Teamwork Above All – The Most Important Thing is Not to Lose the Human Approach

Hrvatski Telekom, the leading telecommunications service provider in Croatia, implemented the One.ERP program (eng. enterprise resource planning) this January with significant support from partner SAP Croatia. The project involved launching a single central and comprehensive digital platform to standardize processes and transactions with the aim of setting even higher operational standards.

This was not a small and easy task, but nothing is impossible with excellent and highly motivated teamwork. To successfully implement the One.ERP program within the set timeframe, the project team from SAP and HT, led by Anita Rajković Mravec, Senior Project Manager at SAP, Jasenka Anica Kreković, Head of Accounting and Project Director for One.ERP at HT, and Josip Šešo, Senior Project Manager at HT, placed a strong focus on collaboration with key HT experts, experienced and well-known partners, and system integrators to establish a professional and motivated team to execute the project. In this process, the team was prioritized. We spoke with Anita Rajković Mravec, Jasenka Anica Kreković, and Josip Šešo to find out how they successfully carried out such a significant and demanding project in just 18 months, what working in a multicultural team and virtual environment looks like, and what such projects bring to each team member.

Can you explain what the One.ERP program is? Why is its implementation important for Hrvatski Telekom? Why is it important for SAP Croatia?

ARM: The One.ERP program is an initiative of Deutsche Telekom launched over 10 years ago aimed at implementing a central platform solution across all national companies to achieve standardization, alignment, and better operational standards across the entire Deutsche Telekom group. In 2019, Hrvatski Telekom decided to join the central platform and become part of the One.ERP program. Given that the set timeframe for implementation would be challenging, especially due to the scope of the project, Deutsche Telekom and Hrvatski Telekom decided to join forces with SAP in project management to provide support for realization in the best possible way, considering that SAP has strong experience in executing and implementing projects.

How do the implemented SAP solutions help Hrvatski Telekom on a daily basis? How have work processes changed with the new system?

JAK: As one of the prerequisites for joining the One.ERP community, overall standardization of processes and data alignment has been challenging and still is for current work processes as there was not enough time that could be invested in a satisfactory level of training. Our next goal is to increase system usage and identify points in the business that it affects, and as soon as possible stabilize migration and business transformation together with the entire organization. The only way we can achieve this is through strong partnerships with all One.ERP users in Hrvatski Telekom, with empathy towards their concerns and problems and a complete commitment to achieving the happiness and security of all users in the new system.

What were the main challenges or business problems during the implementation of the One.ERP program?

The main challenges were definitely time, project scope, integration complexity, and the COVID-19 pandemic which changed the traditional way of working to complete remote work. We had a timeframe of 18 months to implement the entire scope of SAP ERP solutions, from finance and technology to real estate management.

JAK: An agile and efficient team set a fast project pace, while on the other hand, a small team could not exceed its resources considering other parallel project activities. It was extremely difficult to moderate activities and resources multiple times on a daily basis. Overall, the team’s trust in project managers was imperative, and we found a good rhythm with which we responded to this challenge.

JŠ: The complex integration involving 19 local systems, 7 One.ERP systems of the Deutsche Telekom group, and 5 third-party HT partner systems was challenging due to the set deadline and budget, while at the same time ensuring a smooth transition during the launch. Through an agile approach and dividing all integrations and test cases into appropriate E2E flows, we ensured a successful project launch. Knowledge of the local system, team motivation, and excellent collaboration with external suppliers were key to success.

How was the project team organized? How many people were involved?

ARM: The project team was organized based on an agile and “lean” approach – the triangle of project management: Project Manager, Business and IT Leader. Team members and leaders were top experts who could react quickly and make decisions as there was no time to waste. HT’s key One.ERP project team had about 15 to 20 members, while the broader team included over 100 people.

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Team HT SAP

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Given that the team was multicultural, were there communication barriers, different ways of working, and cultural differences? How did you overcome them?

