The $30 million in sunk costs has to be weighed against the unknowable millions that could have been lost had they continued to pursue this project, which seems to have been irretrievably broken. In that respect maybe their choice to kill it was most appropriate.
The only exception I would take to your post is the idea that "SAPs brand and reputation will suffer even though no one blames the software." The reason I disagree with this idea is because the landscape is littered with the bones of failed SAP projects and they continue to hold the largest market share. They've consistently been able to defend their high rate of failure on the unwillingness of clients to follow the rules for implementation. And, for better or worse, they're usually correct.
As to Deloitte's culpability, Project Portfolio Excellence Truth #20 sums it up: The extent to which management allows itself to be misled by vendors and consultants is their own fault.
Bill Monroe, Project Portfolio Excellence
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