About Gordon C Smith: SAP Delivery Under Pressure

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“Gordon’s hallmark is decisiveness. He has an innate ability to make clear, well-informed decisions even when the stakes are high... he acted as a safety net for the team.”
— Mike Seltzer, SAP Enterprise Support Engineer

I step into SAP and enterprise support organisations when they are one incident away from losing confidence in delivery.

CEOs, CIOs, and CFOs typically bring me in when backlogs are rising, leadership bandwidth is stretched to the breaking point, or attrition is starting to undermine operational stability. I step in when SAP backlogs are spiralling, senior oversight has slipped, and attrition is creating tactical gaps in the team. As a fractional lead, I take direct delivery accountability to restore the operational discipline and rhythm your strategy demands.

The Pedigree of a Global Operator

My approach is grounded in three decades of high-pressure leadership, from the frontline of the Royal Air Force to the executive level of global SAP delivery.

Global Scale: I previously led a remote-first global SAP support organisation of over 670 professionals across the US, EMEA, Latin America, and APAC.

Fiscal Accountability: I held direct accountability for a $63M budget, delivering a sustained 60% gross margin through AI-driven service optimisation.

Proven Retention: While the industry average for attrition sits at 37%, I achieved a 94% team retention rate by rebuilding trust, clarity, and decision flow.

Military Foundation: My career began with 17 years in the Royal Air Force, leading logistics and distribution in high-pressure operational environments worldwide. This background in discipline and planning allows me to stabilise performance faster than "clever" interventions.

How I Work With You

I work inside your organisation for typically 2–6 months. I focus on removing the "Productivity Tax" caused by hiring freezes and overstretched teams by:

Restoring Rhythm: Reducing incident resolution times and clearing backlogs.

De-risking Transitions: Providing operational continuity during critical ECC to S/4HANA migration periods.

Developing the Bench: Mentoring your first- and second-line managers in the flow of work so the organisation can carry the load forward without dependency once I exit.

I leave organisations with predictable SAP delivery, a stronger leadership bench, and the confidence to execute on their strategy.

Gordon C Smith FCMI, FIoL, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Fellow of the Institute of Leadership.

FAQs

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  • I step into SAP or enterprise support environments that are under pressure. That might mean stabilising delivery, mentoring mid-tier managers, or rebuilding rhythm across hybrid teams. I take partial operational accountability for a period, get things back on track, and help your internal leaders sustain it once I step out.

  • Consultants advise from the outside. Fractional leaders operate from the inside. I carry the load with your team, not as a separate workstream. The focus is on results you can feel within weeks — fewer incidents, steadier delivery, and more confident managers.

  • Usually when delivery is wobbling or leadership bandwidth is stretched. That could be after a senior leader leaves, during a migration, or when attrition and fatigue are creeping up. I’m often called in to bridge a gap or reset rhythm when firefighting has become the norm.

  • Most assignments run between two and six months. That’s enough time to stabilise delivery, rebuild leadership cadence, and leave behind a structure and team that can run without me.

  • Medium to large enterprises that rely heavily on SAP or similar ERP systems. Most are in industries such as manufacturing, FMCG, life sciences, or utilities — places where stability, governance, and performance really matter.

  • Within 30–90 days, most clients see clearer leadership rhythm, reduced backlog, and better team engagement. The real win is continuity: a stronger bench of leaders who can carry that performance forward without outside support.

  • I don’t run classroom sessions. I mentor in the flow of work — side by side with managers as they lead. If you’re after a formal leadership programme, I can recommend partners, but my value is in building capability where the work actually happens.

  • It usually begins with a short conversation about what’s happening in your environment and what you need to steady it. From there, I’ll suggest the best-fit approach — fractional leadership, a short stabilisation sprint, or a leadership diagnostic.