ARM: Every beginning is complex and requires certain adjustments, but we did not have much time for that. Through a direct and transparent approach, as well as friendly communication with all stakeholders, we managed to lay the foundations and collaborate very well. Nevertheless, we had several barriers during the project implementation. One of them was that English was the main language of communication, but we ensured that excellent English speakers participated in meetings that we considered could potentially be a problem, thus providing support. Of course, another significant barrier was the COVID-19 pandemic which forced us to organize work in a completely virtual environment. This meant that we had to deal not only with language differences but also with different communication platforms, connectivity issues, difficulties in explaining what someone wanted to say, etc. However, very quickly all stakeholders and team members adapted and achieved an even higher level of productivity and task execution than before as they no longer had to waste time on things like travel or changing meeting rooms.

How did you as leaders motivate team members to give their best every day?

ARM: I was not guided by any highly professional strategy or project management approach. This was a project that needed to be “jumped into quickly” and which we had to manage as best we could. I simply felt and showed empathy towards all team members and had a very patient and stable approach.  From the very beginning of the project with Jasenka and Josip, we had a clear decision of zero tolerance for blaming, arguing, or any similar behavior that is common when deadlines are tight and pressure is high.

JAK: As Anita has already emphasized, overall motivation came from the impressive communication platform we created together to build a team based on mutual respect. This was our main priority: to keep morale high, maintain team spirit, and create a platform for collaboration, not escalation. Empathy, solidarity, and a problem-solving orientation in the work environment work wonders for our team as they often prefer to tackle business challenges together rather than finding a scapegoat. The project management itself had to identify constraints in advance and thus could react early and provide support where needed.

JŠ: From the beginning of the project, we wanted to gather team members who have expertise but also an open mind and a desire for change. We expected resistance to future changes, especially since we had in mind that we were transitioning customized processes to standardized ones. In the small key project team, each member was involved in the project from the beginning, and daily collaboration was important to maintain a high level of motivation.

Has the project team progressed over time? How would you compare collaboration and relationships within the team at the beginning versus today when the project has been implemented?

ARM: I would say that we as a team, but also HT as a team, have internally developed significantly when I compare the period when we just started the project and the period when everything was finalized. Close and intense work, even in a virtual environment, brought us extremely close. I can truly say that we have become close friends from just professional colleagues. Just imagine what it would have been like if COVID-19 had not entered the story.

In your opinion, what has the implementation of this project and participation in that process brought to each team member? What has it brought to you as team leaders?

ARM: I believe that team members have gained deeper knowledge of SAP and expertise in specific areas of business; they have developed a strong desire for improvement and enhancement of processes, rather than just implementing a solution for the sake of it. Where there is a will, there is a way… that is one of our mottos, and the main one is certainly “we can do it”. As a team leader, participating in this project has earned me immense respect for each team member, a sense of endless pride, and confirmation that a certain job, activity, or challenging project can be realized when good energy and togetherness are present. This has once again proven to be the main driver, of course, along with exceptional expertise and experience.

JAK: Personally, I believe that every individual is extremely satisfied when they see the results of their work, effort, and time invested. In this project, this was even more emphasized by the fact that our teams faced a significant challenge in terms of time and resources. With that in mind, the successful execution of the project is a huge success in itself for all colleagues who have put in immeasurable effort. Together we learned and grew, sharing good and bad moments. The very thought of finalizing the project brings a smile to my face, especially because we managed to achieve the goal together. In the end, the invaluable business and personal friendships formed after these challenging days are something I am truly proud to be a part of this extraordinary project. This project was special and very motivating, not only for the project team members but also for our colleagues who were not directly involved in the project activities. During the pandemic, earthquakes, and working from home, our team, which did not give up but rather increased the pace of work, deserves a huge amount of recognition and respect. The agility of the teams that worked tirelessly on the project leaves a lasting value in the legacy of the business side of HT.

JŠ: I believe that every member learned the importance of teamwork and understood the idea of having just one team, without division between the business and IT segments or local and central sides. High motivation, a no-blame culture, and a desire to provide mutual assistance were key to progress even when not everything was perfect and everyone was exhausted and tired.

What would you advise someone who is just starting a project of similar scope and importance? What should be done, and what should be avoided?

ARM: First and foremost is the human approach and individual respect. This is something that should always be taken into account and must be present. It is also important to ensure that the best experts are brought together as team leaders. And something that should definitely be avoided is putting additional pressure on the team in an already high-pressure environment. Also, if you notice that task performance is low, if possible, it would be good to replace team members right at the beginning because it may be too late later given that time is short. However, in all of this, I would like to reiterate – the most important thing is not to lose the human approach.