For your colleague, one of many suitable ways is to reminder the hiring company, at least

until the time the project starts that this is his FIRST project and the hiring company is
completely aware that he has been previously in support project with no extended liability
except doing the job from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This is a life insurance and keeps the
expectation of the project management team reasonable on him. Remember: You Get What
You Pay For!

Now let us break down your main topics of concern as follows:

"Learning the "configuration-related-theory"

Indeed, it is a concern. But does he not want to explore to enter successfully a career on a
higher hierarchy? If so, he must be able to adapt knowledge and skill necessary for that level.
At this stage of his career and based on the expected performance as a beginner on his own
with the position, he must not be the perfect person. Adequate knowledge can be obtained at
a very low cost or it does not come with a cost at all. Knowledge is available and accessible
at any time of the day and night. He must be willing to search for it, process the content
intelligently and goal-oriented-ly. With this, he lands safely on the ground where he can
apply his won knowledge to the fact of the case.

"Communication with the client"

Here the emphasis should be footed. A man as described in your request does not have in his
personal habit the attitude needed to do communication effectively and efficiently with the
client. In supporting role, he can go home at 5:00PM by leaving his office and all the trouble
and problem behind, and enjoy his life and fully protected privacy. As a project man, and if
he wants to proceed and advance, his attitude must be pushed mainly by himself to the
highest levels of his ability which is limited as a beginner to fulfill the request of the position.
It is the first step into failure if he is not preparing himself well enough to overcome. The
second part of difficulty is that communication is more Art than Science. It simply means: It
necessitates him to learn, practice, practice, and practice again until the point of time in which
he has learned how, not only to communicate but communicate successfully with efficiency.
It is not a warning but a remark with emphasis: Not every one is able to master the task of
communication; in fact overwhelming majority of peoples who are successful with their
expert knowledge and abilities in other areas and in their profession fail miserably on job or
task for which communication skill is an unconditional part.
The man in your case can practice the art of communication now on every day on his current
job. The more he practices, the higher his skill will become.

"Understanding requirements and mapping them in SAP"

If the man master reasonably his skill described above, the by product will be certain that he
understands the requirement. This leads to your next concern: How to map the requirement in
SAP. Remember the suggestion of R.N. Wilhite! It is one of adequate starting points. In
addition to it, your man can practice the mapping at any time. Information about how to get
this kind of job not only done but well done is available at no cost or with cost at a reasonable
level.

"Convincing the clients (of the way he would like to map the processes)"
This is one of reasons for why efficient communication is named more art than science.
Nothing helps your man more than practice, practice and practice again (and if he can and
time and opportunity allow: Practice until he is close to perfection). As a respectable
consultant, your man does not ask "How the clients would like to map the process". Why?
Because it is the job of your man to decide what is good for and reasonable to his clients
based on specific circumstance of the case of his clients. And if your man is capable to do his
job, he already has convinced the clients to be his road fellow all the ways and all the time in
the process.

In General:
Your man will make his mark and stands out if he makes all the effort to understand the
business of his clients, their strength and weakness in all the nature that can be reached by
your man. Furthermore and on the top of it, if your man develops a plan to correct the process
of his clients, if it is necessary, improve the performance for his clients; he can crown his
own future with prestige and reward.

Do we have any other points that need to be assessed and discussed, Mr. Typewriter? (By the
way, do you still use your typewriter?).