The growing digital economy is driving organizations to enhance their strategic capabilities and operational efficiencies through modernized enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions like SAP S/4HANA. Embracing this transformation is not just a technical upgrade, it’s a strategic necessity for future growth and staying competitive. Transform your business with SAP S4HANA to unlock greater agility, efficiency, and long-term success.
1. Introduction to SAP S/4HANA
You need to introduce yourself to this world if you intend to go to SAP S/4HANA. Additionally, understand that this is an important transformation that will prepare your business for the future rather than merely a technical upgrade. Use SAP’s use cases, potential training sessions and events, or even a tool like Business Scenario Recommendations, which easily illustrates the advantages of SAP S/4HANA based on your transactions.
2. Create awareness in the company and find partners
SAP S4HANA migration journey cannot be managed by IT alone. Many stakeholders, including management and specialized departments, must be involved in a project of this size and strategic significance.
The extent to which all parties involved understand the benefits and potential of switching to SAP S/4HANA is a major factor in the project’s success. Therefore, those in charge of the project and IT must be mindful to publicize the issue across the organization, include top management in close and early phases, and be clear about the operational and strategic goals related to the implementation.
3. Check technical requirements and implement preliminary projects
Information regarding the specific distinctions between SAP ECC and SAP S/4HANA can be found in the Simplification List. The required Unicode conversion and potential master data reorganization can also be completed as part of the preliminary projects.
The time is also right to handle the customer-vendor integration, which involves transferring supplier and customer data to the new data object business partner. Additionally, determine if the time is suitable to move to the new general ledger (SAP New GL). If there are no other ledgers needed for reporting (such as IFRS, tax, US GAAP, etc.), the switch can also happen while the system is being converted.
4. Learn about migration pathways and consider the consequences of choice
Those who opt for a selective migration or system conversion—and hence against a new implementation—must be fully aware of and thoughtful about the consequences of their choice. Selecting a technical conversion approach is only one aspect of choosing the best migration strategy. Costs aren’t the only consideration. Instead, it is a broad strategic choice that will determine your company’s future success.
For example, Greenfield is the only way to take advantage of best-practice standards and work toward a SAP design free of legacy problems. The same applies: even after a system has been converted using the brownfield approach, it can still be optimized later (“brownfield +”), but a modern architecture can only be achieved later and with significant work.
5. On-premise or Cloud?
When choosing a deployment type, or where to run your SAP S/4HANA system, there are a lot of factors to consider. Because of security concerns, many businesses still prefer to deploy their SAP solution on-site in their own data center rather than using a cloud solution from a hyperscale provider or operator.
Others are shifting toward a cloud solution to benefit from the many advantages of this operating model, which include reduced total cost of ownership, increased flexibility, and quicker access to SAP advancements. They also understand that modern cloud solutions frequently offer even more security than an on-premise system that is self-operated and self-maintained.
6. Mind and plan change management
The significant transformations generated by the implementation of SAP S/4HANA are often underestimated. Consequently, insufficient change management has been identified by businesses as a “stumbling block” in numerous projects. Building trust, preparing the organization well, showing perspectives of the new technology, and professionally accompanying the transition are all essential components of a successful change management process.
Using modern media in particular has been beneficial and supportive for many projects, ranging from online tutorials and live communities to training courses and movies. The important thing to remember is that the key elements of a professional change management approach need to be established right away.
7. Get to know technologies and new ways of working
Best practices, end-to-end procedures, the new SAP Fiori user interface and experience, new tools like the SAP Extensibility Framework and RESTful ABAP, the Business Technology Platform, and SAP Activate are just a few of the improvements that come with SAP S/4HANA.
In the lead-up to your project, learn about the new features of the architecture, technologies, tools, and techniques. Get appropriate guidance. Additionally, make sure that everyone engaged, from senior management to important users, is aware of and comprehends SAP S/4HANA’s unique capabilities and associated advancements from early on.
8. Better understand and optimise business processes
Business Process Intelligence has been greatly enhanced by SAP. In this way, SAP can now assist businesses in better understanding and assessing their own business processes, which will enable them to be optimized and transformed.
Learn more about SAP’s new solutions and take advantage of these opportunities as part of the SAP S/4HANA implementation. In the implementation context, one of the most important success factors is the optimization of specific business processes.
In addition to making businesses faster, more adaptable, and more competitive, optimal procedures also enable them to provide even better customer service. It should be noted that many of the core business processes are already end-to-end and real-time under SAP S/4HANA.
9. Modern project management with SAP S/4HANA
A complex project that takes several months to complete, from planning and preparation to technical implementation and acceptance, is the introduction of SAP S/4HANA. Considering this, minimizing the risks associated with such a project, maintaining the project’s budget and timeline within defined limits, and permanently securing the investment are all crucial.
Learn how a good process model and modern project management can help your project succeed. This includes using professional capacity planning and appropriate role concepts, as well as project and collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams, Microsoft OneNote, Microsoft Sharepoint, Skype for Business, and even solutions like Solution Manager or Cloud ALM.
Nowadays, even large-scale initiatives like the launch of SAP S/4HANA can be implemented completely remotely.
10. Finding the right path – the SAP S/4HANA Roadmap
You need a plan before you begin conversion or re-implementation. A good roadmap tool helps you set the path for your project. Together with a partner, you establish what a target landscape that meets your needs looks like or which changeover scenario best matches your business and your objectives. Pre-checks and a fit/gap analysis are performed, the simplification list is handled, your custom code is examined using the ABAP Test Cockpit, and you become acquainted with SAP S/4HANA in a sandbox environment.
At Accely, we specialize in guiding businesses through every stage of their SAP S/4HANA transformation journey. From strategy and planning to implementation and support, our end-to-end solutions are designed to streamline the process and minimize disruptions.
