The Human Multiplier: Enabling People, Not Just Technology, in RISE with SAP

In the previous Unk Unks, we uncovered four hidden risks that quietly erode ROI in RISE with SAP programs: outdated change models, vanity metrics, fragmented ownership, and inconsistent adoption standards.

Each one exposes the same underlying truth: most organisations still treat adoption as a project activity, not an operating model.

This fifth Unk Unk focuses on the next layer of that problem: The Multiplier Miss – the gap between technology investment and human enablement. It’s one of the biggest reasons digital transformation programs stall after go-live.

The Human Multiplier

Technology scales potential – People scale performance.

When adoption stops at “train and go live,” the human multiplier is missed. Systems run, processes function, but business value stalls.

In RISE with SAP programs, this disconnect is everywhere.

Executives assume that once users are trained and the system is stable, value will follow automatically. But it rarely does, because the multiplier of digital value isn’t the software itself. It’s how effectively people use it, how confidently, consistently, and intelligently they execute new workflows in the flow of work.

People are the force multiplier of every technology investment. And “multiplier miss” simply means that if people aren’t fully enabled to adopt and use that technology, the organisation misses out on that multiplier – and business value suffers as a result.

The Symptoms of the Multiplier Miss

The Multiplier Miss shows up in ways that look like normal project challenges, but they’re really signs of a deeper issue:

• System usage without impact. Users log in, but productivity gains don’t appear
• High effort, low return. Teams work harder to get less done because they haven’t mastered new processes
• Stalled business outcomes. Efficiency, compliance, and customer metrics plateau instead of improving
• Change fatigue. Employees disengage when transformation feels like extra work rather than smarter work
• AI underperformance. New tools and insights go unused because people don’t trust or understand them.

These aren’t isolated problems. They’re the result of focusing on technical readiness instead of human readiness, and failing to activate the human multiplier.

Why the Multiplier Miss Happens

The reason this gap persists is simple: most enterprises still view people enablement as a “supporting activity,” not a performance driver.

1. Training over enablement – Training teaches features. Enablement builds fluency. Too many programs stop at the former and never reach the latter.
2. One-time learning – Traditional change models assume that once a user is trained, they’re done. But in RISE with SAP, change never stops. Quarterly releases, process updates, and AI copilots mean continuous learning is essential.
3. No behavioural insight – Without analytics on how users actually work, leaders can’t see where friction exists or where additional support is needed.
4. Misaligned incentives – Adoption success is rarely tied to business KPIs. People focus on delivery milestones instead of measurable value creation.

The Cost of Missing the Multiplier

When people aren’t enabled to multiply value, the technology investment decays fast:

• Productivity gaps widen. Teams revert to manual workarounds
• Process compliance declines. Inconsistent execution creates risk and rework
• Innovation slows. AI and automation fail to deliver because users don’t adopt them
• ROI timelines slip. Business benefits stretch from months to years

In one global manufacturing program, the organisation achieved a flawless technical go-live. The system was live in 60 countries, training completion exceeded 90%, and adoption dashboards showed strong login rates.

Yet six months later, throughput was flat. Productivity was stagnant. A closer look revealed that only a fraction of critical workflows were being executed correctly. The people had been trained, but not enabled.

That’s the Multiplier Miss in action, and it quietly drains value from even the best-run transformations.

The Elite Difference

Elite enterprises understand that digital adoption is not about getting people to use technology. It’s about helping people perform better through technology.

They treat the human multiplier as a strategic asset and design adoption models that continuously enhance capability. Here’s what they do differently:

1. Embed enablement in the flow of work. Learning happens where work happens, inside the system, in real time, guided by digital adoption platforms like WalkMe, not in separate classrooms or PDFs.
2. Continuously measure human performance. Adoption KPIs track completion, accuracy, cycle time, and productivity. Data is used to identify friction and improve experience.
3. Invest in behavioural insight. Elite programs use analytics to see where users hesitate, where errors occur, and how process design affects performance.
4. Create continuous learning cultures. They recognise that RISE with SAP evolves constantly, so learning never ends. AI co-pilots, predictive analytics, and new process designs all require ongoing enablement.
5. Connect adoption metrics to business outcomes. The best organisations link adoption performance directly to cost savings, revenue improvements, and customer outcomes.

These organisations understand the multiplier equation:

Technology × Adoption × Human Enablement = Transformation Value.

If any of those multipliers is zero, so is the outcome.

The AI Connection

AI has become the defining force in digital transformation, and the ultimate test of adoption maturity.

When adoption is weak, AI doesn’t compensate. It amplifies the problem.

AI co-pilots and predictive insights rely on consistent processes, accurate data, and engaged users. If people aren’t following workflows or inputting reliable information, AI models draw the wrong conclusions. Instead of accelerating value, they accelerate errors.

This is the great irony of modern enterprise transformation: the most advanced technologies depend on the most fundamental human behaviours.

Without adoption as an operating model, AI becomes an illusion – powerful in theory, underwhelming in practice.

Why Now – and Why DAA?

The Multiplier Miss is not about technology failure. It’s about leadership focus.

Enterprises that want to unlock the full value of RISE with SAP need to reframe adoption as a performance discipline. That means:

Building ongoing enablement into the operating model
Measuring adoption as part of business performance, not project closure
Using behavioural analytics to drive continuous improvement
Creating clear ownership and governance for people enablement

This is where Digital Adoption Advisor (DAA) helps.

DAA partners with organisations to design adoption operating models that embed human performance into the heart of transformation:

• We build frameworks that link adoption KPIs to business value
• We operationalise tools like WalkMe, Signavio, and SAP AI to enhance capability in the flow of work
• We help enterprises move from “trained” to “enabled” – and from “system live” to “value realised.”

The Multiplier Miss is not inevitable. It’s a leadership choice.

Final Thought

The fifth Unk Unk of RISE with SAP adoption is The Multiplier Miss – the failure to enable people to multiply the value of technology.

The first four Unk Unks showed how outdated models, blind metrics, fragmented ownership, and inconsistent practices drain value from transformation. The Multiplier Miss reveals why the human factor ultimately decides success or failure.

Technology delivers potential – People deliver performance.

And adoption, as an operating model, is what connects the two.

Without it, transformation remains theory.

With it, the system becomes a force multiplier – turning technology into tangible business performance.