Personal Insights
S/4 HANA: Between Migration and New Implementation
Based on SAP announcement to prolong mainstream maintenance until the end of 2025 for SAP Business Suite 7 core application releases including SAP ERP 6.0, SAP Customer.
“https://news.sap.com/2014/10/sap-committed-innovation-choice-sap-business-suite/”
This make moving to SAP S/4 HANA is only a matter of time.
SAP provides three options to have S/4 HANA system:
1- Conversion / Migration
2- New Implementation / Greenfield
3- Central finance implementation
This blog post helps to getting better decision for moving to S/4 HANA using one of first two options.
In order to provide appropriate recommendation for which method to use, we need to:
- First : Discuss , Explain and Get answers for predefined questions:
Here are Questions in more details:
- Do you want to keep your solution enhancements (ABAP Code for Non-standard solutions / Functions)?
- Do you want to keep your transaction data history (Not only open items or balances but full SAP ECC historical data)?
- Do you need a phased business roll out (Ex. Introduce some firori apps as starting phase, not all S/4 HANA capabilities at once)?
- Does your system fulfill all conversion prerequisites? (Like Update to latest version of ECC6 Enhancement package .There are several tools that can be used to check the prerequisites for moving to Suite on HANA or S/4HANA from ECC 6 Any DB)
- Do You Perceive your current system as Key Asset (Percentage of Current system satisfaction is important key here)?
- Second : Answers analysis
If Answers for all previous questions or majority are YES, we recommend Migration option as it going provide following benefits:
▪ Faster move to SAP S/4HANA: Conversion mainly takes much less time than new implementation as SAP ECC system is up and running with all functions , Integrations and authorization
▪ Preserve historic data: All Historical data will be migrated and still reachable on current system (Note: Un-needed Historical data recommended to be archived to reduce migrated documents size)
▪ Investment protection: S/4 HANA migration will contribute to client new investment, will not start from beginning to start a new implementation
▪ Limit change management: Change management for migration and tracking delta are less than new implementation
▪ Prepare for business innovations: Massive innovation capabilities for S/4 HANA with new industry specific business processes and integration to the Cloud, SaaS applications, IoT and beyond.
▪ No initial load of data: All ECC system data will be migrated that’s why no more data upload needed either master data nor beginning balances
However, if the answers or Majority of them are NO, We need to ask following direct question:
- Do you need a renewal of your complete ERP solution? If answer is YES
Hence, Going with Fresh S/4 HANA new implementation Option is recommended, with all new implementations considerations.
Great article with great level of details, thank you for sharing your knowledge
Welcome always bro.
Thanks for your kind feedback
Thanks Ayman for sharing such valuable information as it's one of the challenging areas. It's simple, clear, & highly sufficient.
Cheers,
Ahmad,
Thanks Ahmed. Glad to hear that you from you.
Appreciated
Great article
Thanks Habib. Appreciate your kind feedback
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.Very detail information.
Thanks Pushpa for your feedback. Appreciated
Nice!!
Thanks Abdul Rahman , Your feedback appreciated 🙂
Thanks Ayman for sharing the useful information.
Welcome Durga , Thanks for your feedback , Really appreciated
For more information about SAP Data Management and Landscape Transformation (DMLT) see this page https://www.sap.com/services/implementation/data-mgmt-landscape-transformation.html or read the solution brief and the SAPPI Success Story. You can contact the global SAP DMLT team by email sap_dmlt_gce@sap.com. They provides services for Selective Data Transition, New Implementation and System Conversion that can also be delivered remotely.
Ayman,
Could you tell me if it is possible to migrate to s / 4 Hana in the middle of the month? If not, there is some material from SAP recommending it to be in a closed period.
Eudes Jesuino.