Tips On Migrating SAP ERP HCM Data to SAP SuccessFactors

With more businesses realizing that SAP SuccessFactors is the way of the future, the air is abuzz with companies looking to make the switch. However, SAP SuccessFactors itself is a bit different from other SAP systems. Conversion into SuccessFactors is similarly unique. Quite a lot of current SAP users are making the leap to SuccessFactors because of the extensibility it offers. If a business has managed the switch in the past to SAP ERP HCM, then this conversion will be a completely new challenge for them, complete with different pacing and goals.

Do the Research Into Migration Tools

Probably the most important tip that any business can get is to do their homework regarding the tools available for migration to SAP SuccessFactors. SAP already offers tools that can take data over to SuccessFactors. However, there may be specific needs for your organization that SAP’s tools don’t cover. In such a case, businesses like Accenture have developed specific migration tools for different types of business. Aside from SAP and Accenture, several other third-party migration tools exist. Exploring how they operate is of the utmost importance in figuring out if they’d be useful for migrating a business’s data over to SAP SuccessFactors.

Work Out Details Beforehand

Things like file sizes, conversion formats, and length of the cutover are all critical factors to consider when looking at migration. Ideally, you should have someone knowledgeable advising you on these elements. The rate of change of technology over the last five years has made the consideration of conversion formats and the length of the cutover a significant one.

Prepare for A Long Cutover Period

SAP SuccessFactors is a far more complex system than SAP ERP HCM. While, in the past, a business could safely deploy their SAP ERP HCM install throughout a weekend or night and have it ready to go live the next day, the same isn’t true for SAP SuccessFactors. The system uses a lot of unique technologies and processes throughout its operations. SuccessFactors will have users interacting with it differently to SAP ERP HCM. The result is that businesses will have to configure their cutover individually, possibly rolling it out bit by bit as more of the system becomes usable.

The benefit of this approach is that the users within the company will have a better grasp of the technology by the time it goes live. The more deliberate pace of rollout also means that there is less chance that the new system will fail while going through its initial use. Especially true if you’re running a same day business loans company. Keeping data in-sync across the cutover would be the most significant concern at this point. If the cutover period is two weeks, then it can be a challenge to ensure that both systems remain up to date during the cutover period. Exploring different methodologies for cutovers and preserving data across the divide is also advisable in this case.

Simple Considerations to Remember

While these operations tips are useful for migrating to SAP SuccessFactors, there are a few standard tips that a business should keep in mind. There’s no need to invest in an expensive ETL system, but instead, put your faith into a scalable system that the business can adapt as the size of the dataset changes. Set up a post for a Data Migration Lead, even if it’s only temporary, to serve as the point-person for the migration effort. Finally, during the cutover, testing is of the utmost importance. If an issue exists, the business should catch it and rectify it before the system goes live. In this case, a more extended cutover period will aid the company to work out issues before handing it over to the staff for daily use.