---
title: 13 SAP Business Planning Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making
description: Avoid these Business Planning mistakes by implementing SAP BPC (Business Planning and Consolidation) solutions using our consulting team. SAP SEM.
image: https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16610509-gif/images/stick_figure_crank_money_300_clr_4506.gif
---

![SAP Business Planning and Consolidation](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16610509-gif/images/stick_figure_crank_money_300_clr_4506.gif)

# 13 SAP Business Planning Mistakes You Don't Know You're Making

 Table of Contents

## Using [SAP Business Planning ](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-build-a-sap-sem-bps-retail-industry-value-case)Correctly

Many enterprises have a difficult [Business Planning process](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-services/it-services/your-5-year-it-strategic-plan-partners).  Though they may have been in [business](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/are-you-ready-to-think-grow-rich-mindmap) for decades, in many cases, they are suffering from one, some or all of the following symptoms of a poorly performing [Business Planning](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/14-sap-business-planning-best-practices) process-and many don't know they are making these mistakes:

![SAP BPC Help Crank Out the Money](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16610509-gif/images/stick_figure_crank_money_300_clr_4506.gif)

 

 

1. Inability to **produce variance and what-if [analyses](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/enterprise-reporting-strategy-development)** without significant manual efforts.
2. **Lack** of dependable and **[quantifiable data](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/develop-a-data-governance-framework)** to [make decisions](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-use-a-project-charter-to-start-a-project) for [business planning](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-understand-sap-supply-chain-management-and-bw) and [manage risk](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/does-pci-dss-compliance-affect-you).
3. **Lack of [integrated systems](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hubspot-growth-platform-crm-marketing-hub-service-hub-sales-hub)** and [automated business processes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/business-process-consulting) result in the inability to efficiently and quickly drill down into variances from actuals.
4. Lack of [integration across business processes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hubspot-integrations-sales-sap-chat) and business units **negatively impact [productivity](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/11-super-secret-service-level-agreement-techniques)/efficiency**.
5. **Limited** ability to provide timely information to the business due to lack of [systems integration](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/42-essential-hubspot-integrations-b2b-marketers-need-to-start-using) results in [**sub-optimal decision-making**](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-grants-management).
6. **Inability to implement structural [changes](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/discover-project-managers-utopia-with-these-change-management-tips)** (e.g., account, organization) without significant delays and [administrative costs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/total-cost-of-ownership-tco).
7. **Lack** of ability to **align** [operational plans](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/learn-how-to-land-big-customers-using-multi-channel-marketing) with [**strategic objectives**](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/value-stream-mapping) and [goals](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/how-can-hubspots-growth-suite-actually-help-you) resulting in misaligned execution.
8. **Lack** of business [sales process](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/the-shocking-truth-about-your-sap-sales-process) flow for planning makes it nearly [impossible for users](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/how-important-is-data-governance-to-internet-marketing) to **create and modify parameters** by themselves resulting in [unnecessary delays](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/speaking-at-the-fame-and-profit-summit-2022) and costs.
9. **Limited functionality** in current systems hinders ability to move to a **rolling forecast/planning process**.
10. Significant volume of critical financial information is managed and **manipulated in offline databases** resulting in lack of [data synchronization](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/develop-a-data-governance-framework) and accuracy.
11. Unnecessarily **long planning and [budgeting cycles](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/6-financial-management-excellence-tips)** lead to outdated and unusable planning figures.
12. **Lack of [centralized data managemen](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-sap-data-migration-mistakes-to-avoid)**[t](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-sap-data-migration-mistakes-to-avoid) and defined ownership leads to significant [data quality issues](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/data-quality-best-practices-for-effective-sap-bw-reporting).
13. **Limited ability to get accurate actuals and prior period plans** creates unnecessary delays for the current planning period.

![Business Planning SAP BPC](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hs-fs/file-16543627-png/images/business_plan_400_clr_2760.png)

## Make Your Business Planning Process Easier

Not all companies suffer from all these [business planning](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/sap-support-companies) symptoms.  We have found some or all these problems across a variety of industries. They all lead to a need for robust business plan software.

