Organisations must migrate to SAP S/4 HANA, SAP’s latest suite, by 2027 as SAP will not provide support past this date. The migration takes a considerable amount of effort and time as thorough planning is required for seamless migration. Organisations must start this process as early as possible to easily adapt to digital advancements.
Though SAP ECC has been the most unrefutably famous ERP solution in the past decades, SAP will pull the switch on ECC support by 2027. This means that organisations must now migrate to SAP’s latest suite- SAP S/4 HANA. Migrating to S/4 HANA is a complicated and rigorous task as it requires considerable time and effort. Even though it may seem that there is plenty of time left, seamless migration to S/4 HANA requires a lot of meticulous planning. Organisations with large volumes of data may take several months to migrate, which is why it is critical to lay out a thorough migration plan.
An overview of SAP S/4 HANA
SAP S/4 HANA is the latest SAP suite. S/4 HANA runs in memory, meaning that data is stored in columns which allows more rapid and near real-time analytics and computing abilities. It also provides users with effective support in real-time while considering internal as well as external data sources.
S/4 HANA comes in 4 versions:
- SAP S/4 HANA public cloud
- SAP S/4 HANA private cloud
- SAP S/4 HANA on HEC
- SAP S/4 HANA on-premises
A detailed and thorough SAP S/4 HANA migration strategy is necessary to ensure a smooth and successful data transition.
SAP S/4 HANA helps organisations operate seamlessly in the ever-growing digital landscape, giving them a competitive edge by transforming them into intelligent enterprises.
Preparing for SAP S/4 HANA migration
The volume of data directly affects the size of the S/4 HANA database as it impacts data memory needs. A well-planned SAP S/4 HANA migration strategy is crucial for smooth data migration. It is also important to be aware of the S/4 HANA migration tools that align with business requirements.
Here are two key considerations for seamless S/4 HANA migration:
Avoid last-minute migration
Late-minute data migration can lead to major hindrances such as operational disruptions, oversights, and more. As it may take some time to get an in-depth understanding of this application, it is imperative to start early to avoid late deployment issues which can be overwhelming. An early migration can also help firms get enough time to add customisations and integrations according to business needs, which results in improved business efficiency.
Therefore, for smooth SAP S/4 HANA migration, thorough preparation, and strategising is of utmost importance.
Decide on the migration approach
Typically, there are three scenarios: the Greenfield approach, the Brownfield approach and a hybrid option. A Greenfield implementation involves starting from scratch, wiping the slate clean and setting the SAP system up as a new landscape. A Brownfield implementation is quite the opposite, it is a technical upgrade of SAP ECC, which means the same processes can be replicated without disrupting the existing business process. Finally, some companies opt for a hybrid approach with brings about the best part of the Greenfield and Brownfield approach. In this scenario, only the data corresponding to a relative short period of time (2-3 years) is migrated to SAP S/4HANA. Choosing a migration approach will have a large impact on the migration strategy and planning.
Conclusion
The SAP S/4 HANA migration process can seem to be overwhelming. As a result, an in-depth understanding of S/4 HANA migration tools and thorough preparation can prove to be highly beneficial. Finding the right partner with qualified consultants is extremely imperative for a successful SAP S/4 HANA migration.
