-cycle bubble: sky-high valuations and a widening chasm between the massive capital expenditures ("AI hype") and the actual revenue reality. He aptly names this the "Capex Trap"—a scenario where billions are poured into infrastructure, yet the "time-to-revenue" remains painfully slow.

The Root Cause: The Broken Bicycle Why does this disconnect exist? It is because the industry is fundamentally misapplying the technology. As we often describe at Rappit, the current strategy is akin to strapping a Ferrari engine onto a broken bicycle. The "Ferrari" is modern Agentic AI—powerful, fast, and dynamic. The "broken bicycle" is the legacy ERP system—rigid, flawed, and static. Attempting to mount that high-performance engine directly onto a fractured chassis doesn't result in a faster vehicle; it results in a breakdown. AI cannot fix fundamental product flaws or repair a bad user experience simply by being bolted on.

The Clash of Characters: The Poet vs. The Accountant 
This failure occurs because we are trying to force two incompatible philosophies to merge.
The Legacy ERP is "The Accountant": It is a deterministic system where 1+1 must always equal 2. It demands absolute factuality and stability.
Modern AI is "The Poet": It is a probabilistic system that operates on patterns and likelihoods. It is creative but prone to uncertainty ("confabulation").

When you try to integrate the Poet directly into the Accountant’s office (the core system), you risk instant and irreversible data corruption. It yields no quick wins, only risk and complexity.

The Moral of the Story 
As David Hilcher concludes, the goal isn't to abandon AI, but to align our expectations with engineering reality. By deploying Agentic AI where it belongs—as an "Expert Companion" facilitating the knowledge worker, rather than a patch for the legacy core—we move from generating hype to propelling EBITDA.

See link to: Why It’s Time to Re-check the AI Narrative
https://lnkd.in/euV-6_D7

Your Opinion Matters on Certifications and Recertifications as it is often just an additional money grab / revenue stream for Vendors and or little benefit

Thoughts in the Comments are appreciated

The Rollercoaster or Share Prices
Is there an AI Bubble or Not?

To save the World we must hope for certain World Leaders to leave the big Table where everyone lies.

How they leave is a matter for the American and Russian People, but leave they must.
The sooner the better and their Lapdogs and all those who capitulated must leave too.
To quote Albert Einstein ‘The World will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who stand by and do nothing

Overcoming adversity, psychological resilience and leadership in every environment.

'Trump’s cabinet survives on fear. The minute he dies, surviving members will either run for the doors or aggressively compete to replace him. Whistleblowers will have a party day; hatreds and recriminations will explode. The MAGA walls will come tumbling down and Putin will have no cards left. Trump’s death would be the final nail in Putin’s coffin...'

Click the link.

Borders should not be changed by Military aggression 
They should only be changed at The Ballot Box

A strong majority of Ukrainians — 75% — rejected a proposed peace plan that would involve the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas, military restrictions, and no concrete security guarantees, according to a new public opinion poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), published on Dec. 15. 

63% of 547 adults surveyed across the country — a slight increase from 62% in September this year — said they were ready to endure the war "as long as necessary."

The numbers come despite a difficult situation on the front line, constant Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and strong U.S. pressure on Kyiv to accept Moscow's demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the remainder of Donetsk Oblast. 

Photo: Remon Haazen/Getty Images.

taplio

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