Restoring stability after a challenging ERP transition at SEB Professional

How targeted expertise, governance and ownership transformed a struggling SAP environment into a stable and future-proof foundation

ERP implementations are designed to harmonize processes, increase transparency and strengthen control. But when timing, governance and data quality are not fully aligned, such transformations can put significant pressure on an organization.

That was the reality for SEB Professional, part of the listed French Groupe SEB. The transition to a new ERP system in 2022 did not go as planned. “The move to SAP happened too fast,” says Steve Suykerbuyk, CFO of SEB Professional BeLux and SEB Professional Netherlands. “As a result, master data management and data migration were under pressure. This led to invoicing issues and a growing customer receivables balance.”

With annual revenue of five million euros and receivables rising to two million euros, decisive action was required. In 2024, SEB Professional engaged TriFinance to stabilize operations and structurally address the underlying issues.

A dual-track recovery approach

“Why TriFinance? From experience, I knew they uniquely combine IT, finance, and business expertise. That is exactly what we needed,” says Steve Suykerbuyk.

The recovery effort began with a targeted quick scan that clearly identified the core issues. Based on those insights, a focused dual-track plan was defined. What followed was not a simple technical correction, but a comprehensive recovery trajectory.

Through their dual-track approach, combining immediate operational remediation with structural process redesign, TriFinance experts worked side by side with SEB Professional teams. One track focused on mitigating the immediate impact of incorrect master data. The other addressed the underlying processes and root causes behind the recurring billing issues.

As Project manager Cosie Goudesone puts it: “When the tap is running, you need to mop the floor. But you also want to shut off the tap as quickly as possible. That’s why we reconfigured SAP in a different way.”

Stabilizing systems and strengthening governance

While Lucas Janssens and his team resolved urgent master data issues, Robin De Coninck led the structural recovery. A major bottleneck was the unstable SAP–Salesforce interface affecting billing. Beyond fixing technical root causes, Robin strengthened governance by developing detailed scripts and recurring controls, enabling the internal team to independently detect and resolve future issues.

Lucas Janssens focused not only on fixing invoicing errors but on addressing structural root causes, including better alignment between operations and the back office. “I deliberately looked beyond the symptoms and focused on root causes,” he says.

“My assignment had two dimensions,” Robin De Coninck says. “Resolving technical issues and re-embedding knowledge.” He provided the technical backbone of the recovery by stabilizing the SAP landscape and resolving data flow and pricing issues between Salesforce and SAP. He also rebuilt internal expertise amid high staff turnover by translating key processes into clear procedures, scripts, and workflows.

Building a future-proof foundation

Steve Suykerbuyk highlights Robin De Coninck’s crucial role in strengthening internal SAP knowledge after a rapid implementation left teams insufficiently prepared. By clarifying and documenting processes, he helped build a stronger foundation for the future.

With operations stabilized, the focus has shifted to prevention and long-term improvement. Together with TriFinance, the leadership team critically reviewed processes, system interactions, and potential bottlenecks during a two-day workshop. The result is clearer cross-functional alignment, and SEB Professional now also has the tools to create a solid, future-proof organizational blueprint.

By the end of 2025, not all issues had yet been resolved. Over the course of the year, TriFinance also deployed experienced project managers to further optimize and map processes and procedures. Working alongside the still-active Credit Management consultants in the Netherlands, they are expected to complete their assignment by the end of Q1 2026.

At that point, SEB PROFESSIONAL will need to be fully capable of managing operations independently. Steve Suykerbuyk acknowledges that this will remain a challenge, but one that is achievable thanks to the strong foundations now in place.