When implementing SAP S/4HANA, several customers frequently need help choosing the migration strategy. You need clarification about whether you should go with the generic plan, which involves starting from scratch or using a vanilla instance, or the brownfield strategy. This may include retaining some features of your existing ERP system.
Need help understanding how SAP S/4HANA will be implemented in your organization? After assessing your technological environment, the SAP S/4HANA specialists employed lend a hand to your team in selecting a well-built SAP S/4HANA approach.
Here’s a quick and tested guide that you can follow for successful S/4HANA implementation:
1) Planning
Will you “lift and shift” your existing systems and processes and simply duplicate them in S/4HANA? This process is referred to as the brownfield approach.
Or would you begin from scratch, use the chance presented, and prefer to re-platform? You may re-design your systems and procedures to get the most out of the new technology. This is known as the greenfield option.
A combination of the two may be the most effective strategy. For instance, stable systems that are rarely updated could be left in their current state. However, more dynamic applications could be treated in a new way.
Every strategy has advantages and disadvantages; you need to make sure that you perform adequate research to establish which choice is best for your company. This is a very important decision — but you should start as soon as possible. Nothing will change before you make this decision.
2) S/4HANA Plan Of Action
A “big boom” cutover to S/4HANA is technically an option. However, given the systems’ significance, you may encounter only a few firms that can potentially warrant the risk.
In addition, a considerable amount of functionality still needs to be added to S/4HANA. This means that you won’t be able to completely get rid of your existing systems for a little longer.
Your company must construct a roadmap to S/4HANA to understand how S/4HANA will satisfy its operational requirements. This should include the strategy for what system components will be moved and when and thoughts on upgrades to present systems. In addition, you have to consider tailored codes and existing application interfaces during this transition. This should also include the plan for what will happen to current application interfaces.
3) Be System Ready
Compared to previous times, the licensing prices for S/4HANA systems are directly proportional to the amount of RAM required. That means the dimensions of your property will become a consideration.
The more systems you have, the more extensive your entire database will be, and the more money you will have to pay to use S/4HANA to reap its benefits.
Think of it this way: if you were going on an expensive trip to the other side of the world, you probably wouldn’t incur extra baggage fees. Likewise, you do not have to pay extra for transporting your worn-out clothes because you wouldn’t need them.
Before moving to a new platform, system consolidation might assist you in reducing the amount of SAP footprint you have. When fewer systems are migrated, the procedure will be quicker, less complicated, and pose less risk.
The transition project’s cost and future licenses are reduced due to this.
Archiving and eliminating unwanted data from your HANA or Cloud scope reduces the storage space and data transfer rates you’ll need. This makes your migration more straightforward and economical, and you won’t have to bring any unnecessary baggage to your new platform.
4) Adopt Upgraded Testing Tools
Many companies are transitioning to S/4HANA to reevaluate their workflows and tools. They use the chance, to begin with, a reasonably clean slate to implement innovative, industry-standard approaches.
You may come across different approaches to S/4HANA, but an experience SAP consultant can custom-design your approach for successful implementation.
Many SAP users struggle with regression testing, and it is doubtful that this situation will improve after they transition to S/4HANA. In addition, it will play an essential role in mitigating potential risks during the S/4HANA migration process, which would likely involve numerous iterations of testing.
Consider adopting a new strategy for performing regression testing as part of a best practice’s strategy. This would do away with the need to write or maintain test scripts. Simultaneously, it would guarantee that you could securely deliver each phase of your S/4HANA journey without putting your company at risk.
5) Encourage Delivery Consistency
S/4HANA is built to operate quicker and deliver greater business insight than other ERP systems, allowing companies to become more flexible and agile.
If this is the case, why would you accept change control methods that don’t allow your SAP systems to react to new insights simultaneously?
Adopting automation software designed for DevOps will give you complete control over SAP changes and the ability to deliver quickly.
Your SAP systems will be able to respond to the needs of the business far more quickly than ever before. When you integrate SAP into your current cross-application, you will experience continuous integration and delivery procedures.
In addition, the very same automation tools will be invaluable during the migration process because they will provide a far higher level of safety, visibility, and control. This is way better than manually performed approaches. This will result in a quicker and less costly transition and rapid access to the benefits that S/4HANA may deliver.
Conclusion
SAP S/4HANA transition is challenging and time-consuming. However, you can eliminate the scope of going wrong with skilled SAP consultants and service providers.
Accely is a global SAP Gold Partner that can guide you through all potential obstacles. These experts can design and execute successful SAP S/4HANA implementation that applies to your firm and industry.