 

## Need for a Well-Designed Business Plan

All of these aforementioned business planning mistakes can be mitigated by the use of proven business plan templates, with well defined [business plan](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/why-business-growth-stalls-and-how-to-diagnose-it) sections that follow a [business growth-centric plan](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/strategic-growth-planning) outline.

 

## Developing a Growth-Oriented Business Plan

When you have SAP business planning and consolidation (SAP BPC) implemented as a core part of your SAP business planning process, you have the tool you need to develop a [growth-oriented](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/developing-balanced-scorecards) business plan.

 

## Detailed Planning by All SAP Business Units

 

An SAP [business plan](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/request-sap-business-planning-and-consolidation-sap-bpc-consulting-support) built using [SAP BPC](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/9-epm-sap-strategy-management-how-to-best-practices-to-implement-now) is a well-researched [business plan](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/free-website-seo-grade-audit-serp-sem-amp) as well as a well-written business plan - down to lowest business unit level.  You can perform [SAP commercial planning](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/how-to-improve-sap-profitability-management-the-ultimate-guide) down to almost any level, right down to the SKU/Territory/Profit Center.  

 

## SAP Business Planning and Consolidation

 

If you're [implementing SAP Business Planning and Consolidation](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/request-sap-business-planning-and-consolidation-sap-bpc-consulting-support), our SAP Business Planning and [consulting team](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/sap-best-practices-greenfield-implementations) can help you build a **world-class Business Planning Process** integrated from the executive suite to the shop-floor and beyond.

 

[![Click me](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/118735/be5adb03-e567-43b5-9451-cd6ef8fcadd1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/118735/be5adb03-e567-43b5-9451-cd6ef8fcadd1)

 

Comments are always welcome!

 

People Who Read This Also Read:

- 10 [Critical Chain](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-critical-chain-project-manager-tips) Project Manager Tips
- How To Use [Google Keyword](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/inbound-marketing/how-to-use-google-keyword-planner-tool-tutorial) Planner Tool Tutorial
- Learn What is [Catch Weight Management](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/learn-what-is-catch-weight-management)
- 3 Ways to [Design KPIs](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/3-ways-to-design-kpis-using-sap-solution-map-composer) Using SAP Solution Map Composer
- 10 Advanced SAP BW [Project Estimation](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/10-advanced-sap-bw-project-estimation-techniques) Techniques [Online Tool]
- Top 10 Benefits for Financial Analysis in the [Latest SAP EP4](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/top-10-benefits-for-financial-analysis-in-the-latest-sap-ep4)
- Learn [What Tools](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/learn-what-tools-to-use-to-investigate-is-mill-functionality) To Use To Investigate IS-Mill Functionality
- BusinessObjects [Explorer](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/businessobjects-explorer-best-practices) Best Practices

 

Thanks

 

Topics from this blog:

[SSM](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/ssm) [SEM BPS](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/sem-bps) [BW](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/bw) [Strategy Management](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/strategy-management) [BPC](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/topic/bpc)

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### Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP

About the Author: Lonnie Ayers is a Hubspot Certified Inbound Marketing consultant, with additional certifications in Hubspot Content Optimization, Hubspot Contextual Marketing, and is a Hubspot Certified Partner. Specialized in demand generation and sales execution, especially in the SAP, Oracle and Microsoft Partner space, he has unique insight into the tough challenges Service Providers face with generating leads and closing sales using the latest digital tools. With 15 years of SAP Program Management experience, and dozens of complex sales engagements under his belt, he helps partners develop and communicate their unique sales proposition. Frequently sought as a public speaker in various events, he is available for both inhouse engagements and ** remote coaching. **   
![Balanced Scorecard Consultant](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/Balanced%20Scorecard%20Certified%20Graduate.jpg)

He also recently released a book **"How to Dominate Any Market - Turbocharging Your Digital Marketing and Sales Results",** which is available on [ Amazon.](https://www.amazon.com/Dominate-Turbocharging-Digital-Marketing-Results/dp/1728357950/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1589182458&refinements=p_27%3ALonnie+D.+Ayers&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Lonnie+D.+Ayers)****

[View All Articles by Lonnie D. Ayers, PMP](https://www.sapbwconsulting.com/blog/author/lonnie-d-ayers-pmp)